‘I’ve never told this story’: Elle Fanning shares ‘disgusting’ reason she was rejected for role aged 16

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Elle Fanning has opened up about the time she was turned down for a role at 16 for a “disgusting” reason.

Fanning – the younger sister of fellow child star Dakota Fanning – began acting at age two and later rose to fame with roles in a handful of Noughties classics, including Because of Winn-Dixie and Daddy Day Care.

During a recent Hollywood Reporter roundtable interview, Fanning discussed the unique difficulties of being a child actor with fellow actors Sheryl Lee Ralph, Ayo Edebiri, Natasha Lyonne, Jenna Ortega and Devery Jacobs.

Acknowledging that she was “very protected” by “an amazing manager and agent”, both of whom she’s worked with for years, Fanning went on to recall a particularly “damaging” experience during her teen years in the industry.

“I’ve never told this story, but I was trying out for a movie. I didn’t get it. I don’t even think they ever made it, but it was a father-daughter road trip comedy,” she said.

“I didn’t hear from my agents because they wouldn’t tell me things like this – that filtration system is really important because there’s probably a lot more damaging comments that they filtered – but this one got to me.

She continued: “I was 16 years old, and a person said, ‘Oh, she didn’t get the father-daughter road trip comedy because she’s unf***able.’”

Baffled by the story, Abbott Elementary’s Ralph responded: “Whoah. At 16?!” Fanning confirmed: “Yeah it’s disgusting. And I can laugh at it now, like, ‘What a disgusting pig!’”

Asked how she “digested it at the time”, the now 25-year-old replied: “I was always confident, but of course, you’re growing up in the public eye, and it’s weird.

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“I don’t feel like it damaged me, but it definitely made me very aware of myself.”

This isn’t the first time Fanning’s been rejected from a film for an outrageous reason. Last month, the Maleficent star revealed that she was once denied a role in a big franchise movie because she “didn’t have enough Instagram followers at the time”.

“That’s something I firmly don’t believe in, for not getting a part,” Fanning told Josh Horowitz on his Happy Sad Confused podcast.

Elsewhere in the HRP roundtable interview, the actors traded stories of the “weird” and “funny” fan interactions they’ve experienced.