Does Dakota Fanning feel competitive with sister Elle? Here’s what she revealed about their bond

Dakota Fanning opened up about sharing the Hollywood spotlight with her younger sister, Elle Fanning, and whether or not there has been any rivalry between them, given that they have pursued similar careers. And according to Dakota, she doesn't feel competitive with her younger sister.

In a cover story for Vanity Fair, published on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, the 31-year-old actress answered a question about whether Elle and she feel competitive, saying:

"Zero. We obviously share a lot, but we're very different. So I don't even see something that's right for her as being right for me. I don't feel competitive. But I know that people probably don't believe that."

Dakota and Elle Fanning (Image via ason Armond / Getty Images)

As for Elle Fanning, she echoed her sister's comment about them being very different. In the same feature for Vanity Fair, she said that when they were young, they wanted to make sure that people saw them differently and that they had given each other the space to "carve our [their] own path."

They worked in the same movie in 2001, I Am Sam, but didn't share the screen together as Elle played the younger version of Dakota Fanning's character. Vanity Fair quoted their co-star, Michelle Pfeiffer, sharing just how different the sisters are from each other. She said that Dakota is the "slightly more serious" sister, while Elle is "more free-spirited."

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"We've literally never done a scene together": Dakota Fanning about working with her sister, Elle, in The Nightingale

Elle and Dakota Fanning have never shared the screen. They might have worked together in I Am Sam, but even then, they were not in the same scene. That said, all of that will change in the upcoming movie, The Nightingale, where the Fanning sisters become full-fledged co-stars for the first time. Talking about working with her sister with Vanity Fair, Dakota admitted:

"We've literally never done a scene together, ever."

Meanwhile, Elle Fanning contemplated whether she would be able to get their first take for the movie without breaking. That said, the sisters previously shared in a joint statement in 2019, per The Hollywood Reporter, that they have waited for the right project where they can work together. They called their upcoming movie a "gem" that allows them to share the screen with each other, finally.

The Nightingale is a movie adaptation of Kristin Hannah's best-selling novel, following French sisters when N*zi occupied their country. Besides starring in the film as sisters, the Fanning sisters will also be producing the project with Reese Witherspoon.

According to the magazine, the movie has been on hold for several years, but the COVID pandemic hit and put a pause on the pre-production. Melanie Laurent was initially slated to direct the film, but was later replaced by Bridget Jones director Michael Morris. Talking about Morris directing the film, Dakota Fanning said:

"He has daughters and really seemed to understand the dynamic."

Elle Fanning added that what she loves about The Nightingale is that it's about two women "fighting, resisting," but in different ways, echoing previous sentiments about how her older sister and she have different characteristics.

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Elle and Dakota Fanning's The Nightingale is slated for a February 12, 2027, release.

Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay