Elle Fanning reflects on upcoming ‘Sentimental Value'

Elle Fanning is stepping into one of the most introspective roles of her career with Joachim Trier’s upcoming film Sentimental Value, and the experience has left a lasting impression on her both professionally and personally. 

In the film, Fanning plays Rachel Kemp, a Hollywood actress facing an uncomfortable truth, sometimes the bravest move is walking away from something you want more than anything.

The opportunity came unexpectedly. 

Fanning admitted she had long admired Trier, especially after The Worst Person in the World, but never assumed there would be a role waiting for her. 

“I was a big fan, obviously, of The Worst Person in the World, like everyone,” she told Variety in a recent interview. 

“You think of directors, and you think, ‘Yeah, Joachim, he’s on my bucket list,’ but I didn’t know if there would ever necessarily be a part for me.”

When the script arrived while she was in New York preparing to head to New Zealand for Predator: Badlands, the reaction was immediate and emotional. 

“I didn’t even necessarily care what the part was. After reading the script, I was in tears. And then I really just related to Rachel Kemp so much. I could just see how I wanted to play her.”

The timing that followed was intense. 

Fanning balanced rehearsals in Oslo, an action-heavy shoot in New Zealand, and then traveled straight to France to film scenes with Stellan Skarsgård during the Deauville Film Festival itself. 

She noted that two studios coordinating to make it all work was a rare moment in Hollywood.

Rachel Kemp is portrayed as ambitious, uncertain, and deeply eager to prove herself. 

Fanning acknowledged the character’s emotional pull, saying, “We find her at a place when she’s lost, and a little depressed herself." 

"I don’t think she feels like she has much agency over her career and choices. She feels that she has so much to give, but you have to be given the opportunities or placed in those roles to show that.”

A central challenge was balancing Rachel’s star power with her vulnerability. 

“I was aware that audiences have to believe that she is a big star. So there has to be a bit of that air,” Fanning explained. 

But the heart of the role lies in a hard-earned lesson, “She’s learning how to say no for the first time… She knows it’s a great opportunity, but she knows that it’s just not right. And that can be very hard for actors.”

Coming at a key moment in her career, the role reflects Fanning’s own growth. 

Having acted since childhood, she credits projects like The Great for helping her evolve onscreen. 

“I felt myself growing in my power doing that show,” she said, making Sentimental Value feel like a natural and meaningful next step.