Dunst was born on April 30, 1982, at Point Pleasant Hospital inPoint Pleasant, New Jersey.[1] Dunst's father, Klaus Dunst, worked forSiemens as a medical services executive, and her mother, Inez (née Rupprecht) worked forLufthansa as a flight attendant.[2][3] She was also an artist and one-time gallery owner.[4] Dunst's father is German, originally fromHamburg, and her American mother is of German and Swedish descent; she described herself in a 2001 interview as "Aryan. Like a Swedish milkmaid."[5][6] She has a brother, Christian, who is about five years her junior.[7] Until the age of eleven, Dunst lived inBrick Township, New Jersey, and attendedRanney School inTinton Falls.[8]
In 1993, she moved to Los Angeles with her mother and brother, after her parents separated. In her teens, she found it difficult to cope with her rising fame, and for a period she blamed her mother for pushing her into acting as a child. However, she later said that her mother "always had the best intentions".[9] When asked if she had any regrets about her childhood, Dunst said, "Well, it's not a natural way to grow up, but it's the way I grew up and I wouldn't change it. I have my stuff to work out... I don't think anybody can sit around and say, 'My life is more screwed up than yours.' Everybody has their issues."[10]
Dunst's breakthrough role came in 1994, in the horror dramaInterview with the Vampire oppositeTom Cruise andBrad Pitt, based onAnne Rice'snovel of the same name. She playedClaudia, the child vampire who is asurrogate daughter to Cruise's and Pitt's characters.[14] The film included a scene in which Dunst shared her first onscreen kiss with Pitt, who is two decades her senior.[15] She stated that kissing him had made her feel uncomfortable: "I thought it was gross, that Brad hadcooties. I mean, I was 10," she recalled.[16] While the film overall received mixed reviews,[17] many critics singled out Dunst's performance for acclaim.Roger Ebert considered her portrayal of Claudia to be one of the "creepier" aspects of the film, and took note of how well she had conveyed the impression of great age inside apparent youth.[18]Todd McCarthy ofVariety stated that Dunst was "just right" for the family.[19] For her performance, she won theMTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance and theSaturn Award for Best Young Actress, in addition to receiving aGolden Globe Award nomination forBest Supporting Actress.[20][21][22]
The perfect contrast to take-charge Jo comes from Kirsten Dunst's scene-stealing Amy, whose vanity and twinkling mischief make so much more sense coming from an 11-year-old vixen than they did from grown-up Joan Bennett in 1933. Ms. Dunst, also scarily effective as the baby bloodsucker ofInterview With the Vampire, is a little vamp with a big future.[24]
In 1995, Dunst starred in the fantasy adventure filmJumanji, a loose adaptation ofChris Van Allsburg's 1981 children'sbook of the same name. The story is about a supernatural and ominous board game in which animals and other jungle hazards appear with each roll of thedice.[25] She was part of anensemble cast that includedRobin Williams,Bonnie Hunt andDavid Alan Grier. The film was a financial success and grossed$262 million worldwide.[26] In that year, and again in 2002, Dunst was named one ofPeople magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People.[4]
In 2000, Dunst starred in the comedyBring It On as Torrance Shipman, the captain of a cheerleading squad.[38] The film garnered mostly positive reviews,[39] with many critics reserving praise for her performance. In his review, A. O. Scott called her "a terrific comic actress, largely because of her great expressive range, and the nimbleness with which she can shift from anxiety to aggression to genuine hurt". Charles Taylor ofSalon noted that "among contemporary teenage actresses, Dunst has become the sunniest imaginable parodist", even though he thought the film had failed to provide her with as good a role as she had in eitherDick or inThe Virgin Suicides.[40] Jessica Winter ofThe Village Voice praised Dunst, stating that her performance was "as sprightly and knowingly daft as her turn inDick" adding that "[Dunst] provides the only major element ofBring It On that plays as tweaking parody rather than slick, strident, body-slam churlishness."[41] Peter Stack of theSan Francisco Chronicle, despite giving the film an unfavorable review, commended Dunst for her willingness "to be as silly and cloyingly agreeable as it takes to get through a slapdash film".[42]
In 2001, Dunst starred in the comedy filmGet Over It.[43] She later explained that she took the role for the opportunity to showcase her singing.[44] Dunst then co-starred withJay Hernandez in the coming of age teen romance filmCrazy/Beautiful.Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times wrote, "Crazy/Beautiful […] is an unusually observant film about adolescence," and "because of the real conviction that Dunst and Hernandez bring to the roles, we care about them as people, not case studies."[45] She also starred in the historical dramaThe Cat's Meow, directed byPeter Bogdanovich, as actressMarion Davies. Derek Elley ofVariety described the film as "playful and sporty", deeming this Dunst's best performance to date: "Believable as both a spoiled ingenue and a lover to two very different men, Dunst endows a potentially lightweight character with considerable depth and sympathy".[46] For her performance, she won the Best Actress Silver Ombú award at the 2002Mar del Plata International Film Festival.[47]
In 2002, Dunst starred oppositeTobey Maguire in the superhero filmSpider-Man, the most financially successful film of her career as of this date. She playedMary Jane Watson, the love interest ofPeter Parker (Maguire). The film was directed bySam Raimi.Owen Gleiberman ofEntertainment Weekly noted Dunst's ability to "lend even the smallest line a tickle of flirtatious music".[48] Writing for theLos Angeles Times,Kenneth Turan reviewed that Dunst and Maguire made a real connection onscreen, concluding that their relationship "involved audiences to an extent rarely seen in films".[49]Spider-Man was a critical and commercial success.[50] The film grossed$114 million during its opening weekend in North America and earned$822 million worldwide.[26]
The success of the firstSpider-Man led Dunst to reprise her role as Mary Jane Watson in 2004 inSpider-Man 2.[57] The film was acclaimed by critics and a commercial success, setting a new opening weekend box office record for North America.[58][59] With box office revenues of$783 million worldwide, it was the second highest-grossing film in 2004.[26] Also in 2004, Dunst co-starred oppositePaul Bettany in the romantic comedyWimbledon in which she portrayed a rising tennis player in theWimbledon Championships, while Bettany portrayed a fading former tennis star. The film received mixed reviews,[60] but many critics enjoyed Dunst's performance.[61][62]Claudia Puig ofUSA Today observed that the chemistry between Dunst and Bettany was potent, with Dunst doing a "fine job as a sassy and self-assured player".[63]
In 2007, Dunst reprised the role of Mary Jane Watson inSpider-Man 3.[72] In contrast to its predecessors' rave reviews,[50][58]Spider-Man 3 received a mixed reaction from critics.[73] Ryan Gilbey of theNew Statesman was critical of Dunst's character, remarking that "the film-makers couldn't come up with much for Mary Jane to do other than scream a lot".[74] Nevertheless, with a worldwide gross of$891 million, it stands as the most commercially successfulfilm in the series and Dunst's highest-grossing film to the end of 2008.[26] Having initially signed on for threeSpider-Man films, she said she would consider doing a fourth, but only if Raimi and Maguire returned.[75] In January 2010, it was announced that the fourth film was canceled and that theSpider-Man film series would berestarted, therefore dropping the trio from the franchise.[76][77]
Dunst made her screenwriting and directorial debut with the short filmBastard, which she co-wrote withSasha Sagan.[82] The film premiered at theTribeca Film Festival in 2010 and was later featured at the2010 Cannes Film Festival.[83][84] She co-starred oppositeRyan Gosling in the mystery dramaAll Good Things (2010), based on the true story of New Yorkreal estate developerRobert Durst, whose wife disappeared in 1982.[85] The film received fair reviews, but was a commercial failure, earning only$640,000 worldwide.[86][26] The criticRoger Ebert praised Dunst for her ability to capture "a woman at a loss to understand who her husband really is, and what the true nature of his family involves".[87] TheSan Francisco Chronicle complimented her performance as "the only one worth watching", despite the film's "slow crawl" and lack of suspense.[88] Also in 2010, Dunst co-starred withBrian Geraghty inCarlos Cuarón's short filmThe Second Bakery Attack, based onHaruki Murakami's short story.[89]
In 2011, Dunst co-starred oppositeCharlotte Gainsbourg,Kiefer Sutherland andCharlotte Rampling inLars von Trier's drama filmMelancholia as a woman sufferingdepression as the world ends. It premiered at the2011 Cannes Film Festival and received positive reviews, in particular for Dunst's performance. Steven Loeb ofSouthampton Patch wrote "This film has brought the best out of von Trier, as well as his star. Dunst is so good in this film, playing a character unlike any other she has ever attempted... Even if the film itself were not the incredible work of art that it is, Dunst's performance alone would be incentive enough to recommend it".[90] Sukhdev Sandhu ofThe Daily Telegraph wrote: "Dunst is exceptional, so utterly convincing in the lead role—trouble, serene, a fierce savant—that it feels like a career breakthrough.[91] Dunst won several awards for her performance, including theBest Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival[92][93] and the Best Actress Award from the U.S.National Society of Film Critics.[94]
Dunst made a cameo inBeastie Boys' 2011 music video "Fight For Your Right Revisited", which premiered at theSundance Film Festival.[95] A year later, she starred inJuan Diego Solanas' science fiction romanceUpside Down withJim Sturgess.[96] Described as aRomeo and Juliet story, Peter Howell of theToronto Star opined that there was no character development and Dunst "brings competence but no passion to her underwritten roles".[97] The film's consensus on Rotten Tomatoes was also negative, with a 28% approval rating.[98] Next, she had a role inLeslye Headland's romantic comedyBachelorette (2012), starringIsla Fisher,Rebel Wilson andLizzy Caplan; the film was produced byWill Ferrell andAdam McKay.[99] Dunst plays Regan Crawford, one of three women who reunite for the wedding of a friend who was ridiculed in high school. Dunst appeared in the dramaOn the Road (2012), an adaptation ofJack Kerouac'snovel of the same name, in which she plays Camille Moriarty.[100] Dunst was first approached for the role by directorWalter Salles several years prior.[101] The film premiered at the2012 Cannes Film Festival, and was released in the United States on December 21, 2012.On the Road gained mixed reviews and under-performed at the box office.[102] Writing forTime magazine,Richard Corliss comparedOn the Road to "adiorama in a Kerouac museum ... [the film] lacks the novel's exuberant syncopation", but praises Dunst's performance.[103]Chicago Tribune'sMichael Phillips was more positive, giving the film 3 out of 4 stars, praising thecinematic quality, and actors for their "kind of fluid motion and freedom that periodically makesOn the Road make sense and makes it feel alive".[101]
Dunst at the Australian premiere ofAnchorman 2, 2013
Dunst then starred in the psychological thrillerWoodshock, written and directed by her friends,Kate and Laura Mulleavy, founders of theRodarte fashion label. The film is about a woman who falls deeper into paranoia after taking a deadly drug.[123][124] The Mulleavys' personally approached Dunst for the lead role, which gave Dunst an "emotional safety net" during filming. She prepared for the role over the course of a year, undertakingdream experiments in order to try to inhabit the character's state of mind.[125] Upon release, the film was unpopular with critics. Katie Rife ofThe A.V. Club acknowledged the "sophisticated" cinematography but thought "Character development and motivation are practically nonexistent, and the already-thin plot pushes ambiguity to the point of incoherence".[126]Variety's Guy Lodge shared a similar opinion with the character, writing "Dunst has form in playing irretrievably inverted depression to riveting effect, but the Mulleavys' script hardly gives her as complex an emotional or intellectual palette to work with".[127]
Dunst was approached by directorAlex Garland to star in his dystopian thriller filmCivil War and signed on to the role in 2022.[139] She stated that she eagerly agreed to it as she had “never done anything like [it]” before.[138] The film, which released in 2024, was a critical and commercial success, and her performance as Lee Smith, a world-weary war photojournalist, was particularly praised by critics.[140][141][142]
Dunst starred as the magical princessMajokko in theTakashi Murakami-and-McG-directed shortAkihabara Majokko Princess singing a cover ofThe Vapors' 1980 song "Turning Japanese". This was shown at the "Pop Life" exhibition in London'sTate Modern gallery from October 1, 2009, to January 17, 2010. It shows Dunst dancing aroundAkihabara, a shopping district in Tokyo, Japan.[149][150][151]
In early 2008, Dunst was treated fordepression at theCirque Lodge treatment center inUtah.[152][153] In late March 2008, she left the treatment center and began filmingAll Good Things. Two months later, she went public with this information in order to dispel rumors of substance abuse, stating, "Now that I'm feeling stronger, I was prepared to say something. ... Depression is pretty serious and should not be gossiped about".[154][155]
In 2001, Dunst dated herSpider-Man costar Tobey Maguire; they split the next year but remained friends and costars.[156] From 2002 to 2004, she was in a relationship withJake Gyllenhaal.[157] She was in a relationship with herOn the Road co-starGarrett Hedlund from 2012 to 2016.[158] Dunst and Hedlund were briefly engaged before eventually breaking up.[159][160] She began a relationship with herFargo co-starJesse Plemons in 2016 and they became engaged in 2017. They have two sons, born in May 2018.[161] and May 2021 respectively.[162] Dunst and Plemons were married in July 2022 at a resort inOcho Rios, Jamaica.[163] The family lives in theSan Fernando Valley area ofLos Angeles, California.[164]
Dunst supports theElizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, for which she helped design and promote a necklace whose sales proceeds went to the Foundation.[166] She worked in support ofbreast cancer awareness, participating in theStand Up to Cancer telethon in September 2008 in order to raise funds for cancer research.[167] On December 5, 2009, she participated in theTeletón in Mexico, in order to raise awareness for cancer treatment and children's rehabilitation.[168]
Dunst's most acclaimed films according to the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes includeLittle Women (1994),Spider-Man (2002),Spider-Man 2 (2004),Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004),Melancholia (2011),The Two Faces of January (2014),Hidden Figures (2017), andThe Power of the Dog (2021).[175]
^O'Sullivan, Eleanor."The Jersey Shore's Starlet"Archived November 8, 2012, at theWayback Machine,Asbury Park Press, May 4, 2007. Retrieved July 5, 2011. "Dunst, who was born in Point Pleasant, raised in Brick and schooled for a while at the Ranney School in Tinton Falls, has achieved an acting career unlike any of her peers."
^Morris, Wesley (April 20, 2000)."Art, angst in 'Suicides'".San Francisco Chronicle. Archived fromthe original on February 10, 2011. RetrievedDecember 9, 2008.
^"Hidden Figures".Box Office Mojo.Archived from the original on August 2, 2020. RetrievedMay 7, 2018.
^"The 89th Academy Awards | 2017".Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. April 18, 2017.Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. RetrievedMay 7, 2018.
^Schuker, Lauren A.E. (October 2, 2009)."The Artist and the Director".The Wall Street Journal. Archived fromthe original on February 1, 2010. RetrievedFebruary 22, 2010.
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