The former 'Spider-Man' leading lady recalls polishing her piano skills to prepare for her role in Jane Champion's Western drama 'The Power of the Dog'.
- November 21, 2021
AceShowbiz - Kirsten Dunst irritated her family by playing the piano repetitively to help her prepare for "The Power of the Dog".
The 39-year-old star features in Jane Campion's Western drama and needed to learn Johan Strauss' "Radetzky March" for a scene with Benedict Cumberbatch's cruel rancher Phil Burbank but admits she had to annoy her loved ones by playing the piece constantly.
Kirsten told Britain's the I newspaper, "That was really annoying in our household, our friends hearing the same piece of music over and over every night. Playing with two hands when you are older and learning a new instrument is very difficult."
The "Bring It On" actress said delving into the "deep psychological pain" of Rose - who, along with her partner George Burbank (her real-life partner Jesse Plemons), is bullied by Phil - was a key part of getting into character.
Kirsten explained, "But most of my prep was about finding Rose's deep psychological pain and her source of insecurity to allow this man to infiltrate her brain. I feel like Rose is almost in The Shining. She's in a house of horrors."
Based on a 1967 novel of the same name by Thomas Savage, the movie won multiple accolades including the second runner-up for the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.
It additionally helped director Jane Campion win the Silver Lion for Best Direction at Venice International Film Festival. She's also honored with the "Mind the Gap - Best Innovation" award at Mill Valley.
