Julia Stiles Now: Here's What Happened to 'The Thinking Teenager's Movie Goddess'

Julia Stiles catapulted to stardom after appearing in the 1999 rom-com "10 Things I Hate About You." But where is the actress now?

Julia O'Hara Stiles became well-known after her role as Katarina 'Kat' Stratford in the popular 1999 film "10 Things I Hate About You."

The film also featured actors who became well-known stars, such as the late actor Heath Ledger and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Julia has been in front of the screen for a long time. In fact, the American actress started acting at the tender age of 11 and became a household name after her role in the hit movie.

The actress got noticed for her talent and seemed to have a great career ahead as one of Hollywood's top stars. Many fans couldn't wait to see the promising actress's career take off and watch her take on other roles, so what happened?

JULIA STILES WAS ONCE ONE OF HOLLYWOOD'S MOST PROMISING YOUNG ACTRESSES

Julia Stiles's acting career was on fire in the 90s and early 2000s. Her name became widely recognized, and she starred in some of the most popular films in Hollywood.

While starting out as an actress, the star featured in numerous minor roles. In fact, Julia almost got to be a vampire in one movie. The actress nearly got the role of a child vampire in the film "Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles" in 1994.

According to reports, she didn't get the role because she was considered too old for the part by the director. That same role was eventually given to actress Kirsten Dunst.

The actress didn't allow that disappointment to hinder her from following her passion for acting. She went on to land multiple other roles and was featured in the show "Ghostwriter." Also, the talented star got her first big-screen role while still very young, at the age of 15, in the 1996 film "I Love You, I Love You Not."

The young actress also appeared in 1997's "The Devil's Own" alongside Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt, and she went on to act alongside Brad in other films. Julia also made her TV debut in the short film "Before Women Had Wings" in 1997.

It was not long after that Julia got the breakthrough she had been waiting for in her acting career. She was chosen among several actresses for the part of Kat in the 1999 film "10 Things I Hate About You."

The actress was more than happy to get the part and revealed why she was interested in it. Julia said she was drawn to the role because, at the time, the character was different from other heroines in teen comedies. It was reportedly Julia and Heath Ledger's strong chemistry on-screen that helped Julia land the role.

Julia quickly became recognized as an actress who loved appearing in Shakespearean movies. This was simply after her acting career unintentionally led to her star in a number of Shakespearean films, including "O," an adaptation of Othello, in 2001 "Hamlet" in 2000, and "Twelfth Night" in 2002.

She became drawn to these kinds of films after appearing in "10 Things I Hate About You," which is a Shakespeare-inspired film.

AT THE HEIGHT OF HER ACTING SUCCESS, JULIA STILES DECIDED TO TAKE A BREAK

Julia Stiles eventually cemented herself in Hollywood. The young star, who was dubbed "the thinking teenager's movie goddess," became more popular after a series of prominent roles.

Just as Julia was at the height of her Hollywood career, the actress did what most people never imagined would happen.

The "Save the Last Dance" star decided to take a break from her acting career. Many, of course, wondered why the upcoming star decided to take such a drastic decision at such a crucial point in her career.

Julia's reason was simply that she wanted to go back to college. Her decision led her to enroll in Columbia University, where she graduated with a degree in English literature in 2005.

The actress revealed how education positively influenced her career and helped her stay focused.

JULIA STILES'S "SECOND PHASE" REAFFIRMED HER PLACE AMONG THE MOST VERSATILE OF ACTRESSES

Julia Stiles may have become popular after appearing in "10 Things I Hate About You," but the actress also starred in movies that weren't well-received by critics. This is probably no surprise, as generally, not all films that are released will be loved by viewers.

Some of the films that some say critics even "hated" is the romantic drama "Down to You." which was released in 2000. She starred in the movie alongside Freddie Prinze Jr., and the New York Post called it a "brain-dead romantic comedy."

The other films that critics were also not fans of Julia's role in are "A Guy Thing" from 2003 and "The Prince & Me," which The Washington Post said was "bland and immediately disposable."

Commercial success didn't come to all the films wherein she starred. The 2000 film "Down to You" earned just $20 million of a reported $35 million budget, and "A Guy Thing" only brought in $15,5 million of a reported $20 million budget.

After a string of films that were not well-received, some may have thought that Julia's career would end before it even started.

However, many say her acting career was salvaged by her appearances in "Jason Bourne" films. Plus, Julia appeared on Broadway in David Mamet's "Oleanna."

In 2010, Julia told the New York Times that she probably wouldn't be a mainstream actress again. After the actress returned to acting, she mentioned how things felt different and that she felt lost.

However, the actress felt she had found her place when she got the role of a journalist in the film "Hustlers."

Julia said her part in the 2019 comedy-drama, which has been called the second phase, gave her the affirmation she needed that she has a place in the industry. The film did quite well, raking in $150 million at the box office.

WHERE IS JULIA STILES NOW?

Julia has grown over the years in the entertainment industry. The actress is now also a producer and director and has had prominent roles recently in films such as "The Great Gilly Hopkins" in 2015.

She has also appeared on 2016's thriller "Misconduct," alongside top actors like Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins. In 2017, Julia was featured in the film "Trouble" and 2021's "The God Committee." The "Hustlers" actress also landed a role in the TV drama "Riviera," which aired from 2017 to 2020

Besides having a busy career, Julia is happily married and a mom. The actress got married to Preston Cook, a camera operator that has worked on sets of films such as "War for the Planet of the Apes" and "Deadpool." Julia and her long-time fiancé tied the knot in September 2017.

It wasn't long after the couple walked down the aisle that they became a family of three. Julia and Preston welcomed their first child in October 2017. The pair named their baby Strummer Newcomb Cook.

At the start of 2022, an excited Julia announced the arrival of her second child, Arlo, on social media. She took to Instagram and shared an image that showed only their newborn's feet. In the post, Julia expressed how happy she was about the arrival of a new addition to their family.

She captioned the image, "Welcome to the world, Baby Arlo! The newest addition to our family, reminding me how infinite love can be."

After the arrival of her bundle of joy, Julia took time to enjoy this new chapter of her life and focus on her family by taking a short break from acting. However, she continued appearing on "Trouble" and "Riviera."

Julia has built a wonderful life for herself that's not defined by the world's standards or people's expectations. Well done, Julia!