The Team VIVA recently attended the red carpet premiere at The Printworks of the fabulous new film ‘Now Is Good’. However before they were even making their way across town to the big screen, they were lucky enough to meet both the film’s star (Dakota Fanning) and its wonderful director (Ol Parker).

VIVA: Tell us a little bit about Now Is Good and your character Tessa?

Dakota Fanning: Yeah, ‘Now Is Good’ is a story about a seventeen year old girl called Tessa, and she pretty much finds out at the beginning of the film that she is terminally ill and is going to die. She has made the decision to stop her treatment, to be able to do things and live her life the way she wants to – and it ends up being a story of, kind of, you try to do all these things and your life just sort of happens to you. Your life just sort of happens to you and she finds that other things are more important and other things become less important…

I haven’t actually seen the film yet but I had the most fun making it – and I look forward to seeing it.

VIVA: Now Is Good is a film adaptation of Jenny’s book Before I Die. If you could choose to play a character in any other film-remake of a book, who would you choose and why?

Dakota Fanning: Wow – well it’s hard, certain ones have already been done so… There’s a book called The Marriage Plot and I absolutely love that. It’s a bit of a random one but – I love it.

VIVA: Like many of your past film characters (such as Lewellen in Hounddog and Emily in Hide and Seek), Tessa sounds like an intense role to play. How did you prepare for the role and get into character?

Dakota Fanning: I don’t know, I don’t really know how I do it. I truly love what I do and I look forward to doing these roles. I had so much fun doing this one – people ask, you know, “how did you have fun doing this one?” but I really did! The script is what I really base everything on, and you’re very lucky when you have someone like Ol to work with. He’s so amazing and I knew I’d be protected by him so, I just went with my instincts. It’s what I want to do and love to do, so I sort of just go for it.

VIVA: we’ve read that your family background is actually very sporty – as oppose to part of the drama industry, which is interesting particularly as an actress who started work so young. What was it that made you want to take on acting?

Dakota Fanning: Yeah you know, I mean it kind of happened randomly – things just sort of happen in life. I’m from Georgia originally and I did a few things there for fun and then went to LA to see how it would work out… I got my first film, it all sort of happened from there and so I kept going. I’m so lucky my parents and family supported that; it’s so cool to know what you want to do, it’s a nice feeling to be able to do it. A lot of people find negatives in that, but knowing all along has been the biggest blessing I’ve ever had. Getting started so young and being able to do so many things has been great – I’ve had a great life so far and I’m extremely grateful for it.

 

/Josefine

Elle Fanning shows off different looks in the new issue of Italy’s Gioia magazine. The 14-year-old younger sister of Dakota Fanning talks about their relationship and her love of fashion. The actress says she doesn’t ask Dakota for advice.

“No, when we are together we talk about other things, we do our homework, we clean our rooms, we read and we fight because we are real sisters! Dakota is always asking me advice on how to dress since I am the fashionista of the family.”

She adds, “I love fashion, I read magazines, I follow the fashion shows – even though I still prefer to look youthful. I always buy vintage clothing, especially from Decades. What else? Miu Miu, Versace and vintage collections of Rodarte sisters … Ah, yes, and Marc Jacobs!”

As for pets – she has many.

She shares, “Yes, a dog named Lou Ellen, Goldie, my horse, and Angel Wings, a goldfish that I have for years, getting older, he became fluorescent … Nature is amazing.”

/Josefine