Kirsten Dunst revealed that her audition for Interview with the Vampire was a pivotal moment in her career. She recalled going through multiple auditions, including a memorable screen test with Tom Cruise, who lifted each young actress to see who appeared most childlike.
“I auditioned many, many times for this role. This was also a huge deal for me. This was my, you know, breakout role,” Dunst revealed in a Netflix video about her audition for the part in Interview with the Vampire.
Kirsten Dunst’s work has captivated audiences around the world for nearly 30 years. The Power of the Dog star looks back on some of her best films — like Interview with the Vampire, Bring It On, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and more pic.twitter.com/PI5xQ71IRH
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“And then I had another screen test after that with Tom Cruise, and I remember I was the tallest of all the young girls. He had to pick each one of us up and, like, carry us around just to see how we looked Tom and who looked the most childlike, I guess.”
Kirsten Dunst as Claudia and Tom Cruise as Lestat in Interview with the Vampire (1994), capturing a poignant moment between the child vampire and her maker (Credit: Warner Bros.)
Kirsten Dunst shared that her audition for Interview with the Vampire was a significant moment in her career, as it was her breakout role. She recalled multiple auditions and a memorable screen test with Tom Cruise, where he had to lift each young actress to see who looked most childlike.
“I remember Tom whispering to me, like, ‘Tuck your legs under’ so I’d look as tiny as possible ’cause I was the tallest girl,” the actress added about her short co-star Tom Cruise.
“So I knew he was kind of like rooting for me. We were both from New Jersey, and I think, you know, he was like, ‘Let this Jersey girl have it.'”
Brad Pitt as Louis de Pointe du Lac in Interview with the Vampire (1994), portraying the conflicted and tormented vampire (Credit: Warner Bros.)
Dunst gained worldwide recognition for portraying the child vampire Claudia in the 1994 American gothic horror film Interview with the Vampire. Natalie Portman and Evan Rachel Wood auditioned for the same role.
She starred opposite Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in the film based on Anne Rice’s novel of the same name, playing a surrogate daughter to Cruise and Pitt’s characters.
Kissing Brad Pitt: A Controversial First On-Screen Experience
In a controversial scene, she shares her first on-screen kiss with Pitt’s character, Louis de Pointe du Lac, who is almost two decades older than her.
“Yeah, it was gross! I stand by that. It would have been so much creepier if an 11-year-old was like, ‘It was great.’ You’d be like, ‘There’s something wrong with this child,” Dunst said in August 2019 at the Los Angeles premiere of “Becoming A God In Central Florida.”
“Kissing Brad was so uncomfortable for me. I remember saying in interviews that I thought it was gross, that Brad had cooties. I mean, I was 10,” she said in a 1998 interview for Interview magazine.
Brad Pitt as Louis de Pointe du Lac and Kirsten Dunst as Claudia in Interview with the Vampire (1994), depicting the complex relationship between the vampire and his surrogate daughter (Credit: Warner Bros.)
Looking Back: Dunst Reflects on Working with Hollywood Icons
“They were so sweet to me,” she complimented her co-stars Pitt and Cruise. “I mean, listen, that production, that film, was like nothing else I’ve ever experienced — maybe Marie Antoinette, because of where we shot. Other than that, they just don’t make movies like that anymore.”
A Lasting Legacy: Interview with the Vampire and Beyond
Born on April 30, 1982, in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, the Jumanji child actress was 11 years old when filming the movie and turned 12 on April 30, 1994.
Interview with the Vampire was released in November 1994, and Dunst was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film.
Brad Pitt as Louis de Pointe du Lac in Interview with the Vampire (1994), showcasing a powerful moment of rage and vengeance against his tormentors (Credit: Warner Bros.)
Early Challenges and Innocent Beginnings: Navigating Hollywood as a Young Actress
“I was with my coach,” Dunst said about her audition for the movie in 2016 in a Variety chat with Rami Malek.
“He was outside of the room. He listened on the door to hear, like, what I was doing. And he knows I didn’t nail it. And I walked out, and he was like, ‘No, you go back in there.’ He’s like, ‘Apologize to the casting director.’ He’s like, ‘She didn’t do what she can do.'”
“I remember Brad would watch lots of Real World episodes. He had this long hair. He was just a hippie- ish cool dude. Everyone at the time was like, ‘you’re so lucky you kissed Brad Pitt,’ but I thought it was disgusting. I didn’t kiss anyone else until I was 16, I think. I was a late bloomer,” Dunst revealed to Bullet magazine in 2013.
“I did, but I was also very innocent,” she said on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in December 2019 when asked if she was excited to star opposite superstars Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.
“I feel like I watched Brad in A River Runs Through It and Tom was in Far and Away, which I loved. They treated me like a little sister. It was very sweet, I was a very innocent 12-year-old. I was just doing my job and they were very sweet to me.”
As Kirsten Dunst continued to grow personally and professionally, she navigated the complexities of fame with grace. From her early days as a child star to becoming a seasoned actress, Dunst’s journey in Hollywood has been marked by memorable performances and evolving style. This was particularly evident in her appearances at high-profile events, where she showcased her mature fashion sense and poise.
Stepping into Adulthood: Kirsten Dunst at the Unbroken Premiere
In December 2014, Kirsten Dunst joined her boyfriend, Garrett Hedlund, for the premiere of his latest film, Unbroken, at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
Kirsten Dunst exudes elegance with a sleek updo, radiant makeup, and bold red lips, complemented by sparkling drop earrings (Credit: FayesVision / WENN)
At the premiere of the 2014 American war film Unbroken, the then-32-year-old German American actress, singer, model, and director displayed her cleavage in a gingham-print dress by Vivienne Westwood featuring a draped neckline and built-in corset.
Kirsten Dunst flaunts her legs and cleavage in a gingham-print dress by Vivienne Westwood (Credit: FayesVision / WENN)
She styled it with a black clutch and matching pumps. Garrett wore a Gucci “Signoria” suit. One fashion critic commented that Kirsten should stop dressing like a grandma. What is your fashion verdict?
Kirsten Dunst stuns in a vintage-inspired gingham-print Vivienne Westwood dress, paired with a black clutch, as she accompanies Garrett Hedlund at the Unbroken premiere in Hollywood on December 15, 2014 (Credit: FayesVision / WENN)