Elle Fanning didn’t become an Oscar nominee overnight. No, the actor, now 27 and recognized in the best supporting actress category for her sensitive turn in Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, has actually—wait for it—already been working for a quarter of a century. She started out as a child actor, alongside her older sister, Dakota, and has gone from strength to strength ever since, darting between blockbusters and indie darlings, meaty thrillers and surreal comedies, ornate period pieces and contemporary dramas. In truth, it’s a wonder it’s taken the Academy this long.
Ahead of Oscar night on March 15, we present her 14 most memorable performances to date.
I Am Sam (2001)
Elle’s screen debut, at the tender age of three, was an auspicious one: opposite Sean Penn, she played the younger version of her sister Dakota’s character, Lucy, his buoyant baby daughter, in Jessie Nelson’s family drama. From the get go, she’s a darling.