Julia Stiles is an American actress and director whose career has run from New York experimental theatre to teen-film stardom, the Bourne franchise, and, in 2026, the Dancing with the Stars ballroom. Born in New York City on 28 March 1981, she became a defining screen presence of the late 1990s with 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and Save the Last Dance (2001), then built a long second act in prestige television — Dexter, Riviera and The Lake — before making her feature directing debut with Wish You Were Here (2025).
Quick facts
- Full name: Julia O’Hara Stiles
- Born: 28 March 1981, New York City, United States
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: Actress, director, writer, producer
- Known for: 10 Things I Hate About You, Save the Last Dance, the Bourne films, Dexter, Riviera, Dancing with the Stars season 35
- Spouse: Preston J. Cook (married September 2017)
- Children: Three
Early life and background
Julia O’Hara Stiles was born in New York City on 28 March 1981, the eldest of three children of Judith Newcomb Stiles, a potter, and John O’Hara, a businessman and teacher. Raised in SoHo, she began acting at age 11 with New York’s La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, and her early screen work included the children’s series Ghostwriter (1993–1994). Her film debut came at 15 with a small role in I Love You, I Love You Not (1996), followed by a leading role in the thriller Wicked (1998), for which she won Best Actress at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival (Wikipedia).
Alongside her early film career she pursued higher education, graduating from Columbia University in 2005 with a degree in English literature — a decision she made deliberately even as her career was in full swing (Dexter Wiki).
Career: teen stardom
Stiles rose to prominence in 1999 as Kat Stratford in 10 Things I Hate About You, a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew opposite Heath Ledger, winning the MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance. She followed it with Down to You (2000) and then anchored Save the Last Dance (2001) on her own as Sara Johnson, a ballet student rebuilding her life in Chicago after her mother’s death — a commercial success that won her the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress (Wikipedia).
She moved deliberately against type in the years that followed: David Mamet’s State and Main (2000), a modern Hamlet (2000), O (2001), The Business of Strangers (2001) and Mona Lisa Smile (2003), in which she played Wellesley student Joan Brandwyn opposite Julia Roberts. In 2002 she began her longest-running screen role, as CIA operative Nicky Parsons in The Bourne Identity, a part that grew across The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) before she returned for Jason Bourne (2016).
Television and directing
On television, Stiles played Lumen Pierce in the fifth season of Dexter (2010), earning nominations for the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress and the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. She then led the Sky Atlantic thriller Riviera (2017–2020) as Georgina Clios across three seasons, voiced Olivia in DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms, and played Maisy-May in Amazon’s comedy The Lake (2022–2023). Her later film work includes Silver Linings Playbook (2012), Hustlers (2019) and Orphan: First Kill (2022) (Wikipedia; Celebrity Net Worth).
Behind the camera, she wrote and directed the short Raving (2007) before making her feature directorial debut with the romantic drama Wish You Were Here, released in January 2025, which she co-wrote and produced, directing Isabelle Fuhrman, Mena Massoud, Jennifer Grey and Kelsey Grammer.
Dancing with the Stars and the 2026 spotlight
In 2026 Stiles joined season 35 of Dancing with the Stars alongside professional partner Ezra Sosa, introducing her to a new generation of viewers. On Dedication Night (20 October 2026) she performed an emotional contemporary tribute to her late 10 Things co-star Heath Ledger. Her run ended on Disney Night, broadcast on Monday 2 November 2026: she and Sosa danced a paso doble to “Satisfied” from Hamilton, scored 33 out of 40 (8s from Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and guest judge Cynthia Erivo, and a 9 from Bruno Tonioli), with a further 36 from their Team Slaytopia group dance for a combined 69 — but, with judges’ scores combined with viewer votes, they were the couple sent home, finishing eighth and leaving seven couples in the competition (Democrat and Chronicle; Page Six). Reports from the episode noted that an old rib injury had flared up for Stiles during rehearsals (Spillpop).
Personal life
Stiles met camera assistant Preston J. Cook on the set of the thriller Blackway in 2014; they were engaged on Christmas Eve 2015 and married over Labor Day weekend in September 2017 in a small beach ceremony in Seattle. They have three children: sons Strummer (born October 2017) and Arlo (born 2022), and a third child born in 2023 (People).
Net worth snapshot
Julia Stiles’s net worth is estimated at $12 million as of 2026, according to Celebrity Net Worth, as reported by Parade in September 2026. There is no Forbes or Bloomberg estimate, and the figure is unaudited. The full breakdown, including her Dancing with the Stars pay scale and why higher aggregator figures were excluded, is in Julia Stiles’s net worth.
Frequently asked questions
What is Julia Stiles best known for?
Her roles as Kat Stratford in 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and Sara Johnson in Save the Last Dance (2001), and as Nicky Parsons in the Bourne franchise (2002–2016).
Was Julia Stiles in Dexter?
Yes. She played Lumen Pierce in the fifth season of Dexter (2010), earning Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations for the role.
Is Julia Stiles married?
Yes. She has been married to camera assistant Preston J. Cook since September 2017, and they have three children.
When was Julia Stiles eliminated from Dancing with the Stars?
She and partner Ezra Sosa were eliminated on Disney Night, broadcast 2 November 2026, finishing eighth in season 35 after a paso doble to “Satisfied” from Hamilton.
What is Julia Stiles’s net worth?
An estimated $12 million as of 2026, per Celebrity Net Worth via Parade. No Forbes or Bloomberg figure exists; see Julia Stiles’s net worth for the full methodology.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Julia Stiles
- Parade — Julia Stiles net worth 2026 (29 Sep 2026)
- People — Who is Preston Cook, Julia Stiles’s husband
- Democrat and Chronicle — DWTS Week 8 results (3 Nov 2026)
- Page Six — Julia Stiles eliminated from DWTS on Disney Night (2 Nov 2026)
- See also: Julia Roberts’s biography (her Mona Lisa Smile co-star)