Kirsten Dunst: ‘He was kind of, like, rooting for me’ on Tom Cruise’s Genius Trick to Get Her Cast in a Movie That Left Her Disgusted

1 week ago 11

Let’s face it—most of us had that one flick that freaked us out as kids, yet somehow, we couldn’t look away. Interview with the Vampire (1994) was that film for many. It was one of those rare cases where the blood-curdling gothic drama wasn’t just a vampire flick, but a full-on immersion into dark, eternal immortality. With a cast led by two of Hollywood’s finest—Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt—it should have been no surprise that the film would charm, frighten, and maybe even haunt us a little.

The film was a gothic horror drama with a star-studded cast, including Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.

And let’s get one thing straight: no one, and we mean NO ONE, expected 12-year-old Kirsten Dunst to steal the show. But it’s not all roses and fairy tales in Interview with the Vampire. Dunst once shared that her casting story wasn’t exactly a fairy tale. She credited none other than Cruise himself with getting her into the film.

Kirsten Dunst’s Kiss with Brad Pitt: A Teenager’s Unforgettable Hollywood Moment

Have you ever had one of those moments where you’re so deep in a situation that you don’t quite realize just how strange it really is until you’re out of it? Well, for Kirsten Dunst, starring in Interview with the Vampire at just 11 or 12 years old, that moment of clarity came after she had to kiss Brad Pitt—not exactly something most preteens expect to do on a movie set! But when you throw Tom Cruise into the mix, things are bound to get… interesting.

For Dunst, this was her big break. Having already dipped her toes into Hollywood with small roles in films like New York Stories and The Bonfire of the Vanities, she was now stepping into a career-defining role. And the auditions? Well, let’s just say it wasn’t your typical casting call.

Kirsten Dunst starred in Interview with the Vampire at just 12 years old.

Dunst recalled the audition process in a way that shows just how hands-on Cruise was in making sure the casting was perfect (via Netflix):

I remember Tom whispering to me, like, ‘Tuck your legs under’ so I’d look as tiny as possible ’cause I was the tallest girl’.

It’s a classic case of the Mission: Impossible star pulling strings behind the scenes—literally. But Cruise didn’t stop there. The whole audition process involved him physically lifting the young girls to see how they’d look against him. According to Dunst, Cruise was “rooting for me”, and, of course, being fellow New Jersey natives, he had her back. To quote her:

So I knew he was kind of, like, rooting for me. We were both from New Jersey, and I think, you know, he was like, ‘Let this Jersey girl have it.

Ergo, it wasn’t just about landing the role; it was about making sure the right person got it.

Kristen Dunst Reflected on That Awkward Brad Pitt Kiss: ‘It Was Gross’

And then there’s the moment that, well, made Kristen Dunst feel like she was in a Twilight fanfic nightmare: the kiss with Brad Pitt. Keep in mind, that she was just a teen at the time, and Pitt, a 31-year-old, was playing her romantic counterpart. “Yeah, it was gross! I stand by that”, Dunst said (via ET). She elaborated further,

It would have been so much creepier if an 11-year-old was like, ‘It was great.’ You’d be like, ‘There’s something wrong with this child.’

Looking back, she described the moment as one of the more awkward experiences on set. “At that point, I was a little girl, and he was like a brother to me, and it was very weird”, she said (via Vanity Fair). Sure, the kiss was brief—a peck—but as Dunst put it:

I just was very not into it.

Dunst credits Tom Cruise for helping her land the role.

Despite being surrounded by Hollywood royalty like Cruise and Pitt, Kirsten Dunst was remarkably innocent. “I feel like I watched Brad in A River Runs Through and Tom was in Far and Away, which I loved”, she confessed during her interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Imagine being a 12-year-old with that much stardom around you—but to Dunst, they were just two older brothers on set, guiding her through the madness.

They treated me like a little sister. It was very sweet, I was a very innocent 12-year-old. I was just doing my job and they were very sweet to me.

Of course, it wasn’t all about brotherly love. Dunst remembered Cruise going the extra mile to make her feel comfortable on set. She shared (via Telegraph):

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.

How’s that for holiday cheer?

Adapted from Anne Rice’s best-selling novel, Interview with the Vampire threw together a chilling tale of centuries-old bloodsuckers who find themselves sitting down for a chat with a reporter to tell their story. Louis (Brad Pitt) and Lestat (Tom Cruise) lead this immortal journey, navigating centuries of moral dilemmas, emotional turmoil, and… well, lots of vampiric angst.

Interview with the Vampire can be rented on Apple TV.

*** Disclaimer: This Article is auto-aggregated by a Rss Api Program and has not been created or edited by Bdtype.

(Note: This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News Rss Api. News.bdtype.com Staff may not have modified or edited the content body.

Please visit the Source Website that deserves the credit and responsibility for creating this content.)

Watch Live | Source Article