#Middlebury
Q: I keep seeing Elle Fanning in different TV shows, but I haven’t seen her older sister, Dakota, in a long time. Is she still acting? – S.D.
A: Dakota Fanning was born in Conyers, Georgia, to athletic parents. Her mother was a pro tennis player, and her father played minor-league baseball. According to IMDb.com, little Dakota used to put on plays in her backyard. When audience members noticed her natural talent, the family moved to Los Angeles, and it wasn’t long before Dakota became a star in movies like “The Cat in the Hat” and “War of the Worlds.” In 2011, Dakota enrolled at NYU, majoring in women’s studies.
Elle Fanning in “The Girl from Plainville” (Hulu photo)
She hasn’t quit acting, however. She starred in the limited series “The Alienist” on TNT, which was set in the late 19th century. You also can see her in the new HBO series “The First Lady,” where she plays President Gerald Ford’s daughter, Susan.
Elle Fanning, who is four years Dakota’s junior, also was a child actress. At age 13, she stepped outside her sister’s shadow with the lead role in the sci-fi flick “Super 8,” followed by the Disney live-action film “Maleficent” and its sequel. Like her sister, she’s a frequent nominee at award shows, mainly for her starring role in the Hulu series “The Great.” She’s starring in “The Girl from Plainville,” also on Hulu.
Fanning fans will be thrilled to learn that both Dakota and Elle will play sisters in “The Nightingale,” an upcoming film based on the bestselling novel set in World War II.
Q: I was so sad to read that the actress who played Jerry’s mom on “Seinfeld” passed away. Is the actor who played his father still with us? – K.M.
A: Sadly, the hilarious Barney Martin, who played Jerry’s dad, Morty, on the classic sitcom, died in 2005 at the age of 82. Liz Sheridan, who played Jerry’s mom, passed away recently at age 93, just two weeks after we lost Estelle Harris, who played George’s (Jason Alexander) petite mom on the show. You can watch reruns of “Seinfeld” on the Comedy Central channel or stream all nine seasons on Netflix.
Q: I saw that James Patterson’s latest novel is written in collaboration with Dolly Parton. How did this come about? – P.F.
A: Prolific author James Patterson is a big fan of fellow septuagenarian Dolly Parton and approached her with an idea about his latest manuscript. They met up in Nashville, found they had a lot in common – having both grown up in small towns – and began the creative process of writing a novel and an accompanying album of the same name: “Run Rose Run.” Both were released in March, and there’s talk of a feature film as well.
Parton told “Entertainment Weekly” that she’d like to play the role of Ruthanna, a retired country music star, in the film. The leading role of the Nashville hopeful, AnnieLee, has yet to be cast, but Patterson promises the part is “a real star-maker.”
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.
© 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.
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