Kirsten Dunst has always moved through Hollywood on her own terms, cultivating a career defined by an unwavering commitment to authentic, deeply human performances. Starring as Leigh in the film Roofman, Dunst is once again proving why she remains one of the most compelling actors of her generation.

For Dunst, the draw to the project was its grounding in reality. She describes Roofman as the kind of movie “they don’t really make anymore” about real people. The appeal of true stories, however, is entirely dependent on who is telling them. “It depends who’s at the helm,” she explains in an interview. “Like Derek Cianfrance being at the helm of this movie. He’s trying to make something authentic, but this script in someone else’s hands would be a totally different experience and film.”

This focus on the director is her guiding principle. “For me, whenever I’m picking a project, it’s the director that really matters to me,” she states. “That could be a first-time director. For me, it’s not about the part, it’s about the person directing.”

Dunst plays Leigh, the mother who falls for the criminally compromised Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum). For the actress, portraying Leigh required a delicate balancing act—a struggle she believes is central to the character’s relatability.

“I think it’s a balance of a lot of things in a short amount of time,” Dunst shares. She prioritized showing Leigh’s devotion while being “bowled over by this romance.” Critically, she was influenced by the real-life relationship, noting that the “real Leigh has no resentment towards Jeff, and they still talk, and that it was a really meaningful relationship.”

Dunst‘s goal was to anchor Leigh in reality, a person struggling between her logical mind and her heart. “I just want her to feel as real as a mom and someone falling in love and not trusting your gut, even though it’s telling you that all signs point to oops, this guy, something’s up,” she says. “I just want her to feel like a full person and someone people could relate to.”

Her co-star Tatum was quick to praise her dedication to this emotional truth, highlighting her total inability to be “inauthentic.” Tatum observed that if there was a moment she didn’t believe what she was saying, “she would truly, like, almost not be able to do it.” He affectionately attributes this to her excellent internal gauge: “Her bullsh*t meter is so f***ing high, it’s beautiful. I will take her meter over my meter any day,” he said.

That immediate, profound connection on set was palpable for both actors. In a delightful twist, their characters’ first on-screen meeting at a Red Lobster mirrored their own initial interaction as scene partners.

“I didn’t know how open and honest Chan’s eyes were gonna be when we first met,” Dunst says, reflecting on the moment that instantly put her at ease. “It really relaxed me. Immediately, I was like, oh, this is someone who’s already making me feel things in the scene and I don’t have to work hard, you know what I mean? It was already there; there was a communication happening.”

This professional trust allowed them to dive into the emotional work. Dunst fondly recalls the freedom that emerged, culminating in a striking emotional finale. “The last scene of me and Chan, we only did two takes, and we did them at the same time,” she shares. “So it just shows you how prepared we were emotionally and and really with it with each other. We had each other’s backs, and that’s… a beautiful thing, and not an experience that you get to have all the time.” She describes the experience as loving the “playfulness” and how “it just was so freeing.”

While her performances appear effortless, Dunst is frank about the reality of her craft. For an actress who has been in the industry for decades, the “fun” of acting is not the goal; the relentless pursuit of truth is.

“I don’t do this because it’s fun,” she states. In a surprising confession, she reveals a “weird mind thing” she does to herself. “I never think when I’m working that it’s gonna be coming out or anyone’s even gonna see it.” This mindset keeps her focused on the present moment on set. “I just feel like we’re doing this for ourselves, right? Which is probably good.”

The work also doesn’t get easier with success. Dunst recently had to audition for a project, a reminder that success is a constant effort. “The good things don’t come easy,” she says, a statement Tatum immediately validated as a “really good answer.” She concludes, however, that she “wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Roofman is now playing in theatres.

Feature image courtesy of Paramount Pictures.