Elle Fanning Talks New Movie Roles, Hairstyles, and Who's On Her Group Emails
By Austen Rosenfeld
If style is a kind of intelligence, then Elle Fanning is wise beyond her years. The 16-year-old actress has become a fixture at fashion week, and she’s fresh off a theatrical role in Opening Ceremony’s play, 100% Lost Cotton. Plus, she’s starring in two films released this week, Young Ones andLow Down, and she just got home from filming her latest feature, Trumbo, set in New Orleans.
Low Down, which hit theaters last week, is about the heroin-addicted jazz pianist Joe Albany, who played alongside legends like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. The story is told through the eyes of Amy Albany, Joe’s daughter, who takes it all in. Before school starts up again next week, we chatted with Fanning about the film, being a Look number on Style.com, and the e-mail chain we wish we were on.
What was it like playing Amy, a character based on a real person?
That’s what drew me to it. I loved the script, but I also loved that it was all real, you know? That made it even more impactful. It is a lot of pressure. You feel like, “Oh, God, I have to play this person and get their life right.” And I wanted to get it right. A lot.
Did you know Amy?
Amy and I talked a lot on the phone. I remember she would call me at random times. One time I was at an airport and she called, so I was pacing through the airport, talking to Amy about Amy. [ laughs] She was on set every day, so supportive of everything. She’s married now and has two kids, and really she’s overcome a lot.
Did you listen to jazz before the film or do you now?
I will say that I didn’t listen to a lot of jazz before filming, so I wasn’t as familiar with all these guys that everyone knew on set. Jeff [Preiss], the director, is super-passionate about jazz. He knows everything. Flea was also there and he knew all about all these musicians. There’s one scene where he’s talking to me about a record on the floor––that’s completely ad-libbed.
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If you were to make a biopic about your favorite musician, who would it be?
[ laughs] Wow, that’s really good! I guess it’s already been [done], but I love Bob Dylan, so maybe I could do it in a different way. He’s my favorite.
The ’70s aesthetic was beautifully done in the movie. Did you have a say in what you wore?
We had an amazing costumer. A lot of it was like, “What would Amy wear?” But of course, though, whenever you’re in that wardrobe setting, you have to feel comfortable in what you’re wearing, as well. It’s funny, though, in the ’70s Amy would go to vintage stores and buy dresses from the ’50s. So, yeah, you have to think about that!
You’ve been going to fashion week for the past couple of years. Any designers you’re excited about right now?
I look up all the shows because that’s my thing. It’s so exciting because it’s new every time. I guess I have the people I always look up first, like Rodarte. It’s so sad because I always want to go to their shows, but they’re always while I’m filming, and I’m like, “Come on!” Hopefully I’ll get to go to the next one, fingers crossed. When I did the Miu Miu campaign, I was all about them and I love their stuff. It’s so girly.
Is girly generally your style?
I used to be a lot girlier than I am now—the collared shirts and frilly short dresses. I guess every girl kind of goes through that stage. Now I’m definitely willing to be more boyish and a little more sleek. I used to not be as graphic. Things that are more plain are sticking out to me now. The Row collection, how sleek that was, Ilove that. And when I was little I would be like, “Oh, that’s too simple.” But now I’m like, “Simplicity is so beautiful.”
What was it like performing in the Opening Ceremony play?
That was incredible! We had just met once, and a lot of months went by and they were like, “Spike [Jonze] wants to do this thing.” And it was very secret; he sent over a script. I thought it was a movie, but then it was a play! For Opening Ceremony. It was so unexpected. I think for a lot of people it was pretty unexpected.
I read it and it was so funny and Jonah [Hill] was involved, which was so cool. We had a week to rehearse, so we would go to this one place. It was so hot, we will never forget it. We were all just sweating the entire time. But then we got nervous and we thought, What if the Met is really cold and we can only do it while we’re sweating? [ laughs] We just had the best time. I got to know people, and we became really good friends. We still have a group e-mail where we’re talking about the play.
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Who’s on the group e-mail?
Dree [Hemingway], Spike, me, Bobby [Cannavale], everyone, all the cast. Everyone’s on it.
Do you think you’ll do more collaborations with them?
I would love to. They’ve been my favorite store forever. Me and my mom always go in there. The people that work there, they know my mom, so we always feel very close to them.
Do you have a Halloween costume yet?
I do, but it’s a secret! I can’t say. This is how I am, my friends always get mad at me, they’re like, “Elle, please.” But the problem is my hair is brown, and I already had an idea when it was blond, so I’m like, ugh. This week literally I decided, I was like, “What am I going to do!” I did a movie in New Orleans—that’s what I just came back from—called Trumbo. That’s the one I had to have brown hair for. Normally you have to wear a wig for Halloween, but now I can really go over to the dark side and do what brunettes do for Halloween.
Do you like being a brunette or blond better?
My personality is blond, but it’s cool to have this. Also, it’s slightly auburn, so it’s a little red. I do like the change. I keep touching it, it feels so healthy. I don’t mind it. I like it.
I’ve heard you’re a fan of Style.com.
Uh, yes! I have to say, that was the biggest deal for me with the Opening Ceremony play. People started saying, “Elle, you have to go get your picture for Style.com,” and I was freaking out. I was like, “Oh, my God, I’m going to be on the slideshow.” And I had to wait in line with the models, to go up there and, like, get my picture. So I’m pretending to be a model, and when I got up there, I tried to act really cool because this was the moment! Right away, after they took it, I looked up the show on Style.com and I saw myself. I was in between two other models in the show, and I was like, “This is the best moment. This is a dream.” It was amazing.
Photos: Saskia Lawaks; Oscilloscope Laboratories; Julieta Cervantes; Getty Images
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