The product of an artist mother, Inez, and a medical services executive Kristen Caroline Dunst was born on April 30th, 1982, in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Along with her brother Christian, mother Inez moved to California after the marital breakdown. They now live with their mother in Burbank, California, with two cats and a dog named Beauty. The move was originally made to accommodate Kristen's desire to be an actress.

Kristen's first acting job was in a commercial, she wasn't destined to stay in the TV commercial realm for long though. It was long before she got a role in 1989's New York Stories, "Kiki's Delivery Service" for which she was un-credited for. Her first big credited film role was in "Bonfire of the Vanities" with Bruce Willis and Melanie Griffith. Though this film turned out to be a box office flop, it didn't stop Kristen from getting jobs. She has appeared in such films as "Interview with a Vampire", for which she received a Golden Globes nomination and an MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Performance.

Kristen has managed to make the transition from child actor to adult roles with ease. In the 2000-2001 year she had seven films in the works with a wide range of roles. She has also had some roles in Television movies and series such as Star Trek: The Next Generation. She has even managed to beet out more seasoned actresses for roles in films (i.e.: Christina Ricci for both the "Interview With The Vampire" and "Little Women" roles). Critics and fans alike are keeping a sharp eye out for this promising young actress as a result.