Dunst was born in 1982, in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Her father, Klaus, is a German medical services executive and her mother, Inez, is a former art gallery owner from Sweden. She has one younger brother, Christian, who was born in 1986.
Her parents separated when she was young, and when she was in junior high school Kirsten’s mother moved her and her brother out to California. She attended Notre Dame High School, a private Catholic school, in Los Angeles, California and graduated in the year 2000.
Kirsten’s first film was New York Stories in 1989, where she had an un-credited bit part. Shortly after that, she landed the part of Tom Hanks’ daughter in The Bonfire of the Vanities.
Kirsten’s first breakthrough performance that catapulted her into the world of leading lady was in the film Interview with a Vampire in 1994, co-starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. The film was based on a novel by Anne Rice. That same year Dunst also starred in the film Little Women, which co-starred Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, Christian Bale, and Susan Sarandon. Kirsten beat out rival Christina Ricci for both parts.
Since then, Kirsten’s career has taken off. She has made well calculated moves as to which films she would do when and shows a degree of professionalism and maturity before most teens land their first part time job.
Kirsten is also very clean cut and is proud of the fact that she has never touched any kind of recreational drug. She is also anti-smoking and always smokes fake cigarettes when it is required in a film. She says that she tried smoking once and hated it. Since then she never touched another cigarette, afraid she might get cancer.
Kirsten is notably remembered for her appearance in Jumanji in 1995, starring Robin Williams. In 1997 she was the voice of the young Anastasia in Anastasia. In 1999, Kirsten starred in The Virgin Suicides, which co-starred James Woods, Josh Hartnett, and Kathleen Turner. Also in 1999, Dunst starred in Dick, co-starring Michelle Williams and Dan Hedaya. Most recently she has starred in the series of three Spider Man films, opposite Toby Maguire.
While filming Mona Lisa Smile in 2003, co-starring Julia Roberts, Julia Stiles, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Maggie introduced Kirsten to her brother Jake Gyllenhaal. The two began dating in September of 2002 and reportedly broke up in 2004.
Dunst, with her mother, opened her own production company which she named Wooden Spoons Productions. The name came from the memory of her grandmother using wooden spoons to keep her in line as a child.
In 2007, Dunst had more projects lined up including Be Kind Rewind and an independent film where Dunst portrayed the life of the peace activist Marla Ruzicka.
The following year started on not such a positive note for Kirsten as rumours abounded that she had checked herself into rehab and reports suggested that the death of her friend Heath Ledger and the loss of Jake Gyllenhaal from her life as a boyfriend had all taken its toll on the young actress.
In late March 2008 Kirsten emerged from rehab looking every bit the healthy happy celebrity was known as before her short lived tail spin.
By April 2008 Kirsten had become ensconsed in a happy and meaningful relationship with fellow actor Ryan Gosling which seemed to put the life and smile back into the actress's face as the couple were freqently seen hanging out togeher.
YUDDY
