Dakota Fanning is looking back on one of the most unexpectedly wholesome moments of her early career and reveals how Steven Spielberg unintentionally taught her a lifelong lesson. While promoting her latest series, All Her Fault, Fanning reflected on a childhood memory from the set of 2005’s War of the Worlds.
She starred in the sci-fi blockbuster opposite Tom Cruise. The pair portrayed Rachel and Ray Ferrier, a father-daughter duo, caught in the middle of an alien invasion. In a new interview with Deadline’s Take Ten series, the actor opened up about her child star days and shared a heart-warming moment on the set of War of the Worlds that shaped the way she views filmmaking to this day.
Fanning recalled a moment that occurred right before Thanksgiving break during production of the film. After the day’s final take, the cast and crew thought they had wrapped for the holiday, until Spielberg and Cruise surprised them with a heartfelt gift. Read Fanning’s comments below:
I remember we were going away for the Thanksgiving break. It was like, “That’s a wrap. Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone.” And then these huge doors opened to another studio, and there were just 2000 pies in this empty soundstage. Just tables and tables of pies that Steven and Tom had brought in for the crew for a little Thanksgiving send-off. And I was like, “Wow, it’s a lot of pies!”
It set me up to realize how important doing special things for the crew that you’re working with is, and how far that goes, and to show appreciation and to celebrate the work that people are doing.
War of the Worlds became a major hit, earning over $600 million worldwide and ranking among 2005’s biggest box office successes. Its commercial success contrasts drastically with its 2025 remake, which skipped theaters entirely and debuted on streaming. 2025’s War of the Worlds was a critical failure, currently holding a 4% score on Rotten Tomatoes thanks to two positive reviews out of the 49.
For Fanning, moments like the one on Spielberg’s set have clearly stayed with her as she’s built one of the most consistent and versatile careers of her generation. After War of the Worlds, Fanning transitioned to roles in The Twilight Saga and Coraline during her teens, later moving on to star in films like Once Upon A Time…in Hollywood and The Equalizer 3, and in shows like The Alienist, Ripley, and The Perfect Couple.
Fanning’s career has been defined by choosing challenging material and embracing projects that allow her to take creative risks. That same instinct led her to Peacock’s All Her Fault, her newest psychological thriller. Fanning stars opposite Sarah Snook as a mother whose child goes missing under mysterious circumstances.
This role continues her recent trend of taking on darker characters that push her into new territory as an actor. In many ways, All Her Fault demonstrates her evolution as an actress and the lessons she learned on sets like War of the Worlds.
Headshot oF Dakota Fanning
Birthdate
February 23, 1994
Birthplace
Conyers, Georgia, USA