(Here is the English translation of Kirstens “Marie Claire” interview. Many thanks to The Invisible Fan for the translation. I would just like to add my congratulations & best wishes to Molly (& her husband Clint!) now we have official confirmation that she is pregnant).
Kirsten Dunst, L.A. Girl
Los Angeles appeal led us to one of its angels, who lives on the verge of a quiet lake of The Valley. The image wavy of L’Oréal professionnel, the actress talked to us during a break in the filming of Jeff Nichols’s movie. Ultra-cool, ultra-blonde, and remarkable.
She grew up in The Valley and represents the California Girl raised in the open air and who has success in independant cinema. First movie at 6 year old for Woody Allen (who refuses to give her an ice-cream on stage), a movie kiss with Brad Pitt at 11 (“Interview With a Vampire” from Neil Jordan), “Virgin Suicides” at 17 (from Sofia Coppola), “Spider-Man 1, 2, and 3” (from Sam Raimi) for the commercial recognition, magnificent melancholic with an intimate resonance for Lars Von Trier (“Melancholia”)… she has built a career under the shell of the Los Angeles sun. A saturday in Hollywood, then, her feet in black flip-flops, and wearing a small flowered vintage dress, she appeared to give a kiss to her friends who were going to transform her into a princess for the magazine (and Nike free). [Note by John: I think this bit might actually mean Kirsten embraced the people doing her hair and make-up for the magazine shoot]. The hair creased by the week end torpor, XL glasses to face the ultra-blue sky with cactus, swimming pool, and a breathtaking view of Silver Lake. In the cinema in “The Two Faces of January” (from Hussein Amini), she speaks about herself, on a terrace in the shade, like an ultra-relaxed “L.A. Girl”.
Marie-Claire : How old were you when you arrived at Los Angeles ?
Kirsten Dunst : 10 years old, I grew up in The Valley.
What makes you an L.A. Girl ?
California is very relaxed, and I think it rubs off on peoples personalities. We have mountains, a true sense of living outdoor, the weather is always good, no one worries about rain or cold. Okay, New-Yorkers say that sunshine softens our brains ! (Laughs). Here, people are not in a hurry, there is the beach… it is easy to get sucked into the idleness.
Where do you live ?
In The Valley. It’s quiet and with a family atmosphere. People who live here aren’t under the spotlight and don’t care to know who’s who. The other side of the hills (West Hollywood) is much too trendy for me.
What are your biggest daily pleasures ?
Nothing particularly exciting ! To spend time with my girlfriends, to do nothing, to go to the cinema, to hang with them at home, to eat. To spend time with my lover (Garrett Hedlund). I live close to my mum, I like to go and play with her animals. I’m very close to my family. When you are in this business it’s important to remain down to earth. Eventually to be close to your family is important for everyone.
But it’s not always easy ?
Sometimes my mother exasperates me beyond belief, but it’s nothing serious. A clear frame has to be set. She came and see me while I was filming in New Orleans, she lived in my room, we shared the same bed. I thought she would get on my nerves, but we had a great time.
You seem to live in the real world, which can be difficult for an actress. How do you do that ?
I’m very confident in myself. What drives an actress crazy is insecurity. Insecurity about her body, insecurity about her career. If I weren’t an actress, I’d have a life though. I love my occupation, it is very importance for me, but it doesn’t drive me crazy. I don’t do crazy diets. My hope is to have a true acting career, I’m not just into celebrity and into physique. My unique experience is from filming, but I don’t put in that all my value.
What are you addicted to : cigarettes, alcohol, sex, sport ?
I smoke a little bit, that’s very bad. I have to stop, it’s so stupid. It’s the only bad thing I do.
Is it difficult to resist drugs ?
No ! Drugs scare me. I know my body, it is so fragile. Even if it’s written on the box that you can take two aspirins, I only take one. I prefer a glass of champagne or a margarita to any drugs.
What do you dislike in yourself ?
When I haven’t worked for a while, I become a little bit depressed… If I wasn’t in love, I would probably be anguished. I am 32 and my mother asks me all the time “When will you have children ? We want to have grandchildren !” I reply “At least, I am with someone I love.” Some of my friends are older than 30 and don’t have boyfriends, that is very difficult in Los Angeles. At this age, you want to get married and have children.
Do you want to have children ?
My best friend, Molly, is pregnant – to your magazine I can tell – and I would have liked to be at the same time, so we could have stopped drinking together ! (Laughs). I’ll probably be in two years. With my brother, we have a difference of five years, and it’s too much. Nowadays, we get on well, but as kids, we used to kill one another. We pulled our hair to death. But perhaps with a smaller age difference it wouldn’t have changed anything.
Do you want to get married ?
I do ! I grew up watching Disney movies and this has always be my dream. I cannot wait.
Do you think it’s possible to spend one’s whole life with the same man ?
I like this idea very much. But who knows ? Maybe in 20 years, I’ll only speak about Divorce ! I think it remains possible if you manage to keep trust and desire. It also helps to be different from each other. I wish for my friends to find a man who is neither a musician, nor an actor, or a producer… rather a kind doctor, you see ! In Los Angeles, men are very feminine, and that’s a problem. They use cosmetics, pay attention to their appearence… it’s very difficult to find a manly man here.
What immediately attracts you in a man ?
His vibe, what he projects. But each time I fell madly in love, it turned bad. Conversely, each nice relationship has been nice because I learnt how to love the person, which took time. It’s not obvious to find a good guy, who treats women correctly, and has good manners. I like old school men, those who don’t let you pay the bill. Sorry, but that’s how it is !
And what do you find repellent ?
Having too much ego. It’s a deconnection with life, with all that happens around you.
As an actress, have you felt some pressures on your physique ?
Due to my way of life and the place where I live, I don’t feel any pressure. At certain moments, I know that I have to stop eating all I want, and go back to sport. The only pressure on me is any I set myself.
Did producers not put pressure on you?
No, thank God ! Ah, one day, someone told me : “You should go and see my dentist, he’s a genius and maybe he’ll be able to arrange your teeth”. I was in dismay. My mother wanted me to wear braces when I was a kid, I never did. Fortunately, I met Sofia (Coppola) who always told me on “The Virgin Suicides.” : “I love your teeth, I really love your teeth.” So if the coolest girl loves my teeth, fuck the hollywood producer who wants me to be perfect !
In “The Two Faces of January” your husband is a liar and a scammer. Could you fall in love with a bad boy ?
I already did, of course ! Some boys really played with my heart. And with my head. I was really foolish. I loved bad boys too much ! But I’m lucky, I have learnt quickly from my mistakes and illusions.
Can you tell me, in one phrase, who Kirsten Dunst is ?
I am a female human being. I think I am funny and intuitive.