You may remember Dakota Fanning as the cute little girl who appeared beside many famous actors and actresses in many popular films. Well, that little girl is all grown up now and she has moved on to more mature roles.

Not only does Dakota still act, she is also pursuing a degree in women’s studies at New York University and often speaks her mind about gender equality.

She recently talked about some of her recent movie roles, including her most recent role in Night Moves. In the film a group of environmental extremists attempt to blow up a hydroelectric dam, but encounter several problems along the way.

“The things that people do for causes result in very small changes and sometimes you never even see any results,” she said. “So for these people, they need something that’s immediate that they can see.”

Watch the trailer for my new movie 'Night Moves,' on theaters this May 30! http://t.co/Fl3rSuO3Zc

— Dakota Fanning (@itsDakotaFannin) March 30, 2014

Fanning also shared her feelings about gender equality within the film industry.

“It’s something I’ve studied and thought about a lot,” she said. “It’s rare to see women in a film who are not somehow validated by a male, or discusses a male, or heartbroken by a male, or end up being happy because of a male. It’s interesting to think about, and it’s very true.”

“Of course men are part of women’s lives, and that’s fine,” she continued. “But it’s important to see strong, independent women who are making their own choices and aren’t completely at the mercy of men. It shouldn’t be, ‘Oh, does this guy love me?’ It should be, ‘Do I love the guy?'”

“It’s about both genders being equal. There’s a history where when women get to a certain age in this industry, the roles become strictly the mother, the wife, or the older single woman. There should be more of a variety because there are so many different paths that humans take and they should be given a platform to be seen.”

Interview: The Last of Robin Hood and Night Moves (By the Hollywood Reporter) http://t.co/nNNEWkIwM1

— Dakota Fanning (@itsDakotaFannin) September 16, 2013

Fanning said that she was happy to have a role where she portrayed an independent woman. Night Moves will open in theaters this week.

Image via Wikimedia Commons