Mary Elle Fanning is an American actress. The younger sister of actress Dakota Fanning, she made her film debut as the younger version of her sister's character in the drama film I Am Sam. As a child actress, she appeared in several films, including Babel, Phoebe in Wonderland, and Somewhere. Her breakthrough came in 2011 with her starring role in J. J. Abrams' science-fiction film Super 8, for which she received critical praise and earned a Spotlight Award at the Hollywood Film Festival.In 2019, Fanning became the youngest person to serve as a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival.