Dakota Fanning (‘Ripley’) on the ‘sick, twisted friendship’ between Marge and Tom [Exclusive Video Interview]
For actress Dakota Fanning, “‘Ripley’ is a massive part of the last couple of years of my life. And so for the series to be celebrated, and Andrew [Scott] and Steve [Zaillian] and the crew behind the scenes and all of that being acknowledged, it just feels so lovely that the work and the passion from everybody making it I think shined through.” Fanning is now an Emmy nominee for Best Movie/Limited Supporting Actress, one of 13 total nominations for the limited series. Watch our exclusive video interview above.
Based on the novels by Patricia Highsmith, “Ripley” tells the story of the title con artist (Emmy nominee Scott), who is sent to Italy to convince Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) to return to the United States. But instead he ends up insinuating himself into the lives of Dickie and his girlfriend Marge (Fanning). “The characters are introduced through Tom’s eyes, which of course isn’t necessarily true or necessarily real,” Fanning points out. “That’s Tom’s version of reality. And then there’s Marge’s version of reality. And then there’s the truth somewhere in the middle. So I think the thing that I was excited about was developing Marge’s reality.”
But despite Tom Ripley’s treachery, Fanning thinks Marge is more like him than she’d probably like to admit. “By the end Andrew and I looked at each other and we were like, I think they’re friends, deep down, like some sick, twisted friendship,” Fanning explains. “I do see Marge as a little bit of an opportunist herself. Maybe not in a malicious way … But I think that she’s also found herself in a really great position that she doesn’t want to lose.” So she and Tom are “a mirror for one another where they kind of see each other a bit too clearly.” Apparently, it takes one to know one.
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