March 13, 2026, 12:26 a.m. ET
AUSTIN — Elle Fanning will celebrate her first Oscar nomination for “Sentimental Value” with her boyfriend Gus Wenner and her mother by her side.
“It’s a family affair,” she told USA TODAY on the red carpet at SXSW, beaming. Fanning swung by Austin ahead of the Academy Awards on March 15, where she’s nominated for best supporting actress — a role she credits to her “20th Century Women” director Mike Mills.
“I loved filming that movie beyond, and Mike Mills is someone who’s really close to me,” Fanning said. “He actually suggested me to (director) Joachim Trier for ‘Sentimental Value.’ So without doing that film, I don’t think I’d be in that movie.”
She promoted her new Apple TV series “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” in Austin on March 12, in which she stars and executive produces with her sister Dakota Fanning. It’s based on a book by Rufi Thorpe.
Elle Fanning plays Margo, a college student whose life turns a little more than upside-down after an affair with her college professor. Her unexpected pregnancy and parenthood journey sends her searching for ways to make money, including on OnlyFans.
“It was kind of a hot commodity,” Elle Fanning said. “A lot of people wanted this book, and I got to speak with her on a Zoom, and she thought, yeah, that I would be a good home for it. And then we assembled this major team with David E. Kelley and A24 and Michelle Pfeiffer and Apple and Nicole Kidman. It kept building out and now we’re finally here.”
She gushed when discussing the part.
“I love playing Margo. She’s in my heart, she’s such a resilient character, such an optimistic character at every turn,” the actress admitted. “When life throws her something hard, she really overcomes it in an unexpected way. And it was fun to play.”
