Beginning her career as a child actress, Elle Fanning made her on-screen debut in the movie “I Am Sam” (2001) and went on to star in movies such as “Daddy Day Care” (2003), “Babel” (2006), “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2008), and “Super 8” (2011). Her performance as Princess Aurora in “Maleficent” (2014) and the sequel “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” (2019) saw her take on a leading role in a major Hollywood franchise. Between those appearances, Fanning starred in movies such as “The Beguiled” (2017), “Mary Shelley” (2017), where she played the lead role, and the post-apocalyptic drama “I Think We’re Alone Now” (2018). She had a leading role in “A Complete Unknown” (2024) and performed in movies such as “Sentimental Value” (2025) and “Predator: Badlands” (2025). Fanning also portrayed the historical figure Catherine the Great in the series “The Great” (2020–2023) and starred in the series “The Girl from Plainville” (2022).