How Old Was Dakota Fanning In Twilight & How Old Was Her Character Jane Volturi?

From a very early age, Dakota Fanning embodied characters whose tragic circumstances forced them to act like full-fledged adults. Fanning's capacity to depict extremely mature individuals came in handy when she was given the opportunity to slip on Jane Volturi's signature cloak for 2009's "The Twilight Saga: New Moon." The actor had just celebrated her 15th birthday at the start of her three-year-long stint being the vampire, about 1,200 years her senior.

Now, depicting an ancient creature associated with the merciless Volturi seems like a daunting task, especially for a teenager. Perhaps this is why Fanning had a little help with her interpretation of the vampire. During a 2009 Unscripted interview, alongside her "Twilight Saga: New Moon" castmates, Michael Sheen and Jamie Campbell Bower, Fanning replied to a fan who inquired if the "Twilight" author, Stephenie Meyer, presented her with any direction on her depiction of the terrifying figure. She explained that the author told her to be subtle when showcasing the 1,200-year-old's unsettling forte.

"I would say her best advice was with regard to my character's power, just that she doesn't have to do anything, or say anything special, just by simply looking at someone, she can cause them pain, so that's pretty dangerous because she gives you no warning," shared Fanning.

Dakota Fanning shared she loved having the chance to be the face of a wicked woman lacking any semblance of decency while on the red carpet for "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II" premiere in 2012. In the Hollywood Reporter red carpet interview, the actor suggested she attempted to see Jane's humanity. Fanning stated, however, that she determined that the vampire simply likes being diabolical. "I think a lot of people that play bad characters say like, 'Oh, I try to find the good in the character and, like, where the badness comes from and all that' and I was like 'You know what, I think she's just bad and she just, like, enjoys being mean.' And that was fun," said the New York University alum.

In a 2022 interview with Who What Wear, Fanning clarified that while she liked stepping in Jane's pointy black boots, she does not identify with the remorseless character. "Listen, I don't think you can get further away from who I am or any other character than playing a vampire, really," said the "Uptown Girl" star. She also suggested she is pleased when "Twilight" fans show their appreciation for her undead character. "I've seen some Halloween costumes of people dressed up as Jane and that's always, like, funny to see," shared the Georgia native.