Dakota Fanning emphasizes the importance of having children over acting, stating she has always felt drawn to motherhood

Former child star Dakota Fanning said becoming a mom is even more important than her career.

The 30-year-old actress shared her thoughts during an interview with Porter.

“Being an actor is a huge part of my identity. I don’t really know who I am without it,” Fanning told the outlet.

“But I also have a desire to set up my life and career so that I always have a choice,” she said. “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.”

The “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” star said she’s not sure when she’ll start a family and explained that for now, she’s just enjoying life and risk-taking.

“I’m trying to push myself to keep saying yes to things that make me uncomfortable, to keep going to places for long periods of time that maybe I’m scared to do because — God willing — one day, it won’t be as easy,” Fanning explained.

The actress got her big break playing Lucy Dawson in the critically acclaimed 2001 drama “I Am Sam.” That role earned Fanning a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination at the age of 8, making her the youngest nominee in history.

This led to Fanning getting more roles, including working as a child actress in “Uptown Girls” (2003), “The Cat in the Hat” (2003), “Man on Fire” (2004), “War of the Worlds” (2005), “Dreamer” (2005), “Hide and Seek” (2005), “Charlotte’s Web” (2006), “Push” (2009), and “Coraline” (2009).

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As she got older, the actress started working on more independent film projects. She most recently appeared in “The Equalizer 3” (2023). Her younger sister is actress Elle Fanning.

During the same interview, Fanning said she believes she’d have “such a different experience” as a child actor in modern times.

“I hate to reduce it to social media, but that’s the biggest societal difference – and I think we’re still figuring out how to use it in the right way,” she told the outlet. “I’m grateful I didn’t have to contend with that; there was already enough going on.”