“There’s a part of me that always checks myself, or checks what’s around me.”
Kirsten Dunst has starred in dozens of major films and television shows over the last three decades, and her resume bridges pretty much every genre imaginable.
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After getting her start as a pre-teen in 1994’s Interview with the Vampire — Kirsten’s performance in the gothic horror movie, probably best remembered for the bizarre kiss she infamously shared with Brad Pitt, earned a Golden Globe nomination — she went on to appear in Jumanji with Robin Williams before landing the lead role in Sofia Coppola’s dark drama The Virgin Suicides.
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But for most of us, there’s one title from Kirsten’s early work that really stands out. In 2000, she played head cheerleader Torrance Shipman in Bring It On, a comedy that marked Kirsten’s departure from purely serious acting and also pushed her toward international fame.
Despite Bring It On‘s success, Kirsten now recalls feeling ashamed of her connection to the film around the time of its premiere. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter for its Awards Chatter podcast, the newly-minted Oscar nominee said she was criticized by a fellow actor for agreeing to appear in a “dumb cheerleader movie.”
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“I remember another actress said something actually. She was like, ‘Well, I’m not in a dumb cheerleader movie,'” Kirsten explained. “And her saying that just made me feel so terrible about myself.”
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Kirsten is now up for her first Academy Award, contending in the Best Supporting Actress category, for her widely acclaimed performance in Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog. She’s also received praise for her work in shows like Fargo and On Becoming A God In Central Florida in recent years.
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But, at the turn of the century, she was an adolescent and mainly concerned about being “taken seriously” as a professional. So, “even though [Bring It On] was so successful,” Kirsten said comments that trivialized it still affected her.
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“I was a little embarrassed,” she admitted during the podcast appearance, noting how it can be difficult to shut out others’ opinions completely. “I think there’s a part of me that always checks myself, or checks what’s around me.”
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Of course, Kirsten’s “dumb cheerleader movie” is among a select few that have stood the tests of time, and for better or worse, remains an early-aughts classic today. You can check out her full Awards Chatter interview here.
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/emilymaeczachor/kirsten-dunst-embarrassed-bring-it-on-criticism
