Kirsten Dunst Battles Depression, Not Drugs and Alcohol
Kirsten Dunst is hard at work shooting her next movie, All Good Things, on New York’s Upper West Side.
But she’s decided to focus on something else todayopening up to dispel rumors and tabloid reports that she sought help earlier this year at Cirque Lodge treatment center in Utah due to alcoholism and substance abuse.
“I didn’t go to Cirque Lodge for alcohol abuse or drug abuse,” Dunst tells me exclusively during a lunch break on All Good Things. “I went there for depression.”
The 26-year-old Hollywood veteran makes a point of explaining that while she consulted doctors along with family and friends about treatment, it was ultimately her decision to make.
“It was a good six months before I decided to go away,” Dunst says. “I was struggling, and I had the opportunity to go somewhere and take care of myself. I was fortunate to have the resources to do it. My friends and family thought it was a good idea, too. But I didn’t know where to go. My doctor recommended Cirque Lodge.”
Dunst says she’s decided to go public with her depression and treatment because she’s not the only one who finds herself facing the ongoingand often nastyspeculation in the press and elsewhere.
Most recently, erroneous reports alleged she was fired as the face of Miu Miu because of her personal problems, when in fact Dunst’s six-month work with the fashion house was never intended to go any further than it did.
“There’s been a lot of misrepresentation about what is going on in my life, and it’s been very painful for my friends and family,” she says. “Everyone feels like they have to defend me. They hear the rumors, and it puts them in a defensive position. Now that I’m feeling stronger, I was prepared to say something.”
While naysayers out there may groan that a young, wealthy Hollywood starlet should have nothing to be depressed about, Dunst says mental illness doesn’t know any such boundaries. “We’re all in the same boat together,” she opines. “Depression is pretty serious and should not be gossiped about.”
Hopefully, the very personal revelation will encourage people to stop speculating and move onwhile allowing Dunst to focus on making her next movie. And speaking of that project, Dunst also scoffs at claims that there’s an on-set romance brewing between her and her hunky All Good Things costar. “I am not,” she says with a laugh, “dating Ryan Gosling!”
Gossip Guy Penn Badgley Takes On Seth Cohen and His Character's Sexuality
Hey there, Upper East Siders. TV Gossip Girl here. Suddenly, everywhere you look, around watercoolers, dorms and subways all across town, the words on all the cool kids' lips seem to be Gossip Girl—even those naysayers who were convinced they wouldn't like it. It's the show du jour.
And of course, Gossip wouldn't be half as delish without its leading man, Penn Badgley. So, why don't we listen in as "P" tells a recent convert/reporter all about his experience on the show, his costars and what’s coming up (including whether his character could be gay).
Keep reading and enjoy the convo.
XOXO,
TV Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is the first freshman series to get a full-season pickup. That must feel pretty good.
Yeah, it’s cool. We were on set when we heard the news. [Executive producers] Josh Schwartz and Stephanie [Savage] had us all gather around the speakerphone, and they told us, so that was exciting.
Were you guys expecting it?
I wasn't really surprised. People who expected us to do better [ratings] right off the bat were being unrealistic, because the CW is still trying to establish itself as a full-fledged network. I think a show like Gossip Girl is just going to keep building an audience. It seems to be doing that slowly but surely every week.
Are you getting recognized already?
Actually, multiple times a day. If I go out in the city, chances are it’s going to happen, especially if Blake [Lively] and I are together. We have this Serena and Dan complex going, so people freak out if they see the two of us.
Have you guys been hanging out together off set a lot?
Yeah, the whole cast gets along really well. I think I’ve made some pretty incredible friendships.
Are we going to see Dan’s mom come back into the picture?
I don’t know if I can tell you that…
Gotcha. [Editor's note: Ahem, that's a yes!] So, are you having fun playing this sort of "outsider" character?
Yeah, sure. What’s great about Dan, on one hand, is that he’s the most relatable, because he’s the "everyguy." But he’s also sort of on a moral high ground, which, not that it can get boring but it’s more fun to explore the darker side of a character. I really like the scenes where I’m able to work with his temper a little bit and do something a little more exciting.
I don’t think this would be happening if Gossip Girl weren’t a Josh Schwartz show, but people are making this comparison between Dan and—
Seth Cohen?
Exactly. Have you been getting that a lot?
No, not at all. I can’t imagine why anyone would compare me to Seth Cohen! That’s just absolutely crazy! [Laughs.] No, I think, on the page, Dan started out like a Seth Cohen in New York. But that’s one of the reasons why, I think, Stephanie probably wanted to bring me on. Because I’ve worked with her before, and I typically play the "Dan role," but one of the things I think has worked well for me is I try to bring as much dimension to that character as possible. I try to make him unique and not just a bumbling, awkward kid but a charming and innocent kid. You know, Adam Brody has his thing, and he’s great at that, but I wanted to do something a little different. People are probably going to see the similarities at any chance they can and be like, 'Oh, he’s just trying to be Adam Brody.' I’ve already gotten that in a lot of the reviews, but I think if you pay a little more attention, I’m actually doing something very different.
Are you familiar with the Gossip Girl book series at all?
I read about 40 pages of the first book, just to get the idea and the tone. Then I realized there’s really no point, because we’re not emulating the books. We’re only using the premise as a platform to go off and do our own thing. But fans of the books won’t be disappointed, because we’re going to bring the same kind of fun entertainment: a little bit of trash but a lot of substance.
Producers recently cast a new character that was a major part of the book series but has yet to appear on the show: Dan’s former flame Vanessa.
Yeah, yeah. We’ve actually shot two episodes with Jessica [Szohr] already. It’s really great having her on. She adds a nice dynamic to the show, and she’s a great actress. I’m excited to see where Dan and Vanessa’s relationship could possibly go. So far she’s recurring, but I think given the character's prevalence in the book series, she could easily become a series regular. I mean, she definitely shifts things around a little bit, and I think it works.
Is she playing bald like she is in the books?
Oh no…she actually has a lot of hair! Great, curly hair.
In the books, she’s sort of the love of Dan’s life. Will it be the same on the series?
That is how they’re pushing her. She was the love of Dan’s life, but now Serena is. There’s a history [between Vanessa and Dan] and an immediate comfort and ease that isn’t there with Serena. Maybe he will eventually find that is what he’s after, but at the moment, Serena is very much the one he's with or wants to be with.
In the books, Dan has a bi-curious element, no? He has questioned his sexuality.
Yeah, I think he’s straight-up gay in the books. But I don’t think network TV really has the balls to make one of their [teenage] series regulars gay. Let's say the show builds up to become a big hit, then I think they'd maybe explore it in year three or four. It would be an interesting thing to do. It could bring in a whole different demographic.
—Reporting by Korbi Ghosh
Edward Norton Releases Statement Countering Post-Production Turmoil For The Incredible Hulk
Why not release a statement 1/10 as long that succinctly boasts, “Listen, our movie rocks. It will stomp Iron Man. Just wait and see dudes…”? Or why not go for the brute psyche out, “Incredible Hulk smash all naysayers. Top 3 Comic Book Movie All Time“? More effective in my opinion. Over the past few weeks, EW attempted to lock down an interview with Edward Norton, star, screenwriter and producer of The Incredible Hulk, regarding snowballing online/industry buzz that his Marvel/Universal production may in fact be a turkey aka another Ang Lee’s The Hulk creatively and at the box office.
Rather than a one-on-one or a phoner, the mag received a proverbial studio-approved actor’s statement totaling 257 words that, while sincere, does not succeed at smashing fanboys “…but is it awesome?” doubts to satisfying, glowing bits. When it comes down to it, people want to know A) why this film is 100 times better than the previous one and B) that it’s one of the funnest flicks of the epic ‘08 summer. Here’s the entire thing…
“Like so many people I’ve loved the story of The Hulk since I was a kid, so it was thrilling when Marvel asked me to write and help produce an altogether new screen incarnation, as well as play Bruce Banner. I grew up reading Marvel Comics and always loved the mythic dimension and contemporary themes in the stories, and I’m proud of the script I wrote. In every phase of production, including the editing, working with Louis Leterrier has been wonderful…I’ve never had a better partner, and the collaboration with all the rest of the creative team has been terrific.
“Every good movie gets forged through collaboration, and different ideas among people who are all committed and respect the validity of each other’s opinions is the heart of filmmaking. Regrettably, our healthy process, which is and should be a private matter, was misrepresented publicly as a ‘dispute,’ seized on by people looking for a good story, and has been distorted to such a degree that it risks distracting from the film itself, which Marvel, Universal and I refuse to let happen.
“It has always been my firm conviction that films should speak for themselves and that knowing too much about how they are made diminishes the magic of watching them. All of us believe The Incredible Hulk will excite old fans and create new ones and be a huge hit…our focus has always been to deliver the Hulk that people have been waiting for and keep the worldwide love affair with the big green guy going strong.”
The Sopranos: The Movie in the Works?
Do you remember where you were and who you were with last June when The Sopranos went out with a (non) bang? Might one of the all time quizzical endings lead to a new beginning (perhaps an even greater one?), as rumors are coming in today that a theatrical movie is in the works. One Nick D’Urso, manager of the Satin Dolls strip club in North Jersey, which served as the infamous Bada Bing strip club in the show, says he received a call, possibly from HBO, telling him not to do any renovations to the club in lieu of an upcoming Sopranos movie.
“I got an inside tip that they’re going to do a movie, so I don’t want to make any major changes,” D’Urso said Wednesday. “I’m not going to reveal my sources, but we got a call from somebody (working) on the script.”
HBO apparently had no comment regarding D’Urso’s claim. Supporting the possibility of a movie is arguably the show’s most well known fan, Soprano Sue, who had this to say…
“As soon as the finale ended, I got a call from somebody on the crew who said, ‘We’re going to make a movie,’” she said, adding, “You can tell just by looking at the series finale.”
Gotta love her. I understand why naysayers don’t want a continuance to the series. The ending was pretty, well, beautiful and right, and remains so. It made grown men cry to the sounds of Journey in front of their gals. Television shows like AMC’s Breaking Bad (which is excellent) and Showtime’s Weeds (which is pretty good, if bi-polar) have respectably taken up the lonely realism of David Chase’s legendary, landmark series, and an epic movie runs the risk of being The Godfather 3, but I’ll take that risk. In hectic times, we need these hectic characters and awesome relationships to return.
via Gawker