ACTOR · BORN 1982
Kirsten Dunst
- Born
- 30 April 1982
- Known for
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Little Women (1994), Wimbledon (2004), The Beguiled (2017)
30 archived facts 7 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Kirsten Dunst (born 30 April 1982) is an actor best known for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Little Women and Wimbledon.
Kirsten Dunst over the years
30 Interesting Facts About Kirsten Dunst
Interesting Facts (3)
- #001
Ever since her role in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994), leading man Tom Cruise has sent her a coconut cake every year at Christmas which has become known as "The Cruise Cake" in the Dunst household.
- #002
She was the visual inspiration for the original illustrations of DC Comics' character Jillian "Cowgirl" Pearlman (created in 2005 after events of the comic "Rebirth"), for a time love interest of superhero Green Lantern/Hal Jordan. Dunst was 23 years old at the point. Therefore, Pearlman is off-panel after DC's relaunch in "The New 52" (2011). She was reintroduced by Grant Morrison in 2020 for DC Retroactive, a collection of Green Lantern independent stories set in the 70s, 80s and 90s.
- #003
Attended the Anne Rice's Memnoch Ball in New Orleans, Louisiana (1995).
Production Story (7)
- #004
She was offered the role of Chrissy DeWitt in Now and Then (1995), which she turned down as the role required her to gain weight.
- #005
Turned down the role of Angela Hayes in American Beauty (1999), which went to Mena Suvari.
- #006
Auditioned along with Kate Hudson to replace Sarah Polley for the role of Penny Lane in Almost Famous (2000), she did not get the role but Cameron Crowe later said this was "very, very close".
- #007
Never auditioned for Melancholia (2011). Instead, she met with Lars von Trier through Skype and they had a long discussion about movies and Charlotte Rampling's performance in The Night Porter (1974). At the end of their conversation, Trier asked her if she wanted the role.
- #008
Susanne Bier and Paul Thomas Anderson recommended her to Lars von Trier for the role of Justine in Melancholia (2011).
- #009
Replaced Penélope Cruz as Justine in Melancholia (2011) after Cruz dropped out of the project in order to film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011).
- #010
Her breakout role was in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994), which was based on a novel by Anne Rice. She later starred in the music video "I Knew I Loved You" by Savage Garden, a band which got their name from the vampire novels of Anne Rice.
Behind the Scenes (5)
- #011
Returned to work five months after giving birth to her son Ennis to begin filming On Becoming a God in Central Florida (2019).
- #012
She filmed The Virgin Suicides (1999) in Canada and Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) in Minnesota simultaneously in summer 1998.
- #013
She was called back to reshoot some scenes for Get Over It (2001) while filming the first Spider-Man (2002) movie, which explains why her character suddenly goes from blond to red in a few scenes.
- #014
She wore a red wig for her role as Mary Jane Watson in Spider-Man (2002).
- #015
She performed her first screen kiss, at the tender age of 11, with Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994).
Characters & Cast (3)
- #016
Like her Bring It On (2000) character Torrance Shipman, Kirsten was also a cheerleader in high school.
- #017
Has played twice doomed young members of royalty overthrown in violent revolutions: Anastasia and Marie Antoinette.
- #018
She was considered for Rogue in X-Men (2000).
Easter Eggs & References (1)
- #019
According to producer Mark Gordon, she visited her then boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal at the set of The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and that visit gained her an uncredited cameo appearance.
Career & Awards (5)
- #020
Furthered her singing career with a song that appears during the ending credits to The Cat's Meow (2001).
- #021
She has appeared in two films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Hidden Figures (2016) and The Power of the Dog (2021).
- #022
Stated that her personal favorite film of hers is Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994).
- #023
She is working on her own production company with her mother called "Wooden Spoon Productions". The name symbolizes women and creativity. It was inspired by her grandmother, who used wooden spoons to keep her in line when she was a girl.
- #024
Stated during Episode dated 14 May 1996 (1996) that one of her main goals was to direct in the future. Kirsten was 13.
Life & Family (6)
- #025
Attended Notre Dame High School in Los Angeles with Rami Malek, who was a year ahead of her. They had a musical theatre class together.
- #026
Opened up about her stint at the Cirque Lodge Treatment Center in Utah, saying that she sought help for depression, not for drug or alcohol abuse.
- #027
Jake Gyllenhaal gave Kirsten a gray and white kitten for her birthday. She named the cat Sophie.
- #028
Is the former best friend of Maggie Gyllenhaal, having met on the set of Mona Lisa Smile (2003). Maggie introduced Kirsten to her brother Jake Gyllenhaal, resulting in their subsequent relationship.
- #029
In a relationship with Jesse Plemons since 2016 and they got engaged in January 2017. They have 2 sons together: Ennis Howard Plemons (b. Thursday, May 3, 2018) & James Robert Plemons (b. May 2021).
- #030
Attended The 74th Annual Academy Awards (2002) with her mother, and then The 77th Annual Academy Awards (2005) and The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007) with her brother, Christian Dunst.
Related pages
- The Crucible — Kirsten Dunst comes up in the facts on that page
- Nicolas Cage — Kirsten Dunst comes up in the facts on that page
- Orlando Bloom — Kirsten Dunst comes up in the facts on that page
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Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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