Dakota Fanning posts throwback photo from 'I Am Sam' premiere: 'Keeping her close'

Dakota Fanning posted a sweet throwback photo reflecting on a 2001 premiere for one of her first films.

"i am sam premiere 2001. always thinking of this tiny girl, and keeping her close," she wrote on Instagram on Saturday.

Accompanying the post was a photo of Fanning , with the same blonde hair she sports in present day, flashing a smile to the camera while wearing a gold dress with a bow in front. Fanning was 7 years old when the film was released.

The 30-year-old actress scored her first starring role in 2001 in "I Am Sam" alongside Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer.

The film revolves around a father with a learning disability "who enlists the aid of a high-powered attorney to help him regain custody of his daughter," according to a logline for the film from Warner Bros.

Fanning has often spoken through the years about her experiences as a child actor.

In 2018, Fanning told Variety in its "Actors on Actors" series , "It's added so much to my life and it does kind of hurt me a little bit when people try and somehow turn it into a negative and I don't like it."

Fanning received critical acclaim for her role in "I Am Sam," including a nomination for outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role at the Screen Actor's Guild Awards.