Skip to main content

Elle Fanning has this one thing in common with Academy Award-winner Leonardo DiCaprio. That is according to fellow Oscar-winner, Nicole Kidman. Ahead learn what Kidman sees in 21-year-old Fanning that reminds her of DiCaprio. 

Kidman and Fanning have been in two films together. First, they starred in 2017’s The Beguiled. Then they reunited again a year later in 2018’s How to Talk to Girls at Parties. During long days on the set of both movies, Kidman and Fanning surely got to know each other and their respective approaches to acting.

Fanning and DiCaprio born with ‘extraordinary talent’

Fanning is on the cover of Marie Claire’s Feb. 2020 issue and as part of the cover story, the publication spoke with Kidman about Fanning. The veteran actress described Fanning as having a bevy of emotions ready to convey at a moment’s notice. 

Elle Fanning at the 72nd Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 2019
Elle Fanning at the 72nd Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 2019 | Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

“She has such a well of emotions that she can use; it just sits at her fingertips,” Kidman said of Fanning. “Her skin flushes, her eyes light up, her voice changes, her body moves in such a way.”

Kidman continued, saying that she sees a big similarity between DiCaprio and Fanning. 

“She’s sort of like Leonardo DiCaprio, where she’s just had extraordinary talent since the moment she was born,” Kidman said. 

Kidman, who recently starred in Bombshell, went on, saying that Fanning’s not insecure thanks to her home life as a kid. “I think she’s been raised with an immense amount of love, which has given her a unique self-confidence.” 

Kidman continued, gushing about Fanning: “She’s so easy to talk to and be around—and when I see her, I smother her with kisses because she’s so yummy!”

She’s ‘the best actor of her generation’

Kidman’s not the only person who spoke of Fanning’s profound talent as an actor. 

Brett Haley, who directed Fanning in the Netflix film, All the Bright Places, similarly had only positive things to say about Fanning. 

“Elle is, frankly, the best actor of her generation. I say that with all seriousness. She’s also such a gifted technical actor, a film actor,” Haley told Marie Claire. “She understands the medium better than almost anyone I’ve ever worked with, and she’s 21 years old. Really great actors are like emotional athletes; she knows how to break up her emotional energy.”

Getting compared to DiCaprio and being called the best actor of a generation; clearly we’re in for more compelling performances from Fanning. 

Acting runs in the family

Fanning has been surrounded by actors since she was a child. She’s the younger sister of Dakota Fanning, who made a name for herself in films such as I Am Sam (2001), Uptown Girls (2003), and Man on Fire (2004).

Take a look at the younger Fanning’s Instagram and it’s easy to see why she and her sister were drawn to acting. Fanning’s posted numerous home videos of her and Dakota in their childhood bathroom dressed in costumes and wigs. 

What’s next for Elle Fanning? 

Fanning stars in the aforementioned film, All the Bright Places, out Feb. 28, 2020. Then she’ll be in a program on another streaming service when The Great, a Hulu series about Catherine the Great, premieres on May 15, 2020.

Best in Entertainment