Elle Fanning, Vol. II

26:16But I was 16. I turned 17 on that film. Yeah. And even though the subject matter was like, you know, intense, there wasn't anything like overtly, you know, I didn't do anything. And my mom was on set every day for that too. I've been walking out in the blood and I'm like, what's that I'm doing? But yeah, I mean, there was like more of a, okay, we'll protect and, you know, when I'm younger. But there was also no talking me out of things. Like when I set my mind to it. Like when Neon Demon came, I remember reading it in my bedroom. And I had seen Drive. And I knew who Nick Refn was. And I was like, I have to do this.

27:06But I also had to get the part. I didn't audition, but I had a meeting at his house, I remember. Unique guy, to say the least. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Here's a question about Super 8 that one of the podcast listeners sent in, Jenny. She wanted to know if there were any lessons on that film that you applied to your current projects. Is that a turning point film for you in some ways? It was. There are different milestones and different turning points that I can pinpoint in my career life. And I think that I feel like I'm experiencing one right now for sure, where you just feel a shift. and Super 8 actually marries into sentimental value in a way because I've been thinking a lot about that experience because of something JJ told me when I was 12 I filmed it when I was 12 and it literally there's a scene in it that emulates kind of exactly what I did in sentimental value sentimental value was a little more so but I think it works together because there's a train scene in Super 8 where my character plays, she's in the play or in the Super 8 movie with the kids and she surprises all the boys by actually being good in the scene.

28:20And so it's a moment where my character, she gets emotional in the Super 8 film and all the boys are like, whoa. And then it's like a switch. I'm like, oh, was that okay? You know, was that good? And And so the meta of acting within acting. And I remember JJ telling me on set the emotion that she's feeling in that is a different emotion from when we see her break down and cry later in Super 8 when she's talking about her dad and watching Super 8 footage of telling that story. And I was like, at 12, I was like, right. I was like, okay, that's a different, that's like authentic emotion. but when I'm playing, you know, the acting, it's still emotion, but it's like there's a little bit of facade and a filter.

29:09And so, and Joakim and I talked about the same exact thing for Rachel with her kind of monologue. And then when she walks away from the film later, it's two different, you know, coming from a different place. Which, yeah, it's like sounds obvious, but it's just funny that I'd done it before. Been there, done that. I don't know if there are any connections to be made here, but I've never talked to you. This is a random one that people, most people haven't even seen probably, but Coppola, not Sophia, Francis. You were in Twixt with one of my favorite actors, Val Kilmer, the late, great Val Kilmer.

29:39And you had the rare Francis Ford Coppola experience. I don't know, what comes to mind when you think of that experience of Francis or Val? I have many. So it was, okay, that experience, I wish, and it's somewhere. I've got to ask Francis to maybe give me one of these tapes. because we would do rehearsals because we stayed at his house. Right. Do the games, the sound ball, all that stuff, like those things. It was more actually, I forget what play it was, but he would give us pages to, there was a play. I was like this Southern girl. And he would video like home movies of these scenes, which that was not in Twix.

30:24I don't know if this was just, I guess it was exercise to like have us all kind of play together. And then my grandmother was with me and he, she is like the most shy person ever. And he made her play my grandmother in one of these home movies. So I'm like, my grandmother's been directed by Francis Ford Coppola, which I'm like, I haven't ever seen that footage. And it was me like screaming, crying. And I was like chasing after a car and like, please come back. Like I was like a southern girl. And he's like, what clothes do you have? Like I put together my costume for it and things like that. And then we, I remember Francis, I don't know if I've told you this story before, but he showed me the red shoes for the first time.

31:17And we would, you know, he would make dinner for us like most nights and we would eat with him. and he said he knew I did ballet so he's like I want to show you this movie that I love it's called the red shoes and so we like had a movie night and he showed me the red shoes for the first time which I will never forget that and then I looked I heard something and I looked over and he had fallen asleep he was snoring really loudly and I was like do I stay or do I go I was like do I finish the movie and I stayed. Yeah. Took some video, took some photos. I was sleeping. I know. And Val was, gosh, so nice to me.

31:56Amazing too. Yeah.

32:18Carvana.com once. Okay, that's fair. It's like the lottery, except you always win. Not like the lottery at all, actually. Exactly! Inexplicably good. Offers worth bragging about. Sell your car today on Carvana. Pickup fees may apply. From the parents behind Law & Order comes a mystery the whole family can enjoy. Patrick Picklebottom Everyday Mysteries. Step into the whimsical world of Patrick Picklebottom, a precocious 11-year-old with a love for reading and an uncanny ability to solve mysteries. Inspired by the beloved children's book of the same name, this podcast vividly brings Patrick's tales of deduction and everyday adventures to life as he unravels baffling enigmas and solves clever cases.

33:05Patrick Picklebottom Everyday Mysteries is perfect for kids and is just as entertaining for grown-ups who love a good mystery. The whole family can listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

33:43So it does feel like, I mean, I think you guys did the recent, was it Vanity Fair cover together? That's so cool. And I love the lie detector test, all the stuff you've been doing together. It does feel like you've obviously always been very, very close, but there's more of like the last couple of years as you've been trying to get this off the ground and COVID was involved, et cetera. Like a willingness and excitement to like finally like, let's just rip the bandaid. We got to just do this. I agree. Yes. And it wasn't so, I mean, when we didn't do it last time, it wasn't because, oh, we weren't ready.

34:10you know what it was just like scheduling and directors changed and COVID really derailed things but I'm actually really glad that we are doing it now that we have more time and we've been thinking about it and just the place that we're at now and working together and we get to produce the film now which is huge and yeah we're just I think we're both we're nervous about it whenever we look at each other we're like oh we're going to do that and we're just like we're excited but we just don't it's gonna be well unlike those situations where like a married couple does a film and then half the time they break up you can't break you guys up it's not gonna happen you're blood sorry no and we are incredibly close but I think we'll bring you know all those sisterly emotions to it and I think that it's gonna be really cathartic and interesting and our first scene on set, I don't know what it's, I don't have the schedule exactly yet, but I'm like, I feel like I'm just going to cry.

35:16Like, it's not, it's just, yeah. Was it tense when you got taller than her at a certain point? Was there like, did you see that happening in real time? Like her starting to resent you a little bit? I know. I'm trying to think when that happened. I mean, I was always, you know, when you went to the doctor or whatever. I was always on like the 90th percentile of height growing up. So I think she, she, and she was always on the low end. Right. So I think she knew the day would come. What's the most excited you ever were for her to be cast in something? Like when she gets like Twilight, like were you into, maybe you were probably too young at that point.

35:49No, that was, yeah, that was a time for me. I was, my friends and I were freaking out. I'm team Edward all the way. Thank you for, yeah. Yeah. With apologies to Taylor, it is the correct answer. Yeah, it is. I mean, he's a nice guy, but let's be real, guys. It is. Yeah, what does he say when he's like, oh, God, what is the, he says like, what's up, Loka? Or like some, it's like some cringe lines. Yeah, there are a bunch of them. Well, Spider Monkey isn't a great one either. Spider Monkey's not great either. Spider Monkey's not great. But that was, like, my best friend and I were big Twilight heads, and so she got to come to the premiere with me.

36:27She got to meet Robert. So I was like a big deal at my school at that time. Is Kirsten an honorary fanning at this point? She is. She's a lady of the lake, we say actually. What is that? Which is so my sister and her live in Toluca Lake. Oh I see. And I live in the valley too. So I'm technically not a lady of the lake. But they're ladies of the lake. I do feel like Kirsten and Jessie are kind of like goals, like a cool couple goals. They are. They're so good and they're so fun and they're just the best couple ever and she is a fan she's the third sister that's what we say is there is there a dedicated whatsapp or text group of just the three of you yeah we have like it's not a it's yeah we just have like a group we haven't named it actually but we yeah we have a group we'll drop photos and lots of gossip in there so we talked uh off mic last time you did shoot your it's a relatively small just a few days for hunger games yes i did So were you a Hunger Games person growing up?

37:24I was. I was an OG Hunger Games person of the OG films. And I always loved Effie. Who doesn't love Effie? So this is like a dream come true. But I feel like the fans cast me. When the studio called, they were like, okay, we're getting hounded by the fans. We don't actually want you. We just want them to stop talking to us. Yeah, we just want them to stop messaging us. They're like, would you do it? Because it's like driving us crazy. But Francis had directed you in something I saw. He had, yeah. In a commercial, right? He directed me in a Tiffany commercial back in the day. Yeah, yeah. That I have a song with A$AP Ferg.

38:05Sure. I could have guessed that, obviously. On Spotify. But yeah, it was like two days of that, and he directed that commercial. And I loved him. We had a great time. And then, yeah, we had a Zoom where he kind of had sent me the Hunger Games script. And we talked about kind of how we saw Effie in this movie. And he's so nice. And he's so able. I mean, those films are so huge, just the production of them. Yeah. And he's just like cool as a cucumber. Yeah. I know. It's like with ease, you know. And you still feel like you can have fun. It's like, okay, let's, yeah, do it again. Do whatever you want.

38:43Ad lib. He's like, say whatever. like because I think that also Elizabeth Banks and Stanley Tucci they really added a lot of ad-libs and things And so I was trying to come up with some good. I was like becoming a writer on At night I would like try to come up with little quips of things that maybe people would like for her to say So who is most of your stuff with can you say that it's I mean, it's true to the book I mean, I really worked with a lot of like not everyone but Joseph yeah yeah who plays young Woody so we're not to be the youngest person in the cast at this point when you're like so weird well they were all younger than me like apart from you know Glenn Close and Jesse it is and I've had that experience I first felt that on the Beguiled where I was 18 and so as my I didn't have a teacher or did I maybe I was still in school at the time but I because I was 18 I didn't have to do like the school hours on set and like there were kids that were with their moms like my mom wasn't there and it was kind of I was like oh it was sweet like looking back like and they were looking up to me or I'm like whoa like the roles have reversed for sure yeah yeah so okay another random one that sounds like it's a little ways off but so you and Dakota are producing this Paris Hilton we are This is a series based on her memoir.

40:09Yes. So what's the, was Paris always a mutual obsession? I mean, I feel like there has been this reappraisal, thankfully, of Paris. Like it was a part she was essentially playing for the public for many years. Well, she's like taken, you know, her power back that we've gotten to see. And she's, I think with her book and the documentary that she had and just to see what she's been through and kind of the defense mechanisms that she's had to put up to be able to cope with, especially during that time in like the early aughts of paparazzi and the magazine. I mean, just how, hey, it can be nasty now too, but it's in a different way.

40:47Yeah. And we were talking about this, like my sister and I, where she would be like, you know, not like afraid to go places, but there was like this fan site called like Ocean Up. It was kind of like a Perez Hilton, but for like teens. Like Miley Cyrus and Dakota would be on there, Selena, like trying to catch them be like bad or like Ocean Up. It was like lived in fear of Ocean Up. She's like, I'm just trying to like grow up, you know? And so it was just, yeah, like Paris, obviously on like a massive scale, but dealing with all of those things and what she had to, the PTSD, I think she had too from, you know, the horrible schools.

41:30I mean, we can call them that, but places that she went to. But we were in her, you know, in the early aughts, like Dakota and I were young and obsessed with The Simple Life and obsessed with her and Nicole. Dakota always got to be Paris. I had to be Nicole, which is fine. But we would dress up and we would play The Simple Life. And we wanted the exact dog carriers. We didn't have a dog, but from Fifi and Romeo, it was like this pink with white polka dot dog carrier for Christmas. That was on our Christmas list so we could properly play with the real props. Commitment to the authenticity. I appreciate that.

42:11We had stuffed chihuahuas, and I also really wanted a, I never got it, I wanted a pink trailer. Like the actual trailer? For Christmas, because I thought, because they would travel around in the trailer, like sleep in the trailer in some of the later Simple Life. They had like, yeah, the van that they would drive around in and sleep in. And I, that was on the Christmas list every year, never got it. Always thought I'd wake up in the morning and it'd be in the driveway outside. Christmas is still a couple weeks away. We don't know. That's true. And I think, look, I don't want to jinx it. Maybe an Oscar nomination equals future pink trailers.

42:51Future trailer. Put it in the rider. Yes. This is a new era for Elle Fanning. Yes. But that's, I mean, we would play that hardcore. So it is a pinch me moment because Paris is working with us and been to her house. Now, do you know between, you haven't said who's playing. We haven't. We're still trying to figure it out. We're trying to figure it out because also in her memoir, it spans a lot of years. Right. There's, so to hit that sweet spot, to tell the story, there's, because then she's a lot younger. Yes. As well. So we're like, hmm, would we be able to put like, so we're trying to, we're trying to crack the code on all of that.

43:32It's still being written and everything. Here's something from our last podcast conversation that really resonated with audiences that really traveled a lot. Something similar that you and Maya Hawk told me too. Okay. Which was about Instagram followers. Oh, yes. Yes. Like equaling, you know, viability as an actor. You were talking about like a kind of a franchisee role that you were up for that you think maybe you didn't get because of that. And Maya essentially said the same thing, that she's very much made aware of that. Are you feeling any change in that? Is that something you're still keenly aware of?

44:05I feel like it was definitely more of a thing. I don't know if it is as much anymore. I don't know why. But I do feel... But then also... Someone told me the other day, a director, Because we were actually talking about this exact thing. And they said they didn't feel like it was about Instagram followers. But they were kind of peeling behind the curtain talking about what does go on when you're trying to cast someone. And what people put into consideration. I'm sure you're digging, but you're telling me more and more. I want to know everything. Yes, yes. But they said that it was also who will promote the movie well.

44:53Right. which I'm like, that's just a kindness I think that we all should support and promote. But that is something apparently that's talked about, which I'm like, whoa, I didn't know that. Good for you. I'm glad I'm sitting here. Okay, so as you sit here, next phase, you're busy. You have a bunch of things that you're going to be doing, 90 Yale soon. You're producing Paris, et cetera. Is there a specific kind of experience that you are chasing right now compared to where we were a couple of years back? This is the manifest moment on Happy, Sat Confused. This is your Predator Badlands casting moment.

45:25Yes. Okay. I mean, it's so boring. I mean, but I'm thinking, I want something that feels very meaty. Yeah. That it's, I get to feel like I really can transform myself. Not, it doesn't have to be physically. No, physically, okay. I mean, it can be, but it doesn't have to be. It's just that, that feels like a real challenge or a stretch and that it's, I don't know, like, it'll come satisfying. It feels like a satisfying kind of… It'll come satisfying, yes. Yeah. It is all that satisfaction in whatever form it takes. You got something out of this Joachim experience in a profound way. In a different way, you got something out of the Predator experience.

46:20You checked that box. You're like, I can do that. So I feel like once that is there, it's like, oh. And I felt that before in other parts that I've done. If people haven't seen the movies or not. But I have felt that feeling. I remember when I did Ginger and Rosa. And I was young. I was like 12. But that movie was like so profound for me because it was like the first time I really didn't feel like myself And it was like kind of like very emotionally like driven and like okay, I'm like I want that Yeah, I just want that experience just sink into something I mean, I do think the Nightingale will be that are you do we again We talked before I think about you're not the biggest fan of the auditions the self tapes all of that are you?

47:04Have you had any whether you can name them or not memorable experiences? that will haunt you or feel good in recent last year or two? No, I haven't had to really... This is the incentive to really rise up the ranks. I haven't had to audition in a while. Or at least if they'll say, will you? And I'll be like, what? I don't know if that's going to do me any favors. I know. But I mean, hey, if something really did come along with the director. But I mean, I fainted at an audition. Remember? I think I told you that. The Chastain one, right? Was it? Yes, it was. Yes, it was. That was it. And I was like, oh crap.

47:43I mean, I fainted and I didn't get that part. You also fainted at Cannes? Yes, I've been known to faint. There was a time when I grew, I was growing so tall. Your body couldn't keep up. Yes, that's what my doctor said. It was like you were growing so much in that time. And so at school, like I would faint and things. And at Cannes I was just like on my period. And then like my dress was like too tight. Got it. But I, yeah, I just went boop, I went down. And then who was, it was Colin Firth was standing above me. If you're going to have a gallant actor, it might as well be Colin Firth when you're going down.

48:18Yes. Yeah, he was like, are you okay? He was like, what just happened? I don't know. Made an impression. Yeah. All right, we're going to end with the happy, say, confused, profoundly random questions. Some of these you've answered, some of these you haven't. Okay. I think I know the answer to this. I haven't asked you this. Dogs or cats? Dogs. Right. Do you have a dog? I know Llewellyn was... I don't. Llewellyn was our late, yeah, our family dog. But, no, my sister has a dog, Bunny, who looks exactly like Llewellyn. Not a clone. Not the Barbra Streisand route. No, but it is the same breed as the Barbra Streisand dog.

48:53It's a Catan de Tullier. I've thought about it for my dog. I will never do that. I will never do the clonvy. I love my dog so much. But, like, I did go down the road of Googling for a bit, and then I'm like, no. Yeah, it's like, we can't do that. No. But I'll get a dog eventually. I want a Cocker Spaniel. Nice. Do you have a favorite video game of all time? Oh, gosh. And I know, hey, I'm in Death Stranding 2. I know. And that, you know, video game world. But I am not super video game. I mean, I played a lot of Wii Sports. I like Guitar Hero. That counts. Yeah. What's the current wallpaper on your phone?

49:28Last time it was Llewellyn. Yes, this time it's my boyfriend and I. We're holding hands. Very sweet. Yeah, photo of our hands. The last actor you were mistaken for? Mmm. I mean, it's always Dakota. Yeah. Some people could say, well, Bill Hader, we know. That I look like Jack Hader. Jack Quaid also gets Bill Hader. Do you ever get Jack Quaid? Really? I could see that too. I could see that too. And there's also, not that I don't really, but, and I've never really gotten mistaken for it but I feel like Emma Stone there's something yeah it's in the nose Bill Jack Emma me it's like it's in the you know it's in the nose we all are like we live in Whoville a little bit I'll take it last time you gave me let's see if this is a different note worst noted directors has ever given you what jumps out oh see if it's changed I wish gosh I probably had some real like doozies Also, I would imagine directing kids, some of the things that come out of people's mouths are like...

50:38Yeah, well also it's like they, I think with kids too, they want to like, not all, but something like talk down to. And then you're just a little like, no, it's like I know what the story is. I know I'm playing a character. Yeah. I mean, I was a kid that knew that, you know? Some kids don't. Sure. But it was like you don't have to like pretend that you're filming me. Yes. Do you know what I mean? You don't have to trick me into this. I know that you're filming me. I see the camera. I'm not an idiot. I'm a child, but I'm not an idiot. Exactly. I'm like, I know. So if you want me to, you know, I know that.

51:08But yeah, I don't know. Yeah, when it overanalyze, like I like, and I probably said this, but it's like I like, okay, weirder, sadder, more angry, like just specific and yeah, succinct, I think. What's the current movie that makes you happy or recent movie that makes you happy? Ooh, recent movie. Well, it makes me happy. Yeah. I'm just watching TV shows. We'll do that. That's the thing. I mean, I am watching Pluribus. I was just watching it over the weekend. Yeah, I mean, I'm caught up. So now I'm like, it's definitely dead bodies in there. I've seen a couple episodes ahead. Oh, you have? It's even worse.

51:52No, I mean, I'm not saying that. I didn't say anything. I want it to be as bad as possible. But Pluribus, I mean, not that it's like, ooh, making me in a great mood, but I'm enjoying it. Also, Never Have I Ever. Have you ever watched that? I've never watched it. People like it, yeah. Okay. I'm like, it was, it's like, I don't know, it's just a fun idea. Like, John McEnroe narrates the whole thing. That's right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I'm just in it. I'm invested. It's making me happy. It's putting me in a good mood, for sure. A movie that makes you sad? A movie that makes me sad. Well, I always I mean arrival which I probably said last you didn't he said about time Arrivals a great call arrival makes me.

52:33Yeah every time arrival. Have you seen Hamnet yet? You know about the music I have okay, so actually with Hamnet I was in Telluride and we all went together right and I don't know if it was the altitude though, but I got So I could have I was on the brink of fainting It was like midway right when it happens. And I had to, I think the altitude there is bad, so I had to get like the oxygen. But I had to leave midway through, which I did not want to do. The movie is so beautiful. But I think it was just working me up. Yeah, that makes sense. I mean, it's very emotional. But yeah, so I actually, I'm going to, I'm actually not even just going to finish.

53:20I need to, I'm going to watch from start to finish. I think it deserves that. When you see it from start to finish you'll see there's a connection with a rival. Oh, okay. I don't want to say any more. And finally, you said pickles last time, a food that makes you confused. Is it still pickles? Anything else? Cucumbers are adjacent to pickles. In the family. Or like celery. They're all connected. Celery is, I'm with you. Like it's all water. It just takes up space in the salad. Why are we doing this? Yeah. I agree. It's not nutrients, really. No. Yeah. She said it. I think we talked about sentimental value a little bit, too.

53:56It's a great movie. Thank you. You know I adore this movie. You're fantastic in it. We're in month four or five of The Run. It will continue. The Run. It's a worthy cause to spread the good word of this one. Congratulations, as always, and thank you for the time. Thank you. And so ends another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. Remember to review, rate, and subscribe to this show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a big podcast person. I'm Daisy Ridley, and I definitely wasn't ready to do this by Josh.

54:33The war is over and both sides lost. Kingdoms were reduced to cinders and armies scattered like bones in the dust. Now the survivors claw to what's left of a broken world, praying the darkness chooses someone else tonight. But in the shadow dark, the darkness always wins. This is old school adventuring at its most cruel. Your torch ticks down in real time, and when that flame dies, something else rises to finish the job. This is a brutal rules light nightmare with a story that emerges organically based on the decisions that the characters make. This is what it felt like to play RPGs in the 80s, and man, it is so good to be back.

55:16Join the Glass Cannon podcast as we plunge into the shadow dark every Thursday night at 8 p.m. Eastern on youtube.com slash the glass cannon with the podcast version dropping the next day. See what everybody's talking about and join us in the dark.