Kirsten Dunst Turns the Big 3-0! -- A Look at Her Most Memorable Roles

Actress Kirsten Dunst is celebrating a milestone birthday today. The actress her started her major motion picture career at just the age of eight in the Brian De Palma dark comedy, "The Bonfire of the Vanities," is turning 30 years old. Kirsten has a new summer comedy coming out called "Bachelorette," which also stars Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan and "Parks and Recreation" star Adam Scott.

After working almost non-stop from 1990 to 2008, Dunst took a bit of a break and didn't do much in 2009 or 2010. In 2011 though, she came back to critical acclaim for her work in "Melancholia," director Lars von Trier's dark drama and science-fiction film centered on the impending destruction of Earth. In honor of Kirsten's 30th, we thought we'd take a look at some of her more memorable film roles.

Claudia in "Interview With a Vampire" - Playing opposite Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt would be a tall order for any seasoned actor. For Dunst, at age 12 if it was a massive undertaking, it wasn't apparent on the screen. She not only held her own, she managed to steal scenes. Her performance in this film helped establish her as one of the young and talented actors to keep an eye on, and it got her a Golden Globe nomination to boot.

Lux Lisbon in "The Virgin Suicides" - A truly dark tale, the film marked feature directorial debut of Sofia Coppola. The film also marked a transition in Kirsten's career into much more serious material, playing one of a group of sisters whose controlling and strict parents are unable to keep their daughters from sad and tragic fates.

Mary in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" - In 2004, Michele Gondry created a film that was equal parts comedy, drama, and fantasy. Using practical, in-camera tricks, he was able to blur the line between reality and memory perfectly, suiting the film's story about a man wh! o choose s to erase the memory of his ex-girlfriend. Dunst plays a young girl who goes through life happily and care-free until she discovers a dark secret that's been kept from her. Her emotional depth even in what was a smaller role shines through and her scenes with Mark Ruffalo are quite funny.

Mary Jane Watson in "Spider-Man" - Though critics and comic book fans gave her mixed reviews, Dunst held her own in three iterations of the web-slinging franchise. Playing the love interest of Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man, Kirsten took on one of the most memorable characters in the "Spider-Man" saga. While action films rarely give actors a chance to show dramatic range, when she got her chance, she delivered. She will not be reprising her role in the upcoming reboot, however.

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