LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Elle Fanning and Sarah Paulson are set to star in 'I Am Sybil', a film co-written and directed by Mirrah Foulkes. The movie explores the true story of the Sybil case, one of the first and most significant instances of dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder).
Sybil, a pseudonym for art teacher Shirley Mason, was documented in a 1973 book by Flora Rheta Schreiber, raising questions about identity and mental health. The film draws from Debbie Nathan's book 'Sybil Exposed', which challenges Schreiber's account. Fanning will play Mason, while Paulson will portray psychologist Connie Wilbur.
'...because she’s unf*ckable'
In a recent interview discussing her early experiences in the entertainment industry, Fanning shared a troubling incident from her past when she was rejected for a role solely based on her appearance, despite being a minor at the time. Fanning, who began her acting career as a child, disclosed that she was rejected for a movie role at the age of 16 for being "unf*ckable", per The Hollywood Reporter.
"I’ve never told this story," Fanning started. "But I was trying out for a movie. I didn’t get it. I don’t even think they ever made it. But it was a father-daughter road trip comedy. I didn’t hear from my agents because they wouldn’t tell me things like this. That filtration system is really important because there’s probably a lot more damaging comments that they filtered."
"I was 16 years old," she continued. "And a person said, 'Oh, she didn’t get the father-daughter road trip comedy because she’s unf*ckable'." "Of course, there are so many stories like this," Fanning said. "I’ve talked to people about this. And I can laugh at it now, like, 'What a disgusting pig!'"
'It made me very aware of myself'
Fanning has made notable appearances as Sleeping Beauty in Disney's live-action film 'Maleficent' and had a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated movie 'Trumbo'. She also showcased her talent in the father-daughter film 'Somewhere' in 2010. Fanning acknowledged her team for protecting her from certain feedback during her childhood in the industry. She also attributed her ability to navigate such situations to her innate confidence, which she believes she was born with.
"I was always immensely confident," she said. "But, of course, you’re growing up in the public eye, and it’s weird. I’ll look at paparazzi photos from when I was 12 and think, ‘Is that a good thing to see such a mirror of yourself at that age?’ I don’t feel like it damaged me, but it definitely made me very aware of myself in a way." "I don’t regret it,” she said about growing up in the spotlight. "It’s whatever. It’s amazing. And I’m glad I found what I love from a young age. I feel like I’ve grown."
