Dakota Fanning wows in strapless dress as she celebrates special anniversary at the Emmys

Dakota Fanning turned heads as she stepped out in Hollywood on Sunday September 15, to attend the 2024 Emmy Awards.

The actress looked sensational dressed in a strapless gold beaded gown, and opted for a natural makeup look, complete with a sleek straight hairdo.

The star had something special to be nostalgic about during the red carpet walk too, as it marked 21 years since her very first Emmy appearance as a child star.

Back in 2003, she made her debut at the award show aged just nine, for Steven Spielberg Presents Taken, which won Outstanding Miniseries.

The then child actress looked adorable dressed in a pink and black gown as she enthusiastically smiled for photos on the carpet.

What's more, Dakota was nominated for her first Emmy, for her role in Netflix miniseries Ripley.The star was in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series of Movie, for her role as Marge Sherwood. 

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The show was adapted from Patricia Highsmith's novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and she stars alongside Andrew Scott and Eliot Sumner.

The accolade went to Baby Reindeer star Jessica Gunning, who played Martha in the dark Netflix show, but that didn't dampen Dakota's spirits on the night. 

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Dakota has been acting since childhood and she still loves the craft. However, at times, her career has got in the way of her nurturing her relationships with her family and friends.

In an interview with Porter, she admitted that while filming Ripley for months in Europe, at times she felt isolated. 

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She said: "I like being alone and I don’t mind getting acclimated to a place, but I felt really lonely in a specific way.She added: "I felt like I was trapped. I'm sure other people can relate… It wasn't a unique experience, but I definitely went through a rollercoaster on this." 

In the same interview, she also opened up about her identity as an actor and how important it was to her. "Being an actor is a huge part of my identity. I don’t really know who I would be without it," she said.

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She went on to explain: "But I also have a desire to set up my life and career so that I always have a choice. Having kids is probably more important to me than anything, even being an actor. If somebody said I had to choose, I would choose having kids. I'm one of those people who has always felt that pull."