Kirsten Dunst's breakout movie role at age 11 was 'Interview with the Vampire' starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt
For the majority of her time as a young actress, Kirsten Dunst says she was able to evade the "predatory side" of the entertainment industry, crediting her own mother's cognizance.
"I was only able to avoid that predatory side of the business because wherever I went, my mother was literally always right there," she told The Telegraph of her protective mother, Inez.
In the industry as a youngster, her breakout role came in 1994, starring opposite Hollywood heartthrobs Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in "Interview with the Vampire." She was 11-years-old and "treated like a princess" on set.
KIRSTEN DUNST FEELS LIKE A 'NOBODY' IN HOLLYWOOD, SAYS SHE'S MORE THAN JUST THAT 'BRING IT ON' GIRL
Veteran actor Kirsten Dunst says when she was 16, a male director asked her an "inappropriate question." (Patrick Robert/Sygma/CORBIS/Sygma via Getty Images)
"Yes, it was a virtually all-male set, but everyone was very gentle and kind, and nothing ever felt weird. Brad was like an older brother to me," she said of Pitt whom she actually kissed in the film. "And then Tom — well, one morning around Christmas, I remember going into my dressing room at Pinewood, and he’d set up a beautiful tree in there for me, covered in ornaments."
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Kirsten Dunst remembers being "treated like a princess" as a child on the set of the 1982 film, "Interview with the Vampire." (François Duhamel/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images)
But when Dunst turned 16, she was subjected to a discomfort she'd previously been able to avoid.
"A male director had me in his office, by myself, and was asking me about this movie he wanted me for, and then, completely out of the blue, asked me this inappropriate question," she shared.
"Honestly, I’m not even sure he’s still working anymore," she admitted, declining to name the individual or expand on his commentary. "It’s not something I like to reflect on."
Kirsten Dunst, pictured here in 1999, doesn't like to reflect on the uncomfortable moment she shared with a male director at only 16-years-old. (Ron Davis/Getty Images)
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"But I will say what he said was nothing to do with acting," the "Bring It On" star continued. "And it wasn’t that what he said was just ‘a bit off’. It was totally improper. And I remember sitting there and knowing that something was wrong, but with no idea what I should do."
Kirsten Dunst says her mother removed her from the project following the incident with the director. (Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
Dunst told her mother about the incident and says there weren't any more issues.
"That was the end of it. She withdrew me from the process and told them I wouldn’t be making the film," she revealed.
A representative for Dunst did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Caroline Thayer is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Follow Caroline Thayer on Twitter at @carolinejthayer. Story tips can be sent to
