Kirsten Dunst opens up about the pressures of aging in Hollywood.
In an extensive interview with British GQ Published this week, the 41-year-old actor explained why she decided to defy many of the beauty standards women face in the entertainment industry. In an interview with the magazine, Dunst revealed that she has experienced her fair share of Hollywood executives attempting to change her appearance throughout her career.
While filming a movie in 2002 SpidermanDunst, who was 17 at the time, shared how the producer encouraged her to get her teeth straightened by taking her to the dentist without her permission. “I thought, ‘No, I like my teeth,’” she recalled.
that much Bring it The star later wore a black Rodarte dress and dark lipstick to the film's London premiere, but pointed out Sony, the studio that produced the film. Spiderman Movie – I didn’t like how rebellious she was. “The studio said, ‘She looks really goth,’” Dunst said, “and they didn’t like it. “Maybe it was because they wanted me to look like a sexy, young woman who would appeal to anyone sitting in a theater.”
She added: “I was not that kind of girl. I have never done anything like that.”
Luckily, Dunst had Oscar-winning director Sofia Coppola in her corner after being cast in Coppola's cult classic 1999 film. virgin suicide. According to her co-star, Coppola gave her confidence to the point where she was proud of her own looks. She said, “I had Sophia [Coppola] “When I was 16, he thought I was so cool and pretty, even when I wasn’t.” Dunst said. “She said, ‘I love your teeth!’”
For Dunst, having Coppola as her “older sister” ultimately helped her reject many of the beauty standards the entertainment industry imposes on women. “She didn’t realize it at the time,” she recalled. “I realized [later] From the decisions I made. “Without changing your teeth, without puffing out your lips, whatever look you want.”
“I still know now that I won't ruin my face or look like a freak. You know what I mean, right? “I’d rather play good roles when I’m older,” Dunst insisted.
that much Marie Antoinette The star isn't the first Hollywood A-lister to call out the industry's double standards for women. Last year, Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow called out the “double standard” that women are expected to maintain their beauty as they age, while older men are often celebrated because of their age.
“I think it’s a cultural issue. That’s not ours,” Paltrow said. british vogue Last July, I reflected on the fact that women are evaluated more as they age than men. “As women, we want to be healthy and we want to age well. “The idea that we should be frozen in time is really strange.”
that much Shakespeare in Love The star praised fellow actress Andie MacDowell for stopping dyeing her hair and instead allowing her natural gray hair to grow out. “I love hearing someone like Andie MacDowell talk about the difference between having beautiful gray hair and embracing aging and how she treats George Clooney,” Paltrow said.
“It’s cool to turn gray [as a man], but for women it’s like, ‘What are you going to do about wrinkles and aging skin?’” she continued. “There is definitely a double standard.”
Paltrow said women should be able to age as they wish, regardless of beauty standards or what society thinks of them.
“I think we want to set an example of how to age. “Every woman should do what she wants,” she added. “Some women want to do everything aesthetically, while others want to be the cool French grandmother who does nothing. She said everyone should be empowered to do things the way they want.”