Kirsten Dunst Recalls Tom Cruise 'Rooting for Me' During Her Interview with the Vampire Audition

Warner Bros. / courtesy Everett Collection

Kirsten Dunst is looking back at the audition for her breakout role.

The Power of the Dog actress, 39, played Claudia in 1994's Interview with the Vampire when she was 12, opposite stars Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. In a new Netflix video, Dunst recalled how Cruise, now 59, helped her in her audition for the part.

"I auditioned many, many times for this role. This was also a huge deal for me. This was my, you know, breakout role," Dunst said. "And then I had another screen test after that with Tom Cruise, and I remember I was the tallest of all the young girls. He had to pick each one of us up and, like, carry us around just to see how we looked Tom and who looked the most childlike, I guess."

"I remember Tom whispering to me, like, 'Tuck your legs under' so I'd look as tiny as possible 'cause I was the tallest girl," the actress continued. "So I knew he was kind of like rooting for me. We were both from New Jersey, and I think, you know, he was like, 'Let this Jersey girl have it.' "

Back in 2019, Dunst reflected on her time making the film with the blossoming A-Listers while appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Colbert asked if she remembered feeling how big of a deal it was to act opposite Cruise and Pitt.

RELATED: Kirsten Dunst Still Thinks Her Kiss with Brad Pitt 25 Years Ago Was 'Gross'

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"I did, but I was also very innocent," she said at the time. "I feel like I watched Brad in A River Runs Through It and Tom was in Far and Away, which I loved. They treated me like a little sister. It was very sweet, I was a very innocent 12 year old. I was just doing my job and they were very sweet to me."

The film starred Christian Slater as a journalist interviewing Pitt's character decades after the start of the movie, and featured Antonio Banderas as another vampire. Dunst earned a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actress in a drama for her work in Interview with the Vampire.

The Power of the Dog is now streaming on Netflix.