Introduction
People searching for Julia Stiles now may be surprised by how much her career has changed since the late 1990s. The actress who became famous through 10 Things I Hate About You and Save the Last Dance has continued working in film and television while expanding into directing and producing.
In 2025, Stiles made her feature directorial debut with Wish You Were Here, a romantic drama that she also co-wrote and produced. In 2026, she added another unexpected chapter to her career by joining the cast of Dancing with the Stars Season 35.
Stiles has also maintained a relatively private family life. She is married to Preston Cook and has three children, while continuing to choose projects that allow her to balance acting with other creative responsibilities.
So, what is Julia Stiles now doing, and what has she been working on in recent years? Her story is less about disappearing from Hollywood and more about building a different kind of career.
What Is Julia Stiles Doing Now?
As of September 2026, Julia Stiles now has several professional projects and activities keeping her busy.
She recently appeared as a contestant on ABC and Disney+’s Dancing with the Stars Season 35, partnering with professional dancer Ezra Sosa. The show premiered on September 15, 2026, and Stiles performed a quickstep during the season’s opening episodes.
Her participation is especially interesting because Stiles became famous for Save the Last Dance, even though she has explained that she was never a professionally trained dancer.
She also continues to work in film. ABC’s current biography lists her upcoming holiday comedy Unbearable Christmas, as well as the psychological thriller series Recap.
Julia Stiles at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Julia O’Hara Stiles |
| Born | March 28, 1981 |
| Birthplace | New York City |
| Profession | Actress, director, writer and producer |
| Best known for | 10 Things I Hate About You, Save the Last Dance, Dexter, Bourne |
| Feature directing debut | Wish You Were Here |
| Husband | Preston Cook |
| Children | Three |
| Current TV appearance | Dancing with the Stars Season 35 |
Julia Stiles Now: From Teen Star to Filmmaker
One of the biggest developments in Julia Stiles now is her move behind the camera.
For years, audiences knew Stiles primarily as an actress. She had already experimented with directing through short-form projects, including the short film Raving, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Her feature directorial debut arrived with Wish You Were Here in January 2025.
The film is based on Renée Carlino’s bestselling novel and stars Isabelle Fuhrman, Mena Massoud, Jennifer Grey and Kelsey Grammer. Stiles directed the movie and also co-wrote the screenplay and served as a producer.
That change represents an important stage in her career. Rather than simply accepting acting roles, Stiles now has the opportunity to shape stories from behind the camera.
What Is Wish You Were Here About?
Wish You Were Here follows Charlotte, a young woman whose life changes after she meets a man named Adam and discovers that he is seriously ill.
The story combines romance and drama while exploring relationships, uncertainty, and the importance of making meaningful choices.
For Stiles, directing the film was also a personal professional milestone.
She told Vogue that she had been looking for the right story to direct for a long time before finding the project.
The movie allowed her to bring together several parts of her experience: acting, storytelling, collaboration, and production.
Julia Stiles and Dancing with the Stars
Another major answer to the question “Julia Stiles now?” is Dancing with the Stars.
Stiles joined Season 35 of the competition in September 2026. She was paired with professional dancer Ezra Sosa and entered the show despite having reservations about returning to dance.
Her connection to dance goes back to Save the Last Dance, the 2001 movie that helped make her famous.
However, Stiles recently explained that she was not a professionally trained dancer and used a body double for some of the movie’s more complex dance sequences. She also said the experience affected how comfortable she felt with dancing afterward.
That makes her decision to compete on Dancing with the Stars especially notable.
Why Did Julia Stiles Join Dancing with the Stars?
Stiles has explained that she had turned down opportunities to appear on the show in the past.
Her hesitation was connected partly to her experience with Save the Last Dance and the expectations surrounding her dancing after that movie.
Years later, she decided the timing felt right.
Rather than returning to dance because she wanted to prove that she was a professional dancer, she approached the competition as a chance to challenge herself.
During the opening week of Season 35, she performed a quickstep to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” with Sosa. Their performance received an 18 out of 30 from the judges.
Julia Stiles’ Career Before Hollywood Fame
To understand Julia Stiles now, it helps to look at where her career started.
Stiles began acting as a child and made her stage debut with La MaMa Theatre in New York when she was around 11 years old. She continued appearing in theater and television before moving into more prominent film roles.
Her early work included television appearances and smaller film roles.
She gained wider attention with the 1999 movie 10 Things I Hate About You, where she played Kat Stratford opposite Heath Ledger.
The film became one of the defining teen movies of its era and helped establish Stiles as a major young actress.
The Success of Save the Last Dance
Two years after 10 Things I Hate About You, Stiles starred in Save the Last Dance.
She played Sara Johnson, a young woman who moves to Chicago and dreams of attending a prestigious dance school.
The film became a major part of Stiles’ public identity.
Ironically, her connection to the movie later became one reason she felt uncomfortable with dance. She has explained that audiences sometimes assumed she had the professional dance background suggested by the movie.
Her decision to compete on Dancing with the Stars therefore represents a very different relationship with dance than the one she had as a young actress.
Julia Stiles and the Bourne Franchise
Stiles also became closely associated with the Bourne movie franchise.
She played Nicky Parsons, a character who worked with Jason Bourne, played by Matt Damon.
Her role began with The Bourne Identity and continued through later installments, including The Bourne Ultimatum, The Bourne Legacy, and Jason Bourne.
The franchise introduced Stiles to a very different audience from the viewers who knew her from romantic comedies.
It also demonstrated her ability to work successfully in action and thriller films.
Her Work on Dexter
One of Stiles’ most acclaimed television performances came in Showtime’s Dexter.
She played Lumen Pierce during the show’s fifth season.
The role earned her nominations for both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. ABC’s official biography continues to highlight her Dexter performance among her major television achievements.
The role helped change public perception of Stiles.
Instead of being known primarily as a young romantic-comedy actress, she became associated with more complicated dramatic roles.
Julia Stiles’ Later Film Career
Stiles continued working steadily throughout the 2010s and 2020s.
Her credits include Silver Linings Playbook, The Great Gilly Hopkins, Jason Bourne, Hustlers, The God Committee, Orphan: First Kill, and Chosen Family.
Her role in Hustlers placed her alongside Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Keke Palmer and Lili Reinhart.
She also returned to the horror genre with Orphan: First Kill.
This range shows why the answer to “Julia Stiles now” is not simply that she is an actress from older movies. She has continued adding different types of work to her résumé.
Julia Stiles’ Television Work in Recent Years
Stiles has also remained active on television.
She starred as Georgina Ryland in the drama series Riviera and later appeared in Hulu’s comedy series The Lake.
These projects gave her opportunities to work in genres that were different from the movies that originally made her famous.
Her television work has helped keep her career active even during periods when she was less visible in major theatrical releases.
That quieter approach is one reason some people searching for Julia Stiles now may mistakenly think she stopped acting.
Is Julia Stiles Still Acting?
Yes. Julia Stiles now continues to work as an actress.
ABC’s current biography lists several recent and upcoming projects, including Unbearable Christmas and the limited psychological thriller series Recap.
Her recent work also includes Chosen Family and her feature directing project Wish You Were Here.
The difference is that Stiles no longer appears in every major release the way she did during the peak of her early career.
She has developed a more selective career while also exploring directing, writing, and producing.
Julia Stiles as a Director and Producer
Directing has given Stiles another way to stay involved in entertainment.
Her work on Wish You Were Here was not simply a directing credit. She also co-wrote and produced the film.
Forbes described the project as a major new chapter for Stiles, noting that she had remained an on-screen presence while moving into a new creative role behind the camera.
This could become an important part of her future career.
Actors who move into directing often gain more control over the stories they want to tell, and Stiles has already shown interest in that transition.
Julia Stiles’ Personal Life Now
Outside her career, Stiles has built a family life away from the constant attention that often follows major Hollywood celebrities.
She married camera assistant Preston Cook in 2017. The couple have three children and have generally kept their family life private.
In September 2026, Stiles shared a post marking her ninth wedding anniversary and discussed the support she has received from her husband while preparing for Dancing with the Stars.
Her family has also been involved in her preparation for the show, with Stiles describing how her children have watched and joined in with her practice at home.
Julia Stiles and Her Family
Stiles has chosen not to make her children the focus of her public career.
That privacy is consistent with the way she has handled much of her personal life throughout adulthood.
Her current balance between family and work is particularly interesting because her career remains active while she takes on new challenges.
The combination of parenting, acting, directing, and television appearances gives a fuller picture of Julia Stiles now than simply looking at her most famous movies.
Julia Stiles’ Education
Stiles also has a strong academic background.
She attended Columbia University and graduated with a degree in English literature.
Her education reflects an interest in literature that fits naturally with her career. She has worked on adaptations of literary material and has played characters connected to classic works, including Kat Stratford in 10 Things I Hate About You, which draws from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.
Her academic background also helps explain her long-standing interest in writing and storytelling.
What Julia Stiles Is Doing in 2026
The biggest change in Julia Stiles now is that she is working across several areas rather than focusing only on acting.
Her current professional activities include:
- Competing on Dancing with the Stars
- Continuing her acting career
- Developing television and film projects
- Directing
- Writing
- Producing
- Balancing professional work with family life
ABC’s biography identifies Stiles as an actress, director, writer and producer and lists her upcoming work in Unbearable Christmas and Recap.
That combination suggests that her career is entering a different stage rather than coming to an end.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Julia Stiles now?
Julia Stiles was born on March 28, 1981. She is 45 years old in 2026.
What is Julia Stiles best known for?
She is best known for 10 Things I Hate About You, Save the Last Dance, the Bourne franchise, and her role as Lumen Pierce in Dexter.
Is Julia Stiles directing movies now?
Yes. She made her feature directorial debut with Wish You Were Here, released in 2025. She also co-wrote and produced the film.
Is Julia Stiles on Dancing with the Stars?
Yes. Stiles joined Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars in September 2026 and is partnered with professional dancer Ezra Sosa.
Does Julia Stiles still act?
Yes. Stiles continues to act while also working as a director, writer and producer. ABC lists several recent and upcoming projects as part of her current career.
Conclusion
So, what is Julia Stiles now doing? She is still active in entertainment, but her career has expanded far beyond the teen movies that made her famous.
In 2025, she stepped behind the camera for her feature directorial debut, Wish You Were Here. In 2026, she returned to the spotlight in an unexpected way by competing on Dancing with the Stars.
She continues to act, direct, write and produce while maintaining a relatively private family life.
For longtime fans searching for Julia Stiles now, the answer is clear: she never truly left Hollywood. Instead, she has built a more varied career, moving from teen-star roles and blockbuster franchises into dramatic television, independent film, directing and new entertainment challenges.
Her next chapter could be just as interesting as the one that began with 10 Things I Hate About You more than two decades ago.
