Dakota Fanning says her smaller 'Twilight' role let her enjoy franchise’s ‘super intense’ fandom

Dakota Fanning recalls playing Jane in 'Twilight' and experiencing franchise’s intense fandom without lead pressure

Dakota Fanning has reflected on her time in the Twilight franchise, explaining that playing Jane allowed her to experience the series’ intense fandom without facing the same pressure as its central cast.

Fanning appeared on the Aug. 24 episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, where she discussed joining the film series while she was still in high school.

The actress played Jane, a high-ranking member of the Volturi, in The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.

"It was a huge deal. It was like all anyone was talking about. I was in high school at the time," Fanning said. "I went to a regular high school and it was like, everyone was obsessed. So it was a huge deal."

Fanning also clarified that she never auditioned for Kristen Stewart's role as Bella Swan, explaining that she was "just a bit young for it" at the time. Instead, she was cast as Jane, a role that introduced her to Stewart.

"Getting to play Jane was amazing and it's where I met Kristen, who you know is one of my closest friends," she said.

According to Fanning, the film's stars, including Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, did not initially realise how large the franchise would become.

"They had no idea. They just had no clue it was going to be that," Fanning said. "They thought they did some little vampire movie."

She recalled attending Comic-Con and encountering the scale of the fandom, describing the experience as "super intense". However, Fanning said her smaller role meant she could experience the franchise differently.

"I just got the kind of fun experience," she said. "So, it was like ideal, you know?"