Susan Johnson

Kirsten Caroline Dunst is an American actress known for her role as Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker's love interest, in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. Dunst started her career very young, appearing in films such as Interview with the Vampire, The Virgin Suicides, Bring It On, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Melancholia. Born in New Jersey, she began her career at the age of three, appearing in a Ford commercial. She continued modeling and appearing in commercials until 1989, when she made her film debut in Woody Allen's New York Stories. This led to a role in Bonfire of the Vanities in 1990 alongside Tom Hanks. In 1993, at age 11, she was chosen from over 5,000 applicants to play Claudia in Interview with the Vampire. While some critics weren't enthusiastic about her performance, Dunst herself enjoyed the role, except for the kissing scene with Brad Pitt. Her success continued with her role as Amy in Little Women that same year. She solidified her status as a leading child actress in Hollywood. In 1995, she starred as Judy Shepherd in Jumanji and also did voice work for several animated films, including Anastasia in 1997. She also had a significant role in Barry Levinson's Wag the Dog in 1997 and starred in Small Soldiers in 1998. 1999 marked a turning point, as she began to receive roles as young women instead of children. She appeared in Drop Dead Gorgeous and Dick. 2000 was a pivotal year, with her performance as Lux Lisbon in The Virgin Suicides receiving critical acclaim. Her role in Bring It On further solidified her success. After graduating from Notre Dame High School in Los Angeles in July 2000, she starred in Get Over It (2001), Crazy/Beautiful, and The Cat's Meow. In 2002, she took on the iconic role of Mary Jane Watson in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man. She reprised the role in the sequels in 2004 and 2007. Her later notable films include Wimbledon (2004), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Elizabethtown (2005), Marie Antoinette (2006), and Bachelorette (2012). Her performance in Lars von Trier's Melancholia (2011) competed at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, where she won Best Actress. She became a dual citizen of the US and Germany in 2011. That same year, she visited Turkey for the Istanbul Film Festival and was involved in a publicized disagreement with actress Nurgül Yeşilçay. She has dated Jake Gyllenhaal, Garrett Hedlund, and Johnny Borrell. She is engaged to Jesse Plemons, whom she met on the set of Fargo.