Kirsten Dunst was in full mom mode when she learned about her first Oscar nomination for “The Power of the Dog.”
“I was watching the (announcement) livestream on my phone and I guess mine was behind, because my manager called me and was like, ‘You got nominated!’ ” Dunst told USA TODAY shortly after Tuesday’s nominations, where she is up for best supporting actress. “He was crying and I was crying. I was just in bed with my kids watching cartoons. I think they freaked out a little bit because they were like, ‘Why is Mommy crying?’ “
In a happy twist, Dunst’s fiancé Jesse Plemons, her “Power of the Dog” co-star, earned a surprise nod for best supporting actor, too.
When Plemons got nominated, “I screamed,” Dunst recalls. “It was like I could release my joy more with Jesse’s nomination than my own even, for some reason? I just can’t believe that we both got nominated together for the same movie. It sounds like an old-fashioned thing that wouldn’t happen now, you know what I mean? Like the Old Hollywood days of, ‘Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were nominated…” (Laughs.) It feels amazing to have that as a family and for our families. Everyone is so excited.”
“The Power of the Dog” leads this year’s Oscar nods with 12 including best picture and best director (Jane Campion), as well as additional acting noms for Benedict Cumberbatch, in best actor, and Kodi Smit-McPhee, in best supporting actor.
Plemons, 33, first worked with Dunst, 39, in FX anthology series “Fargo” in 2015 and the two started dating not long after. They now share two children: Ennis, 3, and James, 9 months.
Dunst and Plemons are currently in Austin, Texas, where he is shooting HBO Max series “Love & Death.” Plemons was on set when nominations were announced, although Dunst FaceTimed him when they got the news.
Although they have no set plans to celebrate, “maybe we can go out and get a drink or something, if he doesn’t have to work tomorrow,” Dunst says.
Despite critically acclaimed performances in “Melancholia,” “The Virgin Suicides” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” this marks the first Oscar nomination for Dunst, who was 11 years old when she co-starred with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in 1994’s “Interview with the Vampire.”
“I’m proud of what I’ve done in my life and it just feels really nice to be acknowledged by the actors in the academy,” says Dunst, who also voted for Plemons. “This kind of thing doesn’t happen very often in someone’s career: to be a part of a movie that everyone gets behind. And then to have all of us be nominated, it’s just insane. It’s not normal.
“And the fact that we get to take this ride with Jane Campion,” who made Oscar history Tuesday as the first woman to be nominated twice for best director (after 1993’s “The Piano”). “To be by her side during this excitement has been one of the best parts for me.”
Of this year’s other nominees, Dunst says she’s most excited for Paul Thomas Anderson’s coming-of-age dramedy “Licorice Pizza,” which received nods for best picture, director and original screenplay.
“It was one of my favorite movies of the year,” Dunst says. “The opening Nina Simone song with (Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman) getting to know each other? That’s filmmaking to me. I so enjoyed myself watching that movie.”
Patrick Ryan, USA Today
Fantastic news. I was beginning to think that Kirsten would miss out on a nomination yet again. Really pleased that Jesse got nominated as well. You can see the full list of Oscar nominees here.
