READER EMAIL #2

To: Dakota Fanning
From: Bojo Smith
Subject: couple questions

i have a question for you. i have 2 young daughters ones 8 and ones 12 and they want to get into acting and become movie stars...can you help me out with any ideas on where i would start out at? i would very much appreciate it and so would they. please get back to me if you can help me thank you very much

Thanks for the email, Bojo (that's such a great name! were your parents part of a circus?)

When I'm not making movies, people always stop me in the street and ask, "Dakota, how does my daughter get into acting?"

Well, there is no wrong or right answers! But what I've found is that helps a young actress most is that she have a good mother/manager, publicists that know what they're doing, but most of all you have a good sense of what works and what doesn't when it comes to chosing roles.

You see, many people can act. It's not that hard. But to chose a role that you were made to play...that takes an eye...that takes talent.

Take my new movie Hounddog, the film where I get brutally raped.

I'll admit it, when I first read the script I had no idea what was going on. Some dancer named Elvis played some part of it. It takes place a long time ago. There are no dogs in it, which I found weird consider the title of the movie. But when my mother told me that this was a role that just have to take -- THAT I COULD WIN AN OSCAR IF I TOOK THE ROLE -- well, what do you say to that? You take the role. And when I found out that my character would get brutally raped, I didn't flinch once.

If I have to get fake-raped to win an Oscar, I'm going to do it.

Any 12-year-old worth his or her salt would do the same. And if not, they should get out of this f**king town.

*sigh*

Okay, now where do you start out if you want to act? Well Hollywood of course! This place is fantastic for making movies! I say sell all of your belongings right now and come here fast! Hang out at the Saddle Ranch Bar & Grill on the Sunset Strip and say hello to the first man wearing a pinstripe suit you see. For some reason you might ditch your kids for a few hours like my mom did and go to the neighboring hotel to work out the business deals, but this is just standard practice in LA. People are always staying at hotels when they have homes on minutes away! (they're also going to the bathroom -- alot...Hollywood is so WEIRD!)

Well, I hope this helps. Keep in touch.