Dakota Fanning finds dating 'horrific'

Dakota Fanning isn't keen on the formal dating scene.

The Runaways actress isn’t interested in engaging in the often stilted courting rituals associated with dating, such as eating dinner with someone you barely know.

In a new interview for Town & Country magazine, the 22-year-old, who can next be seen in movie American Pastoral alongside British actor Ewan McGregor, revealed she prefers to do things the old-fashioned way.

“I find dates, in general, horrific,” she grimaced to Town & Country in the cover story for its latest (16) issue. “We have to sit there and ask these questions and pretend to eat a meal, and it just feels so stiff.”

As a result, Dakota has managed to avoid the usual tabloid scrutiny concerning celebrity love lives, and has largely remained tight-lipped about her personal life. She was most recently linked to handsome British model Jamie Strachan.

"The way I prefer to meet someone is through a friend (because that means the person) is most likely not a freak," she laughed to the publication.

In direct contrast to modern celebrity culture, Dakota prefers to keep her "dirty laundry" to herself and leans on her discreet, conservative Southern upbringing to guide to her through life.

The former child star, who successfully made the transition from TV shows such as Ally McBeal and ER to the silver screen, also adds that it bothers her when people make incorrect assumptions about her talent because of her early success.

"I've been thinking lately about how much do I care what other people's preconceived notions of me are," she shared. "They definitely exist. They always will, to an extent, because I've been acting for 16 years already and I'm 22."