Elle Fanning learned "how to be a woman" through making ‘Mary Shelley’.
The 20-year-old actress portrays the ‘Frankenstein’ author in the new biopic from Haifaa Al-Mansour and though the precocious writer lived in the 19th century, Elle promised the tale – which documents Mary’s tumultuous romance with the poet Percy Shelley (Douglas Booth) – still feels "timely and modern".
She said: "I felt like I learned a lot from Mary about how to be a woman.
"I felt like I took her life on and experienced it all from beginning to end from her, which was exciting.
"The movie is very… it’s a period piece but it’s also very timely and modern."
Elle hailed the movie as a "milestone", not only because she learned a lot and related to the character as an artist, but because it marked her move into adult life.
She said:" What fascinated me about the script was that it’s about a struggling artist, but it’s a woman struggling artist, which you don’t see very often.
"When I filmed the movie, I was 17, about to turn 18.
"This was the last movie that I had to do school on the set. It was a milestone movie for me.
"I really felt wiser and more mature after."
The actress hailed the author as a "feminist icon" and feels she’s often overlooked in discussions about classic authors.
She told Total Film magazine: "I remember talking about Mary Shelley in school but just Lake Geneva and Lord Byron and that story. It’s true but it’s not the most interesting thing about her.
"She’s a feminist icon, but most people don’t hold her in the same regard as, say, Jane Austin.
"She’s just very interesting and not given the credit that she deserves."
Elle Fanning’s movie education
