Julia Stiles is an American actress and director, born on March 28, 1981, in New York City. She began acting at the age of 11 with New York’s La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. Her film debut was a small role at age 15 in I Love You, I Love You Not (1996), followed by a lead role in Wicked (1998), for which she received the Karlovy Vary Film Festival Award for Best Actress.
Stiles gained prominence with her role as Kat Stratford in 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. She continued to build her career with performances in Save the Last Dance (2001), where she portrayed a ballerina blending ballet with hip-hop, and as Nicky Parsons in the Bourne series (2002–2016).
In addition to her film work, Stiles ventured into television, earning a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Lumen Pierce in the fifth season of Dexter (2010). She also starred in the series Riviera (2017–2020), portraying Georgina Clios, a woman entangled in the art world and family intrigue.
Expanding her creative pursuits, Stiles made her directorial debut with the film Wish You Were Here (2023), a drama exploring themes of love and loss. She has expressed a desire to continue directing, aiming to bring unique stories to the screen.
In her personal life, Stiles married Preston J. Cook in September 2017. They have three children together: Strummer Newcomb Cook (born October 2017), Arlo Cook (born January 2022), and a third child born in November 2023.