Academy Award-nominated actress Kirsten Dunst began her acting career at age 3 in television commercials. Although she made her feature film debut in 1998 at age 5, her breakout performance came six years later, playing the young vampire child Claudia in Interview with the Vampire (1994). However, it wasn’t until she portrayed Mary Jane Watson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy films (2002-2007) that she attained international recognition and stardom.
Each movie in the series was a commercial success, with a combined Box Office earnings of over $2.5 billion. With its success, Dunst was one of Hollywood’s hottest and most successful actresses of the 2000s. Although she has starred in several other movies since then, she hasn’t stayed long in the spotlight like she once did. However, Kirsten Dunst is back and leading the cast of Alex Garland’s 2024 dystopian movie Civil War. Here’s everything Kirsten Dunst has been up to since the end of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy films.
Kirsten Dunst’s Next Two Films Were Box Office Flop
For better context, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 (2007) grossed $895 million at the Box Office. Although it was the third-highest-grossing film of 2007, it remained the highest-grossing Spider-Man film until 2019, when it was surpassed by Far From Home (grossed $1.132 billion). Walking away from the Spider-Man trilogy films, Dunst was among the highest-paid actresses with an enviable acting profile. Kirsten Dunst’s next movie appearance was the 2008 British comedy How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. The movie was based on Toby Young’s 2001 memoir of the same name.
Kirsten Dunst was cast as Alison Olsen, co-starring alongside Simon Pegg, Jeff Bridges, Megan Fox, Danny Huston, and Gillian Anderson. Her character was Sidney Young’s (Simon Pegg) colleague at Sharp and eventually love interest. Although Simon Pegg’s and Dunst’s performances received praise, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People generally received mixed to negative reviews. Produced on a $28 million budget, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People bombed at the Box Office with earnings of $19.2 million. Kirsten Dunst ended the 2000s, which began as her most successful decade, with a commercial flop.
The 2010s also began with another Box Office flop, All Good Things (2010). Cast as Ryan Gosling’s on-screen wife, Katie McCarthy, All Good Things was inspired by events in the life of American real estate heir and convicted murderer Robert Durst. It has abysmal Box Office earnings, although it has received a limited theatrical release. All Good Things grossed $1.8 million on a $60 million budget, with mixed to average critical reviews.
She Was Treated for Depression in 2008
A year after the release of Spider-Man 3, rumors began to spread about Kirsten Dunst’s alleged drug and alcohol abuse. Dunst had to go public to clear the air about her personal life and struggle. The actress admitted herself at Utah’s Cirque Lodge treatment center in early 2008 to treat depression. She was discharged from the treatment center in late March to resume filming of All Good Things. Although those dark days are long behind her, Dunst continues to be an advocate for mental health and seeking help.
Kirsten Dunst Acquired German Citizenship in 2011
Kirsten Dunst now holds dual citizenship as an American and German since receiving her German citizenship in 2011. Dunst’s father, is a German, originally from Hamburg. With her success as an actress, Dunst chose to apply for citizenship for professional reasons. According to the actress, after obtaining her German citizenship, she believed it would help her “film in Europe without a problem.”
Kirsten Dunst’s Electrifying Performance in Melancholia
For three years, Kirsten Dunst really didn’t star in any noteworthy movie. Although her performances weren’t negatively received, the movie generally failed to impress critics and audiences. Between 2010 and 2011, Dunst starred in two short films while also writing and directing another. However, her performance in Lars von Trier’s 2011 apocalyptic psychological drama Melancholia. Melancholia is the second of the three films in Lars von Trier’s Depression Trilogy. Dunst performance might not have received a nod from the Academy Awards, but it received special praise from critics and audiences.
Interestingly, Kirsten Dunst never auditioned for Justine’s role in Melancholia. Dunst and Trier were on a Skype call discussing movies and related matters when Trier asked if she was interested in the role. Lars von Trier had initially offered the role to actress Penélope Cruz. However, due to scheduling conflicts, Cruz turned down the role to film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011). So, with the slot open, Trier was actually looking for a replacement when he asked Dunst.
She Starred in Several Supporting Roles Throughout the 2010s
Excluding cameo, short films, and appearing as herself, Kirsten Dunst starred in about eight feature films throughout the 2010s. Most of these role were in supporting roles. In Bachelorette (2012), she stars alongside Rebel Wilson, Lizzy Caplan, and Isla Fisher. In On the Road (2012), Dunst was part of an ensemble cast that included Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley, Kristen Stewart, Amy Adams, Viggo Mortensen, Tom Sturridge, Elisabeth Moss, and Alice Braga. Kirsten Dunst ends the 2010s starring in two psychological thrillers as, Edwina Dabney in The Beguiled (2017) and as Theresa in Woodshock (2017).
She Joined the Star-Studded Ensemble Cast of Fargo
Since Spider-Man 3, Kirsten Dunst hasn’t done much work in television. She voiced Cecilia Payne in a 2014 episode of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey and played Kim in a single episode of Portlandia (2014). However, in the mid-2010s, she joined Fargo’s ensemble cast, playing Peggy Blumquist in 2015. Dunst’s character was introduced in the “Waiting for Dutch” episode in the second season. Peggy Blumquist was a hairdresser married to the local butcher Ed Blumquist (Jesse Plemons), her High School sweetheart. Kirsten Dunst’s performance received critical acclaim and is noted as one of the actress’ best performances of her career.
Kirsten Dunst Took Breaks from Acting
After appearing in two feature films in 2017, Dunst took a break from acting. Apart from her guest-starring role as Agatha Christie in Drunk History (2018), she played the lead and executive produced Showtime’s dark comedy series On Becoming a God in Central Florida in 2019. Although she worked in television, Dunst did not take on any project on the big screen until 2021. Dunst returned to starring in a feature film, co-starring with her then-fiancé Jesse Plemons in Jane Campion’s Western psychological drama The Power of the Dog (2021). Her performance in The Power of the Dog earned Dunst her first Academy Awards nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 94th Academy Awards. After The Power of the Dog, Dunst also took a three year acting hiatus, only to return in Alex Garland’s 2024 Civil War movie.
Kirsten Dunst Married Actor Jesse Plemons in 2022
Kirsten Dunst initially dated her On the Road co-star, Garrett Hedlund, from 2012 to 2016. The couple were engaged before splitting in 2016. Dunst began dating her Fargo co-star Jesse Plemons that same year, in 2016. The couple was engaged in 2017. Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons welcomed their first child, Ennis Howard Plemons, on May 3, 2018. Three years later, they welcomed their second child, James Robert Plemons, in May 2021. Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons officially married at a Jamaican resort in Ocho Rios on July 2, 2022. If you enjoyed keeping up with Kirsten Dunst, meet the Cast of the Civil War movie starring Kirsten Dunst.
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