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Julia Stiles is back! The beloved Y2K teen star, who largely stepped away from acting after several successful roles, has returned to the spotlight — this time for her directorial debut. Stiles, now 43, celebrated a screening of her romantic comedy, Wish You Were Here, with her cast last night. She teamed up with another 2000s icon, her longtime friend Vanessa Carlton.

Wearing a blue jumpsuit, Julia Stiles smiles for cameras on her way to the screening of her film, 'Wish You Were Here'
Julia Stiles at the ‘Wish You Were Here’ screening on January 15, 2025 | Aeon/GC Images; Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Stiles walked the red carpet in a beautifully tailored satin jumpsuit. The pleated, robin’s egg blue piece complemented the Down to You actor’s blonde hair, which she wore in barely-there waves down her back. Vanessa Carlton joined the Save the Last Dance star to celebrate. The “A Thousand Miles” singer and her husband of 11 years, John McCauley, composed the score for the rom-com, which stars Isabelle Fuhrman, Mena Massoud, Jennifer Grey, and Kelsey Grammer

2000s stars Julia Stiles and Vanessa Carlton hold each other and smiles at a screening of their movie, Wish You Were Here, in 2025
Vanessa Carlton and Julie Stiles in 2003; Stiles and Carlton in 2025 | Lawrence Lucier/Getty Images; Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Stiles directed the film based on the titular 2017 novel by Renée Carlino. When she first read the book, The Bourne Identity star knew she needed to adapt it into a movie. “The book broke my heart but also made me laugh,” she told Newsweek. “It felt like it had such a good spirit to it, and I’m a romantic at heart.”

Director Julia Stiles smiles with her cast, Mena Massoud and Isabelle Fuhrman, at a screening of Wish You Were Here
Julia Stiles with her ‘Wish You Were Here’ stars Mena Massoud and Isabelle Fuhrman at the screening | Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Stiles said becoming a director caused her to rethink her early roles as an actor. “I did everything as a director that I swore I would never do to my actors,” she divulged. “I almost wanted to call some directors that I had worked with and be like, ‘I’m so sorry that I was annoyed with you when you told me to do that thing.'” Since Stiles’ early days in Hollywood, the mother of three has starred in several blockbuster hits. She’s also taken time for her personal life.

Married couple Julia Stiles and Preston Cook smile together on the red carpet at a screening of her directorial debut of film 'Wish You Were Here'
Julia Stiles and Preston Cook at NYC’s Crosby Street Hotel on January 15, 2025 | Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Her first hiatus involved studying at Columbia University, graduating with a degree in English literature in 2005. Later, Stiles experienced a series of flops and a transition to Broadway. The NYC native had to rethink what acting meant to her as she married camera assistant Preston Cook in 2017 and became a mother. The couple share three kids, 8-year-old Strummer, 2-year-old Arlo, and a third child, who was born in 2023.

Actors Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles film a scene for '10 Things I Hate About You' in 1999
Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles in 1999’s ’10 Things I Hate About You’ | Buena Vista/Getty Images
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Along the way, Stiles experienced some wins, with roles in the Bourne film series and 2019’s Hustlers. Now that her family is complete, the Mona Lisa Smile actor seems ready to reenter the entertainment world. Stiles recently commented on her friendship with the late Heath Ledger, her co-star and love interest in 10 Things I Hate About You.

“He was amazing,” she remarked to E! News. “He was very kind and generous to me, which you know, when you’re an actress in your first leading role in a big studio movie, you need to feel comfortable with the other person. And he was very generous that way.” Although the pair never dated in real life, Ledger did serve as Stiles’ first on-screen kissing partner.

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