SPIDER-MAN Star Kirsten Dunst Recalls Being Uncomfortable On Set After Being Labelled "Girly-Girl"

SPIDER-MAN Star Kirsten Dunst Recalls Being Uncomfortable On Set After Being Labelled "Girly-Girl"

Spider-Man star Kirsten Dunst has reflected on working on the Sam Raimi-helmed trilogy, but admits that a nickname she was labelled with left her feeling uncomfortable. Find more details after the jump...

News
By JoshWilding - Mar 05, 2024 10:03 AM EST
Filed Under: Spider-Man
Source: Marie Claire

For many younger Marvel fans, Zendaya will be their MJ (a.k.a. Michelle Jones-Watson). However, Kirsten Dunst was the original Mary Jane Watson in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, and she opened up on that role during a recent interview with Marie Claire. 

Unfortunately, Dunst admitted there were times on set when she was made to feel uncomfortable. 

"I mean..." she stared before pausing for a moment. "It was a joke, but on Spider-Man, they would call me 'girly-girl' sometimes on the walkie-talkie. 'We need girly-girl,' but I never said anything." Getting fired up, she added, "Like, don't call me that...You didn't say anything [in the pre-#MeToo era]. You just took it."

Dunst would go on to say that Spider-Man now feels like a "hidden indie" given the sort of talent who worked on the movies and says her young son, James, enjoys watching her as Mary Jane. The actress also confirmed that, while she "loves" Zendaya, she still hasn't seen the latest Spider-Man movies. 

That was it for Spider-Man talk as the interview was primarily conducted for her next movie, Alex Garland's Civil War. "When I read the script, I thought, I've never done anything like this," Dunst says. "I just love that he's someone who pushes boundaries."

There were once rumblings that the actress might reprise her role as Mary Jane in Spider-Man: No Way Home. A version of the script featuring her and Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy is thought to have existed at some point, only for them to be cut due to time constraints and complications caused by the pandemic. 

Would she do another superhero movie, though? "Yes," Dunst says, "because you get paid a lot of money, and I have two children, and I support my mother."

"There's still time," the actress said last year of one day returning as Mary Jane. "I mean, listen, no one asked me about anything but I do think that/ I mean, this multi-universe just keeps going on and on. I feel like that could happen."

If it ever does happen, then we'd bet on it being in Avengers: Secret Wars when Tobey Maguire (supposedly) reprises his role as Peter Parker.

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harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 3/5/2024, 10:16 AM
soo news worthy, thank you for bringing this valuable piece of information to us.
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 3/5/2024, 10:16 AM
I love Zendaya's portrayal, but as a man of a certain age, KD will always be my MJ.
QuietStorm
QuietStorm - 3/5/2024, 10:57 AM
@ClintThaHamster - Facts
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 3/5/2024, 10:59 AM
@ClintThaHamster - she’s stunning in those films.
Origame
Origame - 3/5/2024, 10:17 AM
Jesus christ. Any excuse to be a victim.

They just gave you a nickname. Either tell them to stop or get over it.
pucrepeap
pucrepeap - 3/5/2024, 11:27 AM
@Origame - I have a feeling that Tom Holland was often referred to as "kid" during his movies and the around the avengers set. Maybe it's degrading, I don't know, but it's kinda what you are. Girly girl though maybe degrading is hardly offensive especially in a #metoo sense.
Origame
Origame - 3/5/2024, 1:29 PM
@pucrepeap - only reason i can think of is if you're a tomboy. But regardless it's nothing to get worked up about. Especially 22 years later
JobinJ
JobinJ - 3/5/2024, 10:20 AM
Oh, zip it. You were an adult you could’ve told him you didn’t like it. God so tired of this 15 years later I’m a victim. Bull crap.
FinnishDude
FinnishDude - 3/5/2024, 10:26 AM
@JobinJ - And if she did, the producers would have started to talk about her as "hard to work with", potentially killing or very least hurting her career just for standing up for for herself.
Timerider
Timerider - 3/5/2024, 10:35 AM
@FinnishDude - it was like her third major role. Interview with a Vampire, was her first big role, then she got Jumanji. This was her make or break it adult role. She stayed silent.
Vigor
Vigor - 3/5/2024, 11:06 AM
@JobinJ - youre saying that from the perspective of a man in a mans world. she could have been labeled as difficult. Thanks to the me too movement, women have more of a voice now without worrying about repercussions
JobinJ
JobinJ - 3/5/2024, 11:08 AM
@Vigor - she was an adult she could have said that the nickname bothered her. That simple.
JobinJ
JobinJ - 3/5/2024, 11:09 AM
@FinnishDude - Maybe, but she'd be proud of herself. Her fault for not sating something if it bothered her, how the hell was anyone supposed to know if she didn't. Its a silly nickname.
Vigor
Vigor - 3/5/2024, 11:16 AM
@JobinJ - technically yes and some did. Some stood up for themselves and did ok. Some were blacklisted for it.

You should read up on the gender power dynamics in Hollywood that led to the #metoo movement. That movement didn't occur without quite a few sparks to set it in motion
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 3/5/2024, 11:42 AM
@Vigor - I mean, end of the day if a place like this is any guide, for those who have stood up for themselves in any way big or small and do make it in the industry they get tarred for life as being all sorts of worse names so...

...in the performing arts world rocking the boat in any way can end a career before it even starts whilst still doing am-drams and/or having still just having professional training even now...

...how many times have the scoopers made a story sans details about someone being trouble on set and folk here are all over them calling them out for it when it could be simply standing up for themself in the way it is being suggested she should have.

Sure, I get why it doesn't sound like a big deal but even the most innocuous nickname can become irksome over time and as funny as this one sounds it is kinda belittling and certainly unprofessional.
Vigor
Vigor - 3/5/2024, 11:47 AM
@Apophis71 - precisely what I'm trying to get at
FinnishDude
FinnishDude - 3/5/2024, 12:19 PM
@JobinJ - Such easy thing for you to say as an outsider. If you had your dream job, which you could lose just by saying the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time, would it really be that easy for you to risk it just for the sake of being proud of yourself in the moment?
FinnishDude
FinnishDude - 3/5/2024, 12:21 PM
@Timerider - Actress with three roles behind her is nothing in terms of power and influence next to an established successfull producer.
RolandD
RolandD - 3/6/2024, 8:31 AM
@JobinJ - Becaus Brie Larson did not have any negative response for speaking her mind many years later. See also Rachel Zegler.
TheLobster
TheLobster - 3/5/2024, 10:25 AM
Would she do another superhero movie, though? "Yes," Dunst says, "because you get paid a lot of money, and I have two children, and I support my mother."

lol
Timerider
Timerider - 3/5/2024, 10:29 AM
They also asked her to cap/fix her teeth, she said no, lol. True story
URCOMMENTSUCKS
URCOMMENTSUCKS - 3/5/2024, 10:34 AM
@Timerider - And? Not everyone wants go to dentists and have someone [frick] around with their mouth area.
Timerider
Timerider - 3/5/2024, 10:37 AM
@URCOMMENTSUCKS - it was one of the executives, not Sam Raimi. I agree, you hire someone, you can’t ask that.
pucrepeap
pucrepeap - 3/5/2024, 11:32 AM
@Timerider - why not? You can ask someone to cut or color their hair, to bulk up or trim down, to look and be a certain way to portray a certain character that is not you on the screen. Why can't you ask someone to address a dental concern. Obviously didn't bug them that much, they stuck with Kirsten, but why not see if someone would do that especially if it's would benefit them
Polaris
Polaris - 3/5/2024, 11:39 AM
@pucrepeap - Hair grows back, teeth don't
URCOMMENTSUCKS
URCOMMENTSUCKS - 3/5/2024, 10:31 AM
>For many younger Marvel fans, Zendaya will be their MJ

Thank God I grew up with the 90s Spider-Man series. Cuz imagine if Zendaya's ''Michelle'' was your gateway to knowing MJ. It would be like if Iron Man 3 was your gateway to knowing The Mandarin.

Also, yeah, regarding Dunst, it's not cool to make actors uncomfortable by calling them something they don't like. Actually, it's not cool to do that to anyone, actors or not.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 3/5/2024, 10:36 AM
I thought her MJ was alright at best honestly , in terms of characterization I prefer Zendaya’s.

However , I still think the best main live action love interest in the Spidey films has been Emma Stone’s Gwen.
MisterDoctor217
MisterDoctor217 - 3/5/2024, 10:36 AM
Why is that a bad term ? I don’t get it

She was the leading lady and literally playing the “girl next door”
Lol
Timerider
Timerider - 3/5/2024, 10:46 AM
@MisterDoctor217 - you wouldn’t like to be called by a stupid nickname where you work would you? They should have called her by her name. This is something that bothered her for a very long time.
MisterDoctor217
MisterDoctor217 - 3/5/2024, 10:51 AM
@Timerider - I was called many names well into my late teens , but I never resented any of them , people joke around and have fun.

Besides girly girl is nothing incredibly offensive, I genuinely don’t get it

Where has the humor gone lol
Vigor
Vigor - 3/5/2024, 11:10 AM
@MisterDoctor217 - you're not going to call your woman colleague "girly girl" because it's not professional.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 3/5/2024, 11:25 AM
@MisterDoctor217 - When your on the recieving end of the 'joke' it can fast cease to be funny even in the playground let alone in the workplace. The first couple times she maybe was fine with it, but if it was a constant thing for the entirity of all her time on set it would start to irritate a saint. Sure it isn't high on any scale of offensive in many ways to most from an outside perspective but...
micvalpro
micvalpro - 3/5/2024, 11:32 AM
@MisterDoctor217 - Just because it isn’t offensive to you doesn’t mean it isn’t offensive to someone else.
Polaris
Polaris - 3/5/2024, 11:44 AM
@MisterDoctor217 - I bet no one called Tobey boyish-boy or something on set. Like imagine being one of the very few women at work and everybody is called by their name but you're girly-girl. It would feel demeaning to me.
MisterDoctor217
MisterDoctor217 - 3/5/2024, 5:20 PM
@valmic -

It’s just getting out of hand methinks

If we were offended by every little word we would all be traumatized all the time

There has to be a point where this generation acknowledges that some things are going to far
micvalpro
micvalpro - 3/5/2024, 10:47 PM
@MisterDoctor217 - You can’t judge a persons experience to what you think yours would be. She was a young woman surrounded by men. It may not sound like it was a big deal but you don’t know what that felt like for her. People need to be more understanding to how others react to situations instead of just judging them. We’re all different.
MisterDoctor217
MisterDoctor217 - 3/5/2024, 10:52 PM
@valmic -

She had already been acting for a while and she was probably making millions on the movie

I don’t understand this necessity to defend a actors who are offended by the most mundane thing

I don’t think guys would be up in arms for a normal girl at a normal job

micvalpro
micvalpro - 3/5/2024, 10:56 PM
@MisterDoctor217 - Until you open your mind to other peoples perspectives, you’re never going to understand.
MisterDoctor217
MisterDoctor217 - 3/5/2024, 11:05 PM
@valmic -

I do open myself to other people’s perspectives

But not the rich and elite

I do it for people who are actually in need and have gone through actual trauma


Not some rich actor or actress who was offended by the littlest thing

That why celebrities keep getting away with anything, as well as any other person in power or high status
1 2

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