Kirsten Dunst reveals a male director asked her a ‘totally inappropriate question’ age 16 and says she was ‘only able to avoid the predatory side of the business because of her mother’

Kirsten Dunst has spoken out about the dark side of Hollywood.

The actress, 41, started her career in show business when she was cast in Interview With The Vampire at the age of 11.

In a new interview, Kirsten recalled a specific incident where an unnamed male director asked her a “totally inappropriate” question when she was alone in his office at the age of 16 to discuss a sought-after role.

She said she confided in her mother Inez Rupprecht about the “out of the blue” comment, who quickly withdrew from the project.

“The only way I could avoid that predatory side of the business was because wherever I went, my mother was literally always there,” Kirsten said. The Telegraph.

She said she confided in her mother Inez Rupprecht (pictured together in 1996) about the “out of the blue” comment, who quickly withdrew her from the project involving the male director.

The actress starred in another film The Virgin Suicides (pictured) that same year. She found a mentor in Sofia Coppola who, during the casting of the 1999 film, asked her if male directors had “jumped” her before, to which Kirsten replied, “I don’t give off that vibe.”

“A male director had me alone in his office and asked me about the movie he wanted me to make, and then, completely out of the blue, asked me this inappropriate question.

‘To be honest, I’m not even sure he’s still working, it’s not something I like to think about. But I will say that what he said had nothing to do with acting, and it wasn’t that what he said was just “a little off.” It was completely inappropriate. And I remember sitting there and knowing something was wrong, but having no idea what to do.”

Kirsten said her mother told them she wouldn’t be making the film after hearing the shocking comment.

The actress quickly found a mentor in Sofia Coppola who, during the casting of 1999’s The Virgin Suicides, asked her if any male directors had “jumped” her before, to which Kirsten replied, “I don’t give off that vibe.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Kirsten discussed the pay gap between herself and Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man, which she previously said was “very extreme.”

The actress had just had a big Hollywood blockbuster playing a cheerleader in Bring It On.

Reflecting, Kirsten said she should have demanded a much higher salary because she was “bringing something to the table,” but that she was “not aware of that” or the fact that she was being paid “much, much less than Tobey.”

The actress, 41, started her career in show business when she was cast in Interview With The Vampire at the age of 11 (pictured)

Kirsten said: ‘I was only able to avoid that predatory side of the business because my mother was always there wherever I went’ (pictured in a still from Virgin Suicides, aged 16)

Elsewhere in the interview, Kirsten discussed the pay gap between herself and Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man, which she previously said was “very extreme.”

Kirsten returns to the big screen for the first time in almost three years with A24’s Civil War (pictured)

The actress is happy to see a lot more discussions about pay, as she admits she didn’t even think about questioning it when she worked on the films from 2002 – 2007.

After a break from the industry since her award-winning role in The Power Of The Dog, Kirsten returns to the big screen for the first time in almost three years with A24’s Civil War.

She plays Lee Smith, described as a “steel photojournalist” who risks her life during the fictional American Civil War, in which 19 states seceded from the Union.

The actress recently revealed after winning the Oscars that she was only being offered “sad mother roles” so she took time to focus on motherhood.

Kirsten is married to Jesse Plemons and they have two sons, whom they welcomed in 2018 and 2021.