ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Where are you right now?
DAKOTA FANNING: I’m at school. I’m hiding from any teacher that would see me on my phone right now. But technically it’s allowed because it’s before school has started.

What’s it like to come back to high school now that the movie is out?
That’s my life. That’s what’s normal to me. I don’t really know anything different. I’m really lucky that I get to go to school and have that normal life, and then also get to do what I love to do and be a part of really great projects.

How do you think your classmates will react to the movie?
Most of them have already seen the movie, so they’re very excited about it.

Did you do anything special to celebrate how well the movie did?
I’m such a little part of the film. It’s really Kristen, Rob, and Taylor and everyone who should be doing the celebrating. It’s all of their hard work. For me, I was just there for a week and a half and got to have so much fun. I was really excited to be a part of it.

Were you a fan of the series before you were cast?
Of course I was a fan. I had read the books and everything.

Your character, Jane, is terrifying. Was it fun to play evil?
Yeah. It’s one of the first times that I’ve done that. And this is a character that really takes pleasure in causing people pain. And that’s kind of a fascinating character to get to play. So that was definitely one of the reasons that I wanted to do it.

I love getting to play all different kinds of people. And, yeah, surprise people with my red eyes, I guess.

Those were creepy. Were they actual contacts?
They’re hand-painted contacts. I’ve never worn anything in my eyes before, so it was definitely a feeling I’d never experienced. But they have someone to put them in and take them out. You can kind of feel them. But you get used to it after a while.

Did they help you get in character?
Yeah, I think you automatically have kind of a creepy look to you no matter what you’re doing or saying, so it definitely helps.