Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Kirsten Caroline Dunst

Born on April 30, 1982
Kirsten Caroline Dunst is an American actress and singer. She made her film debut in Oedipus Wrecks, a short film directed by Woody Allen for the anthology New York Stories (1989). At the age of 12, Dunst gained widespread recognition playing the role of vampire Claudia in Interview with the Vampire (1994). She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for this performance. That same year she appeared in Little Women, to further acclaim.

"Boys frustrate me. I hate all their indirect messages, I hate game playing. Do you like me or don`t you? Just tell me so I can get over you. "

"Why would I cry over a boy? I would never waste my tears on a boy. Why waste your tears on someone who makes yo
u cry?"

"I have never done a drug in my life. I tried smoking once. Hated it. I don`t want to infect myself with cancer. "

"Everybody smokes! Models, actresses, everyone! Don`t they realize that it`s gross? I understand it`s an addiction, but it still pains me to see my friends do it. "
"Whenever I have to smoke for a character, I make sure they`re fake cigarettes. It`s a terrible habit, and I can`t believe kids still want to do it. "

"On kissing Brad Pitt in Interview with the
Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) ): "It was horrible, I hated it. Brad and Tom were like my big brothers on the set, so it was like kissing your big brother - totally gross."
"I'd like to grow up and be
beautiful. I know it doesn't matter, but it doesn't hurt."
-Kirsten Dunst

Dunst achieved international fame as a result of her portrayal of Mary Jane Watson in the Spider-Man trilogy. Since then her films have included the romantic comedy Wimbledon (2004), the science fiction drama Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) and Cameron Crowe's tragicomedy Elizabethtown (2005). She played the title role in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette (2006), and she starred in the comedy How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008).

In 2001, Dunst made her singing debut in the film Get Over It, in which she performed two songs. She also sang the jazz song "After You've Gone" for the end credits of the film The Cat's Meow (2001). In early 2008 Dunst confirmed she was suffering from depression, checking into a treatment center before discharging herself in March and resuming her career.

Dunst began her career when she was three years old as a child fashion model in television commercials. She was signed with Ford Models and Elite Model Management.At the age of eight she made her film debut in a minor role in Woody Allen's Oedipus Wrecks, a short film that was released as one-third of the anthology New York Stories (1989). Soon after, she landed a small part in The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990), as Tom Hanks's daughter. In 1993, Dunst played Hedril in "Dark Page", the seventh episode of the seventh season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The breakthrough role in Dunst's career came in Interview with the Vampire, a 1994 film based on Anne Rice's novel, in which she played the child vampire Claudia, a surrogate daughter to Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt's characters in the film. The film received generally unfavorable reviews, but many film critics complimented Dunst's performance. Roger Ebert commented that Dunst's creation of the child vampire Claudia was one of the "creepier" aspects of the film, and mentioned her ability to convey the impression of great age inside apparent youth. Todd McCarthy in Variety noted that Dunst was "just right" for the family. The film featured a scene in which Dunst received her first kiss from Brad Pitt, who was 18 years her senior. In an interview with Interview magazine, she revealed, while questioned about her kissing scene with Pitt, that kissing him had made her feel uncomfortable: "I thought it was gross, that Brad had cooties. I mean, I was 10." Her performance earned her the MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, the Saturn Award for Best Young Actress, and her first Golden Globe Award nomination.

In 1995, she appeared in the fantasy movie Jumanji, loosely based on Chris Van Allsburg's 1981 book of the same name. The story is about a supernatural and ominous board game which makes animals and other jungle hazards appear upon each roll of the dice. She was part of an ensemble cast that included Robin Williams, Bonnie Hunt, and David Alan Grier. The movie grossed $100 million worldwide. That same year, and again in 2002, she was named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People. In 1996, Dunst had a recurring role in the third season of NBC's medical drama ER. She portrayed a child prostitute, Charlie Chiemingo, taken under the guidance of Doctor Doug Ross, played by George Clooney.In 1997, she was the voice of Young Anastasia in the animated musical film Anastasia. Also in 1997, Dunst appeared in the political satire Wag the Dog, opposite Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman. The following year she was the voice of the title character, Kiki, a 13-year-old apprentice witch who leaves her home village to spend a year on her own, in the anime movie Kiki's Delivery Service (1998).

Dunst was offered the role of Angela in the 1999 drama film American Beauty, but turned it down because she did not want to appear in the film's suggestive sexual scenes or kiss co-star Kevin Spacey. She later explained: "When I read it, I was 15 and I don't think I was mature enough to understand the script's material." That same year, she appeared in the comedy Dick, alongside Michelle Williams. The film is a parody retelling the events of the Watergate scandal which lead to the resignation of U.S. president Richard Nixon

In the 2002 superhero film Spider-Man, the most successful film of her career to date, Dunst played Mary Jane Watson, the best friend and love interest of the title character, played by Tobey Maguire. The film was directed by Sam Raimi. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly remarked on Dunst's ability to "lend even the smallest line a tickle of flirtatious music." In the Los Angeles Times review, critic Kenneth Turan noted that Dunst and Maguire made a real connection on screen, concluding that their relationship involved audiences to an extent rarely seen in films. Spider-Man was a commercial and critical success. The movie grossed $114 million during its opening weekend in North America and went on to earn $822 million worldwide.

Following the success of Spider-Man, Dunst appeared in the independent drama Levity (2003), where she had a supporting role. In this same year she starred in Mona Lisa Smile (2003), part of an ensemble cast that included Julia Roberts, Maggie gyllenhaal, and Julia Stiles. The film generated mostly negative reviews, with Manohla Dargis of the Los Angeles Times describing it as "smug and reductive". She next appeared in a supporting role in the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), alongside Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, and Tom Wilkinson. The latter film received very positive reviews, with Entertainment Weekly describing Dunst's subplot as "nifty and clever". The movie grossed $72 million worldwide

In 2007 she again played Mary Jane Watson, in Spider-Man 3. In contrast to the previous two films' positive reviews, Spider-Man 3 was met with a mixed reception by critics. Nonetheless, with a total worldwide gross of $891 million, it stands as the most successful film in the series, and Dunst's highest grossing film to the end of 2008.Having initially signed on for three Spider-Man films, she revealed that she would do a fourth, but only if Raimi and Maguire also returned

Dunst made her singing debut in the 2001 film Get Over It, performing two songs written by Marc Shaiman. She also lent her voice to the end credits of The Cat's Meow, singing Henry Creamer and Turner Layton's jazz standard "After You've Gone". In Spider-Man 3, she sings two songs as part of her role as Mary Jane Watson, one during a Broadway performance, and one as a singing waitress in a jazz club. Dunst revealed that she recorded the songs earlier and later lip-synced to it when filming began. She also appeared in the music video for Savage Garden's "I Knew I Loved You", and she sang two tracks, "This Old Machine" and "Summer Day", on Jason Schwartzman's 2007 solo album Nighttiming. In an interview with The Advertiser, Dunst explained that she has no plans to follow the steps of actors such as Russell Crowe or Toni Collette's in releasing an album, saying: "Definitely not. No way. It worked when Barbra Streisand was doing it, but now it's a little cheesy, I think. It works better when singers are in movies."

Her charity work includes participation with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation, in which she helped design and promote a necklace, for which all proceeds from sales went to the Glaser foundation. She also has helped with breast cancer awareness; in September 2008 she participated in the Stand Up to Cancer telethon, to help raise funds to accelerate cancer research

Filmography
Actress:
1. Spider-Man 4 (2011) (announced) .... Mary Jane Watson
2. Sweet Relief (2009) (announced) .... Marla Ruzicka
3. All Good Things (2009) (post-production) .... Katie McCarthy
4. How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008) .... Alison Olsen
5. Tangled Web: The Love Triangles of Spider-Man 3 (2007) (V) .... Mary Jane Watson
6. Spider-Man 3 (2007) .... Mary Jane Watson
... aka Spider-Man 3: The IMAX Experience (USA: IMAX version)
7. Marie Antoinette (2006) .... Marie Antoinette
... aka Marie Antoinette (France)
8. Elizabethtown (2005) .... Claire Colburn
9. Wimbledon (2004) .... Lizzie Bradbury
... aka La plus belle victoire (France)
10. Spider-Man 2 (2004) .... Mary Jane Watson
... aka Spider-Man 2.1 (USA: recut version)
... aka Spider-Man 2: The IMAX Experience (USA: IMAX version)
11. Spider-Man 2 (2004) (VG) (voice) .... Mary Jane Watson
12. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) .... Mary
13. Mona Lisa Smile (2003) .... Betty Warren
14. Kaena: La prophétie (2003) (voice: English version) .... Kaena
... aka Kaena: The Prophecy (USA)
15. Levity (2003) .... Sofia Mellinger
16. The Death and Life of Nancy Eaton (2003) (TV)
17. Spider-Man (2002) .... Mary Jane Watson
18. The Cat's Meow (2001) .... Marion Davies
19. Crazy/Beautiful (2001) .... Nicole
20. Get Over It (2001) .... Kelly Woods
... aka Get Over It! (USA: promotional title)

Soundtrack:
1. The Cat's Meow (2001) (performer: "After You've Gone" (1918))
2. Get Over It (2001) (performer: "Dream of Me", "The Girl Inside")
... aka Get Over It! (USA: promotional title)
3. Little Women (1994) ("For the Beauty of the Earth")


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