The 1994 gothic horror classic Interview with the Vampire remains a cult favorite, boasting an all-star cast including Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Christian Slater, Thandiwe Newton, and Antonio Banderas.
Directed by Neil Jordan and adapted from Anne Rice's novel, the film follows vampire Louis (Pitt), who loses his will to live after the death of his wife and child.
His maker, Lestat (Cruise), turns a young girl named Claudia into a vampire to serve as Louis's eternal companion and daughter figure.
This role was played by a then-10-year-old Kirsten Dunst, leading to a controversial scene where her character shares a kiss with Pitt's character, who was 29 at the time.
Why the Kiss Scene Still Sparks Discussion
When older movies resurface on streaming services, viewers often invoke the phrase "it was a different time" to contextualize elements that feel outdated or uncomfortable today.
The addition of Interview with the Vampire to platforms like Netflix has brought renewed attention to this particular moment, highlighting how certain scenes from films made decades ago can feel problematic through a modern lens.
Dunst was praised for her performance. Credit: Warner Bros.
Dunst has been candid about her discomfort with the kiss over the years, starting from interviews shortly after the film's release.
In a 1998 interview for Interview magazine, she described the incident as "uncomfortable".
"Kissing Brad was so uncomfortable for me. I remember saying in interviews that I thought it was gross, that Brad had cooties. I mean, I was 10," she said.
She expressed similar sentiments at the time of filming, even making complaints on set - not only about the kiss but also about having to bite the neck of a sweaty extra.
Dunst's Direct Quotes on the 'Gross' Experience
Looking back as an adult, Dunst has stood firm on her childhood feelings.
At the Los Angeles premiere of Becoming a God in Central Florida, she reaffirmed her stance: "Yeah, it was gross! I stand by that," she said. "It would have been so much creepier if an 11-year-old was like, 'It was great.' You'd be like, 'There’s something wrong with this child.'"
In a 2021 interview with Vanity Fair, she reflected further: “That was the worst thing I did and also having obviously to kiss Brad Pitt at that point.
“I was a little girl and he was like a brother to me and it was very weird even though it was a peck. I was very not into it.”
She echoed this in an interview with Entertainment Weekly: “I hated [the kiss] so much because Brad was like my older brother on set and it's kind of like kissing your brother.
“It's weird because he's an older guy and I had to kiss him on the lips, so it was gross.”
Dunst has called the kiss "gross". Credit: Monica Schipper / Getty
Fond Memories Despite the Awkward Moment
Despite the unease surrounding that specific scene, Dunst has consistently shared positive recollections of the overall production and her co-stars' treatment of her. She described Pitt and Cruise as protective and kind, noting they looked after her throughout the shoot.
"They were so sweet to me," she said of Pitt and Cruise, according to People. In another reflection, she added that they treated her ‘like a princess’.
On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, she elaborated: “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.”
Dunst has also praised the film's unique production, comparing it favorably to few others in her career. "I mean, listen, that production, that film, was like nothing else I've ever experienced - maybe Marie Antoinette, because of where we shot. Other than that, they just don't make movies like that anymore."