Elle Fanning related to her "unlikeable" 'Teen Spirit' character.

Elle Fanning

Elle Fanning

The 20-year-old actress stars as wannabe popstar Violet in 'Teen Spirit', the directorial debut from Max Minghella and Elle admitted she felt "connected" to Violet, even though she didn't necessarily like her.

She told The Wrap: "It's funny that I related to her because I think when outside people, what they think of me as is not this character. I smile a lot, I laugh a lot, and in this movie, we really don't do that very much at all. I felt so connected to Violet. I feel like I grew up a lot also after the making of this film as well, getting to play her, and also knowing that you don't necessarily have to play a character that is likable.

"I think that's why I love her. She's not necessarily your typical girl in school that would be super popular. She's harsh. And to make someone who has that edge into a hero in the film, that's something that I loved. I was excited, I don't think I've ever played a character like that before."

Elle recently praised her director Max for creating a collaborative environment on set.

She said: "He's a pop-music w***e, basically. He loves pop music. I think he drew inspiration to write this from High School Musical. He's like, 'I know this is not highbrow exactly, but it's very enjoyable and the songs are good.' And it's true.

"He lived with the script for such a long time that he has every shot in his head and he is very particular. He's someone that he would be listening to his headphones, listening to the music of a take, timing the camera movements out to the music.

"The best directors create an environment that's conducive for the artists to work, and Max is just so collaborative. He knew that sometimes I was still possibly unsure, and that I needed that support with the singing, and just very sensitive to that and everyone's moods."


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