Julia Stiles has traded movie sets for the ballroom as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars Season 35. More than two decades after her dancing in Save the Last Dance became part of early-2000s movie culture, she made her ballroom debut alongside professional partner Ezra Sosa, performing a quickstep to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.”
Stiles earned 18 out of 30 for the performance and remains in the competition following the season premiere. Her appearance has renewed interest in the actress’s life beyond the ballroom, from 10 Things I Hate About You and the Bourne franchise to her directorial debut, marriage to Preston Cook, and life as a mother of three.
Julia Stiles’ Age and Education
Julia Stiles was born on March 28, 1981, in New York City. She is 45 years old as of 2026. The eldest of three children, she grew up with her younger siblings, Jane and John “Johnny” Stiles. Her mother, Judith Newcomb Stiles, was an artist and potter, while her father, John O’Hara, worked as a teacher and businessman. Stiles began performing with New York’s La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club as a child.
Stiles attended the Professional Children’s School before enrolling at Columbia University. She continued acting while studying and graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in English literature.
Julia Stiles’ Career
Julia Stiles began acting on the New York stage as a child with the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. She later appeared in productions including The Vagina Monologues, Twelfth Night, Oleanna, Fran’s Bed, and Phoenix, building a substantial theater résumé alongside her screen career. Her performances in 10 Things I Hate About You and Save the Last Dance made her one of the most recognizable young actresses of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
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Stiles also appeared in films including The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, Mona Lisa Smile, The Omen, Silver Linings Playbook, Jason Bourne, Hustlers, Orphan: First Kill, and Chosen Family. Her television credits include Ghostwriter, Blue, Dexter, Riviera, and The Lake. Her performance as Lumen Pierce in Dexter earned her Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, while her earlier film work earned her recognition at the MTV Movie Awards and Teen Choice Awards.
Stiles also has projects in development beyond Dancing with the Stars. She is attached to the psychological thriller series Recap, opposite Corey Stoll, and the holiday road-trip comedy Unbearable Christmas, alongside Alex Moffat and Caroline Rhea. Both projects have been listed as completed or in post-production, although confirmed release dates have not been widely announced.
Stiles expanded her career behind the camera with Wish You Were Here, a romantic drama she directed, co-wrote, and produced. Based on Renée Carlino’s novel and starring Isabelle Fuhrman and Mena Massoud, the film was released in January 2025 and marked Stiles’ feature directorial debut.
Julia Stiles’ Husband
Julia Stiles is married to Preston J. Cook, a camera assistant whose credits include The Revenant, Deadpool, and War for the Planet of the Apes. They met while working on Blackway and married in a private Seattle beach ceremony in 2017. The couple has three sons—Strummer, Arlo, and Henry—and has largely kept their children out of the public spotlight. During Stiles’ Dancing with the Stars rehearsals, Cook has helped manage family life at home while their children have joined her informal dance practices around the house.
Before marrying Cook, Stiles was linked to two fellow actors. 10 Things I Hate About You director Gil Junger has said that Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt dated during production of the 1999 film. She later dated David Harbour from about 2011 to 2015 after they worked together on Between Us. Stiles has otherwise kept much of her dating history private.
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Julia Stiles’ Net Worth
Julia Stiles’ net worth is commonly estimated at approximately $12 million, although she has not publicly confirmed that figure. The estimate reflects her decades-long career across film, television, and theater, including her recurring role as Nicky Parsons in the commercially successful Bourne franchise.
Stiles has also expanded into producing, screenwriting, and directing through projects such as Riviera and Wish You Were Here. However, no reliable public source provides a verified breakdown of her salaries, assets, or personal finances.
Julia Stiles’ Height
Julia Stiles is commonly listed as 5 feet 8 inches, or approximately 173 cm tall. She has blonde hair and hazel eyes, features familiar to audiences since her breakout roles in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
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