JULY/AUGUST 2019 92 SHAPE.COM
“I just want to
drive my own car.”
at home in L.A., my mom and I look at each other after dinner,
and it’s like, ‘We’ve got to go out and get dessert,’ and it’s usually
Baskin-Robbins ice cream.
“Eating is all about moderation. If I’m going to a restaurant
that’s famous for its pasta, I’m going to eat the pasta. I don’t
limit myself. That’s not sustainable. You have to indulge. Food
is supposed to be fun and pleasurable.”SHOW YOURSELF LOVE ALWAYS
“I have a really good ritual to help me unwind. I take a bath every
night, no matter what. I put on a podcast, get in the tub, and
close my eyes. This routine is such a constant in my life; I can’t
live without it. If I’m in a hotel and there isn’t a tub, I have to
move. It’s like, No, I won’t. I can’t. I’ve got to have a bath.”REDEFINE YOUR IDEA OF SUCCESS
“As goal oriented as I am, I recognize that reaching your goals
doesn’t always happen the way you think it will. I never say to
myself, Oh, I’ll be happy when this happens or This one thing
will make me feel good, because I don’t think that’s realistic.
It’s important to have goals and vision and drive, but you’ve
also got to recognize that those goals might not come to you in
the way you believe they will. It’s really important to remem-
ber that no one thing is ever going to make you happy.”FIND SOMEONE WHO HAS YOUR BACK
“My sister, Elle, and I are really close. We always have been.
We’re very diff erent, but we’re very connected. We don’t talk
every day, but we don’t have to. We just have that special bond.
There’s no one I want to succeed more in this business than my
sister, and I know she wants the same for me.”MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR OWN WAY
“I’ve been an ambassador for Save the Children for several
years. I help with some of its literacy and early education pro-
grams. Save the Children does such a good job fostering a love
of learning in children, and going to school gives kids so much
confi dence. It’s amazing to see that.
“Giving back is very important to me. Volunteering has
always been part of my life. I’ve learned that as much as it helps
other people, it helps you too. Volunteering gives you perspec-
tive and an appreciation for your own circumstances. It makes
the world better, and it makes you a better person.”That’s Dakota Fanning’s way of saying that she needs to be
in control of her life. “I’m very goal oriented,” says the actor,- “I have a lot I want to accomplish.” She has already proved
to be a master achiever. Dakota started acting professionally
at age 5, when she landed a national commercial. Two years
later she starred in the movie I Am Sam, becoming the young-
est person ever nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award.
More than 40 films later, Dakota is in one of the summer’s
most anticipated movies, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,
a crime thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and
Margot Robbie and directed by Quentin Tarantino—and she
couldn’t be more excited. “One of the happiest times of my life
was when I was told I got the part,” Dakota says of the movie,
which hits theaters on July 26. “It was truly a dream-come-true,
jumping-up-and-down moment.”
When she’s not on the film set or traveling to Budapest to
shoot her TV series The Alienist, Dakota channels her energy
into her workouts. “I come from a family of athletes [her mom
played professional tennis, and her dad played minor league
baseball], so being active was instilled in me from a young age,”
Dakota says. “I like the high of feeling strong.”
This dynamo has fi gured out the formula for staying ener-
gized, focused, and happy—and she sat down to share it with us.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
“It’s so important to have a really good sweat. It clears my head
and makes my skin look good, and I feel better overall.
“I try to work out six days a week. I love to do Cardio Barre,
a ballet-inspired cardio class. I’ve been taking it since I was
in high school, and I’m obsessed. I also started doing AKT
[a dance-based cardio and strength workout]. The fi rst time
I did it, I thought I was going to die! It was so tough in the best
possible way. But as hard as I exercise, I’ve also learned the
importance of rest so that my body can rejuvenate. It’s all about
what works for me at this moment and makes me feel good.”EAT THE ICE CREAM
“I’ve become a much healthier eater. I typically have yogurt or
eggs after my morning workout, a salad for lunch, and a grilled
protein with quinoa and vegetables for dinner. But I’m defi-
nitely not the kind of person who says, ‘I don’t eat sugar or
carbs’ or ‘I don’t drink caff eine and wine.’ That’s never going
to happen. I have a huge sweet tooth. When I visit my parents Hair by Adir Abergel for Virtuelabs.com; makeup by Erin Ayanian-Monroe/Cloutier Remix; manicure by Ashlie Johnson/The Wall Group for Nails Inc.; set styling by Carl Hopgood/Celestine Agency“I jus
drivThat’s Dakota F
in control of h