Kirsten Dunst says she and Benedict Cumberbatch didn’t speak to each other on the set of their new film, in order to enhance their performances.
The actress, 39, stars in Netflix’s Western drama The Power of the Dog, which features Cumberbatch as domineering Montana rancher Phil Burbank.
It is Oscar-winning filmmaker Jane Campion’s first movie since 2009 and is attracting awards season buzz. Speaking at its LA premiere, Dunst said: “Jane gave Benedict permission to be Phil on set.
“Because Benedict is a very kind person, he’s very English. He apologises a lot, he’s just someone who will take too much time and energy to say ‘good morning’.
“And Jane just wanted him to focus on just being Phil. And so we didn’t talk to each other on set.”
However, the Spider-Man star said she wanted to work as much as possible in the future with partner Jesse Plemons, who also appears in the movie.
Plemons stars as Cumberbatch’s brother, George, who falls for and marries Dunst’s character Rose.
The couple have been together off-screen since 2016 and are engaged.
She said: “Jesse and I fell in love creatively first so we want to work with each other as much as we can over the course of our lives.”
Dunst said she had been hoping to work with Campion for years.
She said: “She wrote me a letter in my twenties about working together and it didn’t happen and so her films and the female performances in her movies have always been an inspiration for me.”
