Kirsten Dunst reveals she was asked ‘completely inappropriate question’ by male director when she was 16

3 April 2024, 11:44 | Updated: 3 April 2024, 11:47

Hollywood actor Kirsten Dunst has opened up about an incident where she was asked an ‘inappropriate question’ by a director during an audition.

Dunst, 41, said the incident took place when she was 16 and had been auditioning for a sought-after role in a film.

“A male director had me in his office, by myself, and was asking me about this movie he wanted me for,” she told The Telegraph.

“And then, completely out of the blue, asked me this inappropriate question.”

She said she wasn’t sure if the director, who she did not name, was working anymore but added that the question had “nothing to do with acting”.

“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.”

Dunst said she later confided in her mum over what had happened, as she admitted it was only thanks to her mum she was able to avoid such behaviour in Hollywood.

After that, her mum withdrew her from the process and told the director she wouldn’t be making the film.

“I was only able to avoid that predatory side of the business because wherever I went, my mother was literally always right there,” Dunst added.

Dunst is returning to the screen this year for the release of Civil War after a three-year hiatus - her longest break from acting since she was a child.

Speaking to the outlet, she also discussed the gender pay gap between her and former co-star Tobey Maguire in the Spider-Man films.

She said the pay gap between the two was “very extreme” despite the fact her career so far - she had just featured in the Hollywood blockbuster Bring it On - should have commanded a larger salary because she was “bringing something to the table”.

But she said she had “no awareness of that” or the fact she was being paid “much, much less than Tobey”.