Kirsten Dunst
American actress Kirsten Dunst earned early fame for her performance in ‘Interview with the Vampire’ and later starred in Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’ trilogy.
Who Is Kirsten Dunst?
Born on April 30, 1982, in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, Kirsten Dunst made her film debut in Woody Allen's New York Stories. She went on to appear in The Bonfire of the Vanities, before landing her breakout role in Interview with the Vampire. In 2002, Dunst starred in Spider-Man as the love interest of the titular superhero, a role she reprised for two sequels. Recently, she has earned acclaim for her performance in the FX series Fargo.
Early Career
Actress Kirsten Dunst was born on April 30, 1982, in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, and made her acting debut before she was able to walk. She was signed to the Ford Modeling Agency as a child and by age 12, she had made over 100 commercials.
In 1989, Dunst made her film debut with a minor part in Woody Allen’s New York Stories. This was followed by a role as Tom Hanks's daughter in the 1990 film adaptation of Tom Wolfe’s best-selling novel The Bonfire of the Vanities.
Breakthrough Role
Dunst got her big break at the tender age of 11, when she played the pre-pubescent bloodsucker Claudia in the screen adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire (1994). Although critical response to the film was mixed, Dunst received high marks from reviewers for her controlled portrayal of an adult perpetually trapped in a child’s body. Rice’s literary following flocked to the film and made Dunst a ghoulish cult favorite. For her performance, Dunst received the MTV Movie Award for best breakthrough performance and a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actress.
Career Highlights
Dunst went on to appear in a string of major Hollywood productions, including Little Women (1994), Jumanji (1995) and Wag the Dog (1997), and also received critical attention for her performances in the less-publicized mock-documentary Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) and the political spoof Dick (1999).
The actress engineered a successful transition to “adult” roles with her appearance in Sophia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides (2000). Dunst received positive critical attention for her facility with the movie’s weighty themes of teen suicide and burgeoning sexuality.
'Spider-Man' and Other Successes
In 2002, Dunst brought the much-loved comic book character Mary Jane "M. J." Watson to the big screen in director Sam Raimi's blockbuster version of Spider-Man. With Tobey Maguire in the title role, the movie highlighted the transformation of Peter Parker into the legendary web-slinger. To play Peter Parker’s spunky love interest, Dunst had to dye her blonde hair to red and handle being put in great peril. The duo reprised their parts for the sequel Spider-Man 2 in 2004, in which the superhero battled Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina). In Spider-Man 3, (2007), the final installment of the trilogy, Peter Parker wrestles with internal forces as well as villains to keep from destroying his relationships with those he cares for, including his great love M.J.
In addition to her work in the mega-successful Spider-Man franchise, Dunst has worked in smaller, off-beat films. She appeared in the unusual romantic drama Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), with Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Working again with Sophia Coppola, Dunst took on the title character in Marie Antoinette (2006), one of most infamous members of the French aristocracy.
Dunst has since starred in the British comedy How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008), and earned strong reviews for her turn in Lars Van Trier's Melancholia (2011). Transitioning to the small screen, she joined Season 2 of the FX series Fargo in 2015, adding to the buzz surrounding the show with a Golden Globe-nominated performance.
Personal Life
Dunst in engaged to her Fargo costar Jesse Plemons. The pair started dating in 2016 and news of their engagement surfaced in January 2017. In January 2018, Dunst revealed that she was expecting her first child with Plemons. Dunst gave birth to a baby boy in early May 2018.
