By the time this pretty, porcelain-skinned actress essayed her breakthrough role as a tween bloodsucker in
Interview with the Vampire at age 11, she was already a veteran of the entertainment industry. At age 3 Dunst began appearing in commercials and by the early '90s she was landing small parts on television and the big screen. Her captivating performance as a woman trapped in a child's body in 1994's
Vampire proved that she was more than just a precocious youngster. As she grew up in front of the cameras, the starlet effortlessly alternated between kid-oriented fare (
Jumanji) and edgier projects, such as her recurring role as a troubled teen on
ER. In the early '00s, Dunst blossomed into a young adult capable of tackling myriad genres, including comedy (
Bring It On), drama (
Crazy/Beautiful) and action (the
Spider-Man movies). As the webbed superhero's love interest, Dunst became a megastar and fashion plate, frequently pictured in celebrity magazines, often alongside her longtime boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal. The Hollywood couple parted amicably in 2004, and Dunst remained at the top of her game with a number of high-profile projects.
Kirsten Dunst Fast Facts:
- Signed by Ford Modeling Agency; began modeling by the time she was 4.
- Appeared in more than 70 TV commercials.
- Nicknamed Kiki.
- Made her live television debut in a 1988 episode of Saturday Night Live playing the granddaughter of Dana Carvey's President George H.W. Bush. She went on to host SNL in 2002.
- Made her film debut in the Woody Allen-directed segment of 1989's New York Stories.
- Beat out Christina Ricci for roles in Interview with the Vampire (1994) and Little Women (1994).
- Hosted the 2001 MTV Movie Awards.
- Appeared on Mr. Blackwell's 2005 best-dressed list.
- Kirsten Dunst Relationships:
- Christian Dunst - Brother
- Inez Dunst - Mother
- Jake Gyllenhaal - Ex-significant Other
- Johnny Borrell - Ex-significant Other
- Klaus Dunst - Father
- Kirsten Dunst Awards:
- 1995 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Nominee
