At the beginning of Sweet Home Alabama, viewers see the main characters, Melanie and Jake, as young kids. Although it may be hard to believe now, the actor who played the younger version of Reese Witherspoon's character is Dakota Fanning. She was only 7-years-old when the movie got filmed, but that same year it was released, Fanning had been nominated for a SAG award for her role in I Am Sam, making her the youngest nominee in history.

Fanning went on to have a flourishing career in the years to follow, with lead roles in movies like Uptown Girls and Charlotte's Web. She continued to work as she got older, appearing in the Twilight movies and, most recently, the TNT series The Alienist. In 2016, Fanning spoke about being a child star to The Guardian, saying, "Now there was expectation – to fail, to succeed, to come through to the other side."

Yet, Sweet Home Alabama wasn't just another movie that helped the actor rise to fame. It had some personal significance as it was where she had her first kiss. She told W Magazine (via Teen Vogue), "In between each take, we would do the kiss, and then I would slowly turn away and wipe my mouth off so he couldn't see...because I was trying to be kind. I wasn't really into it." Hey, she was only 7, and having your first kiss on-screen at any age can't be easy!

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7XCpKCsr5mbwW%2BvzqZmbGxiaoBze9ahsGaxn6p6s7HCqJ6noaqaerq71KeeZqWVoa6vtcRmnaunnWLAuLHErWShp52aeqK4wJuYpplf