From child star to Oscar nominee: Kirsten Dunst's life and career in pictures
For a certain generation, it's impossible to remember a time when Kirsten Dunst wasn't on our screens.
She burst onto the scene as a child, starring in films that defined many a '90s childhood, from Little Women to Jumanji and Small Soldiers.
From there she moved into teen queen territory with Bring It On, The Virgin Suicides and, of course, the first of the modern Spider-Man trilogies.
Having escaped the 'child star' curse, she's shown a real knack for picking unexpected, genre-defying roles through the years, and has earned plenty of accolades along the way – including Oscar and Golden Globes nominations.
Here, we take a look back at Dunst's life on and off the screen.
Plenty of Hollywood's biggest stars got their start at a young age – but not all of their careers started with the bang Dunst's did.
By the ripe old age of eight, with just two screen credits under her belt, the actress had already worked with the likes of Mia Farrow, Woody Allen, Tom Hanks, Kim Cattrall and Bruce Willis.
She's pictured here in the 1990 movie Bonfire of the Vanities with co-star Cattrall.
Her career continued on an upward trajectory and she quickly became one of the most recogniseable young faces in showbiz.
Dunst lived in New Jersey before she relocated to Los Angeles in 1993 with her mother and brother after her parents separated.
She's pictured here that same year.
1994 would prove to be a pivotal year in Dunst's career, with three major on-screen roles.
One was in the movie adaptation of Anne Rice's Interview With The Vampire.
Dunst was cast alongside Hollywood heartthrobs Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, along with Christian Slater and Antonio Banderas.
The actress has spoken fondly of her co-stars over the years, likening Pitt to a "brother".
However, she has repeatedly said she felt uncomfortable with the pair's brief kissing scene. Pitt was 31 at the time of filming, while Dunst was 11.
"I hated [the kiss] so much, because Brad was like my older brother on set and it's kind of like kissing your brother," she said in an interview after the movie's release.
"It's weird because he's an older guy and I had to kiss him on the lips, so it was gross."
Dunst also won hearts with her role as the child version of Amy March in the 1994 adaptation of Little Women.
She starred alongside Hollywood heavyweights like Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, Christian Bale and Susan Sarandon, but well and truly held her own as the sassy – not to mention divisive – youngest March sister.
In 1995, she backed it up with another nostalgic favourite among '90s kids – Jumanji.
Dunst starred alongside the late Robin Williams and Bonnie Hunt.
In a 2024 interview, she recalled Williams bought her a computer – her very first computer, no less – as a wrap gift when production ended.
"It was an Apple, the ones that came in all those different colours," she said.
"He was, like, the most generous, kind, funny person."
That same year, Dunst scored the MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance for her performance in Interview With the Vampire.
The role also earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
Butterfly clips, the updo, the frosted lipstick – this red carpet looks screams '90s style icon.
By 1997, Dunst was well and truly a household name. Along with her movie roles, she'd appeared in a run of episodes of ER and voiced the young Anastasia in the beloved Disney movie of the same name.
She's pictured here at the premiere of her movie Wag the Dog.
Dunst is pictured here with Denise Richards in a scene from 1999's Drop Dead Gorgeous, a black comedy about the beauty pageant world.
The movie, something of a cult favourite, also starred Amy Adams, Kirsty Alley, Alison Janney and Brittany Murphy.
Another gloriously '90s red carpet look from the star – Dunst is pictured here, complete with a giant dragonfly motif on her back, a towering updo and shimmery makeup, at the Drop Dead Gorgeous premiere in LA.
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