a long time ago Dakota Fanning He became a familiar face in Hollywood blockbusters, as an 11-year-old on the set of ‘War of the Worlds’, filming with one of the industry’s biggest stars. Tom Cruise. It was 2004, and the young actor from Conyers, Georgia was sharing scenes with Tom Cruise in Steven Spielberg’s big-budget sci-fi extravaganza. And right then, on that same set, Cruise gave her something she’ll never forget: her first cell phone.In an old Harper’s Bazaar interview, the story came to light during a quiz segment with her ‘Ripley’ co-star Andrew Scott, who asked Fanning to guess who gave her her first phone. “Okay, it’s going to be some Hollywood icon…Tom Cruise,” Scott said. He was right. Fanning confirmed that Cruise gave her a phone for her 11th birthday while the two were filming the 2005 sci-fi blockbuster together.
What Dakota Fanning had to say about Tom Cruise’s gift
Fanning corroborated the story with genuine warmth, recalling how much the gesture meant to her at the time. “Oh, my God, I was so excited. I didn’t have anyone to call or send to at the time. You know, I was 11 years old. But I liked being there. I loved it. It felt really cool,” she recalled.
How Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning’s friendship has lasted almost two decades
The gesture did not stop there. Cruise revealed that Fanning, who has since starred in films such as ‘The Equalizer 3’ and the TV series ‘Ripley’, has been sending her a birthday present every year since that day in 2005. “Tom sends me a birthday present every year, and he’s done it since that birthday,” she said.What started as a birthday surprise on set turned into a reminder of a friendship that has quietly endured over the years after the cameras stopped rolling on ‘War of the Worlds’.
