Is Elle Fanning Coming to iTunes?

The day of our interview, Fanning is fully committed to her role as the face of Miu Miu’s newest fragrance: Twist, an airy blend of apple blossom, cedarwood, and pink amber inspired by the house’s signature matelassé material. In her bubblegum-colored dress, glitter platform heels, and teal blue eye inspired by Anna Karina, she’s the ultimate Miu Miu ingénue lounging across a settee or posing leisurely on the balcony.

The second the camera isn’t zoomed in on her every movement, however, a big goofy smile breaks out across her face, and she’s polishing a table with a makeup wipe in order to get one of the picture-perfect shots seen here. At this point in her life and career, she’s a pro at playing someone else, but underneath it all, she’s shockingly normal and completely comfortable in her own skin.

Here, Fanning reveals what was going through her head on the runway, the song she’s ready and willing to whip out at karaoke, and the best lies she’s told from the backseat.

Given the name of the new Miu Miu fragrance, Twist, what is the best plot twist you’ve been involved in on screen?

“

The Beguiled

was a good twist. That was a good and haunting [script].”

Are you always surprised when you’re reading a script?

“Sometimes! I’m someone who always tries to guess the twist, and sometimes I can. I hadn’t seen

The Sixth Sense

until a couple weeks ago, and that’s a

huge

movie twist.”

Did you see that plot twist coming?

“No, I was very shocked!”

Have you been involved in any interesting plot twists off screen?

“I’m sure I had twists in high school. You know, something silly is always happening.”

What about runway versus red carpet—which is more intimidating?

“Again, I’d say runway. The red carpet is a place where I feel very at home. Also, the world of fashion has been very accepting of me since I was very young. When I was introduced to that world, I was already a lover of clothes and experimenting, but being experimental in high school isn’t always looked upon in a nice way. You’re made fun of for wearing weird stuff. The red carpet and the fashion world actually embraced me for being quirky and being myself. It’s a nice home for me.”

Your fashion choices didn’t always receive rave reviews from the high school crowd?

“No, definitely not! We had a uniform, but on Fridays we had free dress.”

What was your go-to dress-down-day ensemble?

“I don’t know if I was dressed down exactly, but I loved Opening Ceremony. It was a treat for my mom to take me there when I was little and look at all of the clothes. I got this shirt from there that was pink and printed all over with Big Bird. I wore that with high-waisted jeans and wooden platform shoes despite already being pretty tall.”

What is your go-to shower song these days?

“Gosh, there are so many! Maybe a little Cyndi Lauper or Gwen Stefani. Gwen Stefani was my first concert. I saw her in Budapest when I was nine during her Harajuku days.”

Gwen Stefani in Budapest at age nine, not too shabby. Will the world be listening to an Elle Fanning album anytime soon?

“I hope! That would be really fun actually. I’m sure there is an album with the movie, but who knows. Nothing is happening, but I would do something!”

Speaking of Budapest, I heard that your sister packed nine suitcases to film there for six months, two of which were dedicated entirely to beauty products. If you were away for six months, how many suitcases filled with beauty products would you bring?

“Oh my god, I know. Well, I did this recently because I was away for five months to shoot

Maleficent 2

. It was the summer, and I think I brought four.”

Wow, four suitcases filled with beauty products:

“No, no, four in total! I guess I did better than Dakota did with nine, but I did have to buy a fifth suitcase when I was there. I would say one was dedicated to beauty because I need my products. You run out of a lot of stuff, like shampoo. I can never find what I want.”

What products are your absolute must-haves?

“Probably shampoo and conditioner because my hair is so blond. I like

L’Oréal Paris Elvive

in the pink bottle. I can’t go swimming because my hair turns green, but it has been a lot of different colors [over the years], so I don’t want it to get damaged.”

You pack less products when you’re on the road, but who is the bigger beauty junkie between you and your sister?

“We’re pretty even. She’s really good at doing her own makeup. I love makeup, but I’m not as good at doing my own. She does a really good job and is great with eyeliner.”

With you being the little sister, I’m sure she got to practice on you:

“Yeah, exactly. I allowed her to do that, so I get some points.”

In addition to cataloging all of your best fashion and beauty moments on Instagram, you recently posted a pic of you rocking the vote. As a millennial, why is it important to get out there and represent?

“It’s so important, especially for the new generation of voters. It’s the one time your voice can be heard and you can make a difference. Even if it’s just one vote, it counts. This is my second time voting and my first midterm election. I was 18 when I got to vote for President.”

As a member of the millennial generation in L.A., you must also spend a lot of time in an Uber. I hear you’ve told a few fibs from time to time in the backseat:

“Yes, sometimes I do. A lot of the drivers ask what you do, and I could tell them, but isn’t it more interesting if I’m something else? One time I think I said I was an ice skater, but then they start asking me about these things, and I’m totally caught. One time I told the driver I was a masseuse. He was asking me what it’s like going to so many different houses for appointments, and I told him, ‘Oh yeah, it’s really great.’ It’s just more fun to make things up. I play characters for a living, so I get to test everything out in the Uber.”

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