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Kirsten Dunst is looking back on her time in the Spider-Man film franchise. During a new interview, the 41-year-old actress revealed the undesirable nickname she was given on set, pointing out that she didn’t want to be referred to as such.
“It was a joke, but on Spider-Man, they would call me ‘girly-girl’ sometimes on the walkie-talkie,” Kirsten told Marie Claire in an interview that was published on Tuesday, March 5. ‘We need girly-girl,’ but I never said anything, like, don’t call me that.”
Feeling minimized by the experience in the early 2000s, Kirsten pointed out, “You didn’t say anything. You just took it.”
The Power of the Dog star worked alongside the original franchise star, Tobey Maguire, at the time. He played the role of Peter Parker, a.k.a Spider-Man, and she played his love interest, Mary Jane “MJ” Watson. Shortly after they met, Kirsten and Tobey dated for around one year until they broke up in 2002.
Kirsten’s acting career took a turn after she worked with her acting coach and explored what roles she actually wanted. Now that more female filmmakers and artists have spoken out against misogynistic standards in the industry, audiences have seen a renaissance in celebrating women. (Take Greta Gerweig‘s Barbie, for instance)
“I saw the power in women very young,” Kirsten pointed out. “I think that’s helped with not needing male attention in my career. … I think that’s probably why I migrated to so many female directors at a younger age because I didn’t want to feel that way.”
When asked whether she would do another superhero movie, Kirsten replied, “Yes because you get paid a lot of money, and I have two children, and I support my mother.” She shares her sons, Ennis and James, with husband Jesse Plemons.
This isn’t the first time that Kirsten has revealed an issue with the Sony Pictures franchise. In November 2021, the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind actress pointed to the “extreme” pay gap between her and Tobey, 48, while they worked together.
“The pay disparity between me and Spider-Man was very extreme,” she told The Independent at the time. “I didn’t even think about it. I was just like, ‘Oh yeah, Tobey is playing Spider-Man.’ But you know who was on the cover of the second Spider-Man poster? Spider-Man and ME.”