Kirsten Dunst Talks #MeToo Impact at Red Sea Film Festival

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Actress Kirsten Dunst discussed the advancements in the film and TV industry since the #MeToo movement during a recent interview at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival on Thursday.

When asked if male actors and directors have recognized the changes brought by #MeToo, Dunst replied, “I think we’ve put a lot of people away. I feel like people definitely can’t get away with what they used to. That’s for sure.” She added, “Everybody has an eye out now. So I think that it’s a much safer environment for all of us.”

Dunst reflected on her own experiences as a young actress. “I was lucky. I had a good family, a good mother. My mother was always around. Like, I never had anything, you know, negative happen to me like that. I was very protected,” she said.

In a lighter moment, she recounted filming “Interview With the Vampire” at age 11, saying, “I remember everyone treating me like a little princess. It was Christmas, and Tom Cruise put a gorgeous Christmas tree in my dressing room.”

Speaking about her role in Lars von Trier‘s “Melancholia,” for which she won the Cannes Best Actress award, Dunst said, “I loved making that movie. Even though I was playing someone who was very depressed, I was having the best time. I felt so safe. Lars… his whole team was women, around him. It was such a calm and nurturing environment,” she added, mentioning co-stars Alexander Skarsgård and Charlotte Rampling.

Dunst also praised director Sofia Coppola, stating their work on “Marie Antoinette” had a significant impact on her. “She thought I was beautiful, and at 16, to have someone you look up to so much think that of you really gave me such huge confidence,” Dunst said.

Additionally, Dunst teased her upcoming film, “The Entertainment System Is Down,” which she described as a deeply personal project. “I felt like I bared a part of myself. It’s weird that it’s going to come out because of what I’ve shown. You’re like, ‘Oh yeah, people are gonna watch me doing this. Wow, that’s crazy,'” she explained.