All About Dakota and Elle Fanning's Parents, Steven Fanning and Hannah Joy Arrington

Steven Fanning and Hannah Joy Arrington were both professional athletes

Dakota and Elle Fanning’s parents are endlessly supportive.

Steve Fanning and Hannah Joy Arrington raised their daughters in Georgia before moving to Los Angeles for the young actors’ blossoming careers. Both former professional athletes, Steve and Hannah never pressured their daughters to pursue sports and instead encouraged their passion for performing.

“I feel really lucky and I think it’s got a lot to do with my family — our parents are so removed from this business, and so happy just to be our parents,” Dakota told NJ.com in 2010.

Dakota and Elle, who both got their big break in 2001’s I Am Sam at 7 and 3 years old respectively, have maintained a close relationship with their family.

“My mom and I have been pretty much together my whole life, because when I was working before I was 18 she was always with me,” she told The Telegraph in 2012. “So I’ve missed her a lot, and I’ve missed my whole family and my house and dog, but then I appreciate it all so much more when I go home.”

Elle went on to star in Disney’s Maleficent and the Hulu series The Great, and Dakota is known for films like Charlotte’s Web, The Twilight Saga and Ocean’s 8.

Here’s everything to know about Dakota and Elle Fanning's parents, Steven Fanning and Hannah Joy Arrington.

They were professional athletes

Both of Dakota and Elle’s parents were professional athletes.

Steven played minor league baseball and was drafted to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1988. He ended his athletic career in 1995 as his eldest daughter began acting, going on to work as an electronics salesman.

Hannah, for her part, played professional tennis and attempted to get Dakota interested in the sport.

"My mom started me on tennis when I was 3," Dakota told NJ.com. "That’s what I was going to be, a tennis player. And I guess I could have been. But I don’t like getting sweaty. I don’t like getting hot. And my mom sort of realized, ‘Oh my God, she’s not going to be an athlete.’ That really came out of the blue for them."

They raised their daughters in Georgia before moving to Los Angeles

Dakota and Elle were both born and raised in Conyers, Georgia. After splitting time between Georgia and California for Dakota’s burgeoning acting career, the family permanently moved to Los Angeles when the young actor was just 6 years old, per the New York Times Magazine.

Though she left Georgia at a young age, Elle is still in touch with her Southern roots. During a September 2020 interview with Vanity Fair, the Maleficent star shared some Georgia slang, explaining that in her home state, people tend to say “fall” rather than “autumn” and that “tea” is synonymous with sweet tea.

She also claimed that Waffle House is “the best restaurant in the world” with “the best breakfast in existence.”

Hannah is distantly related to the royal family

Dakota and Elle are related to the royal family through their mother. According to historical documents found by Ancestry.com researchers, the sisters are the 22nd great-granddaughters of King Edward III.

This means that they are also the 21st cousins of Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales. Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, is a great-granddaughter of Edward III as well.

They helped their famous daughters have a “normal” childhood

Despite Dakota’s success as a young actor, she says her parents gave her a “normal” childhood. While promoting The Twilight Sage: Eclipse in 2010, she told NJ.com that she had typical interests as a kid, as she was in Girl Scouts and collected dolls. At the time of the interview, she was a high school junior taking college admission tests.

"I don’t feel like I’ve missed out on any milestones," Dakota told the outlet. "I think acting’s only enhanced my life. I’ve been to so many more places than the average 16-year-old, I’ve met so many people from so many walks of life.”

Dakota continued, “I feel really lucky, and I think it’s got a lot to do with my family — our parents are so removed from this business, and so happy just to be our parents. I can honestly say I have a completely normal life. Probably more normal than normal people!"

They fostered a creative environment in their home

Dakota and Elle have both spoken about performing around the house as children, often making their parents watch them.

“My sister and I would play these elaborate scenes around the house,” Elle told Porter in 2019. “Like birthing scenes … I would be the baby, coming out … Crazy stuff like that. We were doing it for ourselves; we weren’t, like, ‘Oh, Mom and Dad, sit down and we’re gonna perform for you.’ That was how we played.”

During a Q&A at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, Dakota explained that she fell into acting “coinidentally” after her mom channeled her creative energy into theater camp.

“I just liked to play around the house and make up scenarios and my mom kind of noticed that I was disinterested in all of the lessons she put me in,” the actor said. “I just wanted to play at home so she put me in a drama camp to see if I liked doing that.”

They taught their daughters to approach acting like a sport

Though their daughters didn’t follow in their athletic footsteps, Steven and Hannah inevitably ingrained a sense of discipline into them.

“I look at doing a scene as a sport,” Elle told Porter in 2019. “I’m gonna stay hydrated, I’m gonna get fueled up. I’m disciplined that way.”

They supported their daughters’ acting careers

Steven and Hannah were always supportive of their daughters’ early interest in acting.

"They quickly realized that both my sister and I were different from what they had expected their kids to be," Dakota recalled to NJ.com. "And they supported that. Really, they sacrificed so much for us, basically gave up the life they had planned."

The Runaways actor added that her parents ultimately just “wanted us to be happy.”

“I remember them saying, ‘Find a job you enjoy doing so it’s not a job. Do what you love,' " she said.

They divorced in 2018

After 25 years of marriage, Steven and Hannah divorced in August 2018. According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE at the time, the former couple’s “marital or domestic partnership status is terminated and the parties are restored to the status of single persons.”

“Irreconcilable differences have arisen between the parties which led to the irremediable breakdown of the marriage, making it impossible for the parties to live together as husband and wife,” the documents stated.

Steven had previously filed for divorce in 2016 but the couple reconciled. He filed again in January 2018.

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