Dakota Fanning Shuts Down Sister Rivalry Rumors: "Elle and I Aren’t Competitive"

Dakota Fanning says there’s no sibling rivalry with Elle, calling their bond unique as they team up for The Nightingale.

Dakota Fanning wants to set the record straight: there’s no sibling rivalry between her and Elle Fanning. In a new Vanity Fair interview, the 31-year-old actress said she and her younger sister, 27, have always carved their own paths in Hollywood.

“Zero. We obviously share a lot, but we’re very different,” Dakota said, shutting down the idea that their careers have ever overlapped competitively. “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.”

Both sisters have been in the spotlight since childhood — Dakota starring in I Am Sam at age seven, while Elle played her younger version in the same film. From there, their careers grew in different directions, with Dakota balancing indie dramas and studio projects, and Elle emerging as a red carpet and fashion favorite.

Now, more than 20 years later, the sisters are finally collaborating on screen in The Nightingale, an adaptation of Kristin Hannah’s bestselling novel, set to release in 2027. For Elle, working with her big sister feels natural: “When we were younger, we wanted to give each other space to carve our own path. But as adults, it’s been very fulfilling to merge.”

The interview also revealed their off-screen closeness, from career advice to style moments. Whether at award shows or fashion spreads, the Fanning sisters continue to prove that they’re one of Hollywood’s most supportive sibling duos.