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Starting in commercials -

Dunst told Vanity Fair in 2021 that she was three years old when people would stop her mother in the grocery store and tell her to sign her up for child acting or modeling. She signed with the Ford Modeling agency and landed a Kix cereal commercial.

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Breakout role: 'Interview with the Vampire' (1994) -

Based on Anne Rice's book of the same name, Dunst plays a little vampire herself, alongside Hollywood heavyweights Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, the latter of whom she kissed at just 11 years old. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance.

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'Little Women' (1994) -

Dunst played the young Amy in the earlier film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel, directed by Gilliam Armstrong and starring the likes of Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, Christian Bale, and Susan Sarandon. She said it was a really nice change to be on a female-dominated set.

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'Jumanji' (1995) -

Dunst then had a starring role as one of the two children who come across a magical board game, in this legendary children's movie starring the late Robin Williams.

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'The Virgin Suicides' (1999) -

Sofia Coppola's film, adapted from the the novel of the same name, is set in 1970s America and follows five sisters whose doomed fates torment the neighborhood boys. Dunst was 16 at the time, and was beginning to be seen more as a woman.

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Long partnership with Sofia Coppola -

'The Virgin Suicides' was the beginning of Dunst and Coppola's long friendship and collaboration. Dunst noted that Coppola's positive affirmation of Dunst's beauty helped steel herself against future producers and directors who criticized her appearance.

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How she chooses roles -

Dunst has always placed importance throughout her career of working with directors she admires and respects, and has only good things to say about her collaborations. As we can see from her career, her focus has rarely led her astray!

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'Bring It On' (2000) -

A beloved and immensely rewatchable iconic film which spurred a whole subsequent franchise, Dunst showed off her comedy skills in this cheerleading flick. She's one of the rare actors who were actually the age of the character they were playing.

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The original live-action Mary Jane -

Branching into yet another genre, Dunst landed the iconic role of Mary Jane in the 2002 superhero film based on Marvel Comics' Spider-Man, played by Tobey Maguire.

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Dating Tobey Maguire -

Dunst struck up an off-screen romance with her 'Spider-Man' co-star in 2001. James Franco, who played Harry Osborn in the 'Spider-Man' movies, said their relationship struck up a rivalry between him and Maguire. “I had a crush on Kirsten, and I think I was upset about that as well,” he told Playboy in 2013. Maguire and Dunst split in 2002 before production started on 'Spider-Man 2,' but luckily their history only strengthened their on-screen chemistry.

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Reprising the role -

Dunst reprised her role in Sam Raimi's two additional sequels in 2004 and 2007—all of which were huge commercial successes.

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'Mona Lisa Smile' (2003) -

Dunst plays an uptight student at an all-women's private school in the 1950s, where a non-conformist teacher challenges their ideas about women's place in society. She starred alongside Julia Roberts, Julia Stiles, and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

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Dating Jake Gyllenhaal -

Presumably while filming 'Mona Lisa Smile' in 2002, Dunst's co-star Maggie introduced her to her brother—who also happened to be in talks to replace Tobey Maguire, her ex, as Spider-Man. The pair quickly became an “it” couple on red carpets, and they even shared a home in LA and an adopted dog. But, as with many young Hollywood romances, things ended after nearly two years.

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'Wimbledon' (2004) -

Dunst co-starred with Paul Bettany in Richard Loncraine's rom-com about an out-of-form tennis player who gets a chance to play in the Wimbledon tournament and meets an upcoming player and love interest.

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'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' (2004) -

Dunst got to act alongside Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, and Elijah Wood in this iconic romantic sci-fi drama written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Michel Gondry.

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'Elizabethtown' (2005) -

Dunst stars opposite Orlando Bloom in Cameron Crowe's rom-com about a man who, on the way to his father's memorial, begins an unexpected romance with a too-good-to-be-true stewardess. The film also starred Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, Judy Greer, and Paul Schneider.

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'Marie Antoinette' (2006) -

Dunst played the lavish Queen Marie Antoinette in Sofia Coppola's highly stylized historical drama, which wasn't an enormous hit when it came out but has persisted as an iconic film beloved by film buffs.

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'Melancholia' (2011) -

Dunst starred in famed and controversial Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier's sci-fi drama about two sisters whose lives get entangled when they discover that Earth is about to collide with an enormous planet called Melancholia. She earned Best Actress at Cannes, but the really special part of this role, according to Dunst, was getting to show a real look at depression with her character.

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Her own struggle with depression -

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Dunst recalled being depressed in her twenties before seeking treatment at a rehabilitation facility in Utah. Dunst added that medication aided in helping her work through the depression, telling the newspaper, "I was afraid to take something and so I sat in it for too long. I would recommend getting help when you need it."

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A mental health hiatus -

Dunst took a break for a little while and explained to Ellen DeGeneres in 2011: “When you're in your twenties you need to figure things out and take a step back. I had been acting so long, all my life. I think I just needed a little bit of some perspective.” She added, “As an actress you're supposed to be sensitive and vulnerable and have this side to you. But then you're supposed to be super sociable and 'on' and nice to everybody. That's a weird dichotomy. It's a lot to ask of a person. It's not a normal thing.”

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'On the Road' (2012) -

Though not a major role, Dunst starred in Walter Salles' film adaptation of the famed 1957 novel by Jack Kerouac. Kristen Stewart, Garrett Hedlund, Viggo Mortensen, and Amy Adams are also in the cast.

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'Fargo' -

Dunst then branched into TV and appeared in the second season of the FX anthology series in 2015 as Peggy Blumquist, a hairdresser in Luverne, Minnesota, who wants to get out of her small town. Her performance garnered critical acclaim and earned her Golden Globe and Emmy nominations.

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Meeting Jesse Plemons -

The actors met on the set of 'Fargo.' "We fell in love creatively first," Kirsten told the LA Times in 2021. "He was like a creative soul mate to me and the way we both work. On 'Fargo,' I knew after two weeks. I didn't remember saying this, but one of my best friends told me that I said to her that 'I will know this man for the rest of my life. I just know it.' Just because I felt such an immediate connection."

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Dating Jesse Plemons -

The two didn't start dating until 2016, however. Dunst found herself missing Plemons after they wrapped, and they reconnected sometime in March 2016. Ten months later, they were engaged. They welcomed two sons in 2018 and 2021.

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'Hidden Figures' (2016) -

Dunst had a small role in the hit biographical film about a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the US space program. The film stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe.

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'The Beguiled' (2017) -

Dunst teamed up with Sofia Coppola again, this time in a Civil War-era drama that follows a soldier (Colin Farrell) from the rival clan who seeks refuge in an all-girls boarding school. Based on the 1966 novel by Thomas Cullinan, the film also stars Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning.

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'On Becoming a God in Central Florida' -

Dunst starred in this dark comedy series that takes place in a small Florida town in the '90s and follows a minimum wage employee at a waterpark who decides to scheme her way into a better life. She earned another Golden Globe nomination for her performance.

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'The Power of the Dog' (2021) -

Dunst and her husband co-starred together in Jane Campion's Oscar-winning film, and both earned their first Academy Award nominations for their performances.

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How she prepares for roles -

Dunst told Vanity Fair that she works “really intensely” with a coach for all of her roles, which includes doing “a lot of dreamwork.” Her unconscious mind has given her inspiration for how she plays her roles.

Sources: (Los Angeles Times) (Collider) (Vanity Fair) (The Sunday Times)

See also: The greatest actor-director duos in film

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