Kirsten Dunst facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kirsten Dunst
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Dunst in 2016
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| Born |
Kirsten Caroline Dunst
April 30, 1982 |
| Citizenship |
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1987–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
Kirsten Caroline Dunst (born April 30, 1982) is an American-German actress. She started acting as a child in the movie New York Stories (1989). Since then, she has appeared in many films and television shows. For her acting, she has received many awards and nominations, including for an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and four Golden Globe Awards.
Dunst became famous for playing the child vampire Claudia in the horror film Interview with the Vampire (1994). This role earned her a Golden Globe nomination. As a young actress, she also appeared in Little Women (1994) and the adventure movie Jumanji (1995).
As a teenager, Dunst starred in comedies like Dick and Drop Dead Gorgeous (both 1999). ..... After her role in the cheerleading movie Bring It On (2000), she became even more famous. She played Mary Jane Watson in the Spider-Man movies (2002–2007).
Her career continued with roles in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) and Elizabethtown (2005). She also played the famous queen Marie Antoinette in the 2006 film of the same name. In 2021, she earned an Academy Award nomination for her role in the drama The Power of the Dog. In 2024, she starred in the thriller film Civil War.
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Early life
Kirsten Dunst was born on April 30, 1982, in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Her father was a medical services executive, and her mother was a flight attendant for Lufthansa. Dunst's father is from Germany, and her mother is American with German and Swedish roots.
Until she was eleven, Dunst lived in Brick Township, New Jersey. In 1993, after her parents separated, she moved to Los Angeles with her mother and brother. Growing up famous was sometimes hard for her. She once said it wasn't a "natural way to grow up," but she wouldn't change her past.
Acting career
1988–1993: Starting as a child actor
Dunst began her career when she was only three years old as a fashion model in TV commercials. In 1988, she appeared on the show Saturday Night Live. Her first movie role was a small part in Oedipus Wrecks, which was part of the film New York Stories (1989).
She then played the daughter of Tom Hanks's character in The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990). In 1993, she was a guest star on an episode of the science fiction show Star Trek: The Next Generation.
1994–2001: Becoming a star
Dunst's big break came in 1994 with the movie Interview with the Vampire. She acted alongside Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. She played Claudia, a child who becomes a vampire. In one scene, she had her first on-screen kiss with Pitt. She later said it was "gross" because she was only 10 years old. Critics loved her performance. For this role, she won an MTV Movie Award and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
In the same year, she was in the movie Little Women. Critics praised the film and her performance as the character Amy. One reviewer from The New York Times called her a "little vamp with a big future."
In 1995, Dunst starred in the fantasy adventure film Jumanji. The movie is about a magical board game that brings jungle dangers to life. It was a big hit and made over $262 million worldwide.
From 1996 to 1997, she had a recurring role on the TV medical drama ER. She played a troubled young girl being cared for by Dr. Doug Ross, played by George Clooney. In 1997, she was the voice of Young Anastasia in the animated movie Anastasia.
In 1999, Dunst starred in the comedy Drop Dead Gorgeous. She also appeared in Dick, a funny movie about the Watergate scandal. .....
In 2000, Dunst played the captain of a cheerleading team in the comedy Bring It On. The movie received good reviews, and critics praised her acting. A. O. Scott of The New York Times called her "a terrific comic actress."
In 2001, she starred in the comedy Get Over It, where she also got to sing. She then starred in the teen romance Crazy/Beautiful.
2002–2009: Stardom with Spider-Man
In 2002, Dunst starred as Mary Jane Watson in the superhero movie Spider-Man, opposite Tobey Maguire. Mary Jane was the best friend and love interest of Peter Parker (Spider-Man). The movie was a huge success, both with critics and at the box office. It earned over $822 million worldwide, becoming the most successful film of her career at that time.
She returned as Mary Jane in Spider-Man 2 (2004). This movie was also a big hit, earning over $783 million worldwide. In 2007, she played the role for a third time in Spider-Man 3. While this movie received mixed reviews, it made over $891 million, making it the highest-grossing film in the series.
During this time, Dunst also acted in other movies. She was in Mona Lisa Smile (2003) with Julia Roberts. In 2004, she co-starred in the romantic science fiction film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
In 2005, she starred with Orlando Bloom in the romantic movie Elizabethtown. The next year, she played the title role in Marie Antoinette (2006), a historical drama about the famous French queen.
2010–2016: Focus on independent films
In 2011, Dunst starred in the drama Melancholia. She played a woman dealing with depression as the world is about to end. Her performance was highly praised by critics. She won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival for this role.
In 2012, she appeared in several films, including the romantic comedy Bachelorette and the drama On the Road.
In 2015, Dunst starred in the second season of the TV series Fargo. She played Peggy Blumquist, a hairdresser. Her role earned her nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
In 2016, she co-starred in the science fiction movie Midnight Special. She also had a supporting role in Hidden Figures, a true story about African-American female mathematicians who worked at NASA. The movie was a success and was nominated for three Academy Awards.
2017–present: Recent work
In 2017, Dunst worked with director Sofia Coppola for the third time in the drama The Beguiled. She starred alongside Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman.
In 2019, Dunst starred in the dark comedy TV series On Becoming a God in Central Florida. For this role, she was nominated for another Golden Globe Award.
She co-starred with her real-life partner, Jesse Plemons, in the 2021 film The Power of the Dog. Her performance earned her nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
In 2024, Dunst starred in the thriller Civil War, directed by Alex Garland. Critics praised her performance in the film.
Personal life
In 2008, Dunst sought help for depression. She later spoke about it publicly to correct rumors and to show that "depression is pretty serious and should not be gossiped about."
Dunst began dating her Fargo co-star Jesse Plemons in 2016. They got engaged in 2017. Their first son was born in May 2018, and their second son was born in May 2021. Dunst and Plemons married in July 2022 in Jamaica.
In 2011, she became a citizen of Germany. Because her father is German, she was able to get dual citizenship. She is now a citizen of both the United States and Germany.
Charity work
Dunst supports the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which helps children with AIDS. She helped design a necklace to raise money for the foundation. She has also participated in events to raise money for cancer research.
She has also been involved in encouraging people to vote. In 2008, she directed a documentary called Why Tuesday about low voter turnout in the United States.
Awards and recognition
Dunst has been nominated for four Golden Globe awards. In 2019, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2022, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Power of the Dog.
Some of her most praised films include:
- Little Women (1994)
- Spider-Man (2002)
- Spider-Man 2 (2004)
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
- Melancholia (2011)
- Hidden Figures (2016)
- The Power of the Dog (2021)
Images for kids
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Dunst at the Australian premiere of Anchorman 2, 2013
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See also
In Spanish: Kirsten Dunst para niños
