Kirsten Dunst started her career super early, as a child model, at just the age of three. Being in the industry from such a young age gave her a head start.
Despite her rising fame, the Point Pleasant native also faced challenges because of the roles that demanded intimate scenes. In the late 1990’s, she was offered a role that required her to kiss several male co-stars on a house roof.
The movie is none other than The Virgin Suicides — a novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, later adapted into a film by Sofia Coppola. It tells the story of the Lisbon sisters, five teenage girls living in suburban America in the 1970s.
Their lives are shrouded in mystery and tragedy, as they face repression, longing, and ultimately, death. But a clever trick by director Coppola enabled Dunst to maintain her comfort level while still achieving the desired scene effect.
Sofia Coppola’s Clever Move Spared Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Dunst played a major role in Sofia Coppola‘s film The Virgin Suicides, which is described as an unconventional, s*xually intense coming-of-age tale. Dunst recalled feeling anxious about a particular scene in which her character engages in intimate moment with multiple boys on a rooftop. The actress told Variety:
“There’s a sequence where I’m making out with all these boys on a roof of the house. [Sofia] was like, ‘Don’t worry. You don’t have to make out with any of them. Just cover your hair and nestle into their neck. We’ll make it all work.’”
Thankfully, Coppola’s clever directing technique saved her. Instead of actually kissing the male co-stars, the director instructed Dunst to simply cover her hair and nuzzle into their necks. It created the illusion of intimacy without actual physical contact.
Shooting the intimate scene was still tough for the Hollywood beauty. She remembered the pressure of having to act out the scene with her co-star Josh Hartnett. The now mom of two continued:
“His wig fell off one take,” she remembers. “I was just like, ‘I’ve never done anything like that — you know what I mean? — in real life. Josh was very sweet, but it still was … you know?”
The Priscilla filmmaker understands this dynamic well. The director made it clear that she “always felt protective towards her and sensitive to what it might be like for her [Dunst] and that she was young.” Anyways, the 1999 film made Dunst well-known as a top actress in art-house films.
Kirsten Dunst Recalled Challenges of Intimate Scene at Young Age
In the late 90s, Hollywood often made movies that showed young actresses in a way that some people thought was too s*xualized. Kirsten Dunst, who was on the brink of fame, was asked to be in a movie called American Beauty.
The movie revolves around the main character, Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), a middle-aged advertising executive who feels trapped and unfulfilled in his life. He becomes obsessed with Angela, a teenager who embodies the beauty and freedom he craves.
Angela is the object of Lester’s desires. Instead of being a fully fleshed-out character with her own story, she’s more like a symbol of what Lester wants but can’t have. However, Dunst realized that this wasn’t the kind of role she wanted to play, and it ended up going to Mena Suvari instead.
This situation wasn’t unique. Many actresses feel pressured to take roles that involve being s*xualized. But Dunst made a choice to prioritize her own comfort.
Watch The Virgin Suicides and American Beauty on Amazon Prime Video.
