“There are a handful of actors who sustain interest because it’s exciting to watch them get better at what they do. I want to be one of those actors.” – Julia Stiles

To say that Julia Stiles has an impressive resume would be an understatement. The 10 Things I Hate About You star was a role model for so many girls of that generation.

Stiles is still a role model, as well as a university graduate and mother.  She stays busy with various TV, theater, and movie roles. Her most high-profile of late was Hustlers, which had her starring alongside JLo, Cardi B, and Constance Wu. We spoke to her around the time of that film’s release…but wanted to know more.

Suit & Bag by Ferragamo @ferragamo. Earrings and Ring by Jennifer Fisher @jenniferfisherjewelry 

Imagista: Do you have a preference between movies and theater?

Julia Stiles: They compliment each other, in my opinion. Each gives you something different. Theater is like going to the gym for actors because you are much more in control of yourself. It also depends on who you are working with and the story you are telling.

Imagista: What is your personal approach to acting?

Julia Stiles: It has changed over the years. I think when any actor starts out, you just want to work. I go back and forth between how much control we as actors have over our careers. I think for me specifically, in my twenties, I chose roles more in regards to how I wanted to spend my time  — not so much thinking in terms of strategy or career. Now, it’s more about how I want to spend my time and which projects I want to devote my time to.

Dress by Nili Lotan @nililotan. Coat by Sally Lapointe @sally_lapointe. Earrings by BAKTI @baktijewelry. Bracelet by Ashley Zhang @ashleyzhangjewelry 

Imagista: You easily switch to TV roles, such as your multiple seasons on Riviera.

Julia Stiles: You can never predict if a show is going to last or not, which is one of the most stressful things about being part of a show. I was really struck by the premise of Riviera and the setting, and intrigued by my character Georgina. Now, I am so happy I took that risk because it has been incredibly rewarding.

Imagista: Did playing “Georgina” teach you anything?

Julia Stiles:  In terms of storytelling, what I learned from her is that you shouldn’t worry if a character is likeable. They can be strong or weak, but that doesn’t mean that either way, they can’t be vulnerable.

She is a character that dives face-first into the fire. I think there is a saying in French called “L’esprit d’escalier,” which literally means spirit of the staircase. We as regular people get to play out all the things we can’t in real life, on screen, especially the things we can’t say. She is a force to be reckoned with in ways that I would like to be in real life. That being said, maybe I learned to speak my mind more because of her.

Imagista: Talk to us about being involved in Hustlers.

Julia Stiles: That was a no brainer to me. I am so proud of the movie and so proud to be part of it. It’s an affirmation that my instincts were right, because I had read the article that the movie is based on. Then my agent sent me the script and I saw that it was based on that and I was intrigued.

My agent told me that it wasn’t the flashiest role as I was not one of the dancers, but I really wanted to look at it. I was so impressed with the adaptation that I told my agent I didn’t care what I had to do, that I would make sandwiches, sweep floors, I just wanted to be part of this.

I play the journalist, and I find the role is incredibly interesting as she’s the eyes and the ears to the audience and really grounds the story. I was so eager to be part of it. It is a fascinating story in terms of what actually happened, but it is also so well done and so exceptionally created.

Dress by The Row @therow. Jewelry by Jennifer Fisher @jenniferfisherjewelry. Shoes by Casaedi @casaediofficial 

Imagista: Did you feel like you were part of something special?

Julia Stiles: I did. It was getting a lot of attention on social media. Forget the internet, every time I would describe the story to anyone, you could see how interested they got.  I knew from the start it was a special project and I am very grateful I was able to be part of it.

Imagista: You have managed to stay so private even though you have been in the spotlight for so long. How do you do that?

Julia Stiles: I have made some mistakes; it has been a bit of trial and error. I have always had a bit of weariness about giving too much information or opening a door too much to my personal life. In terms of where to set those boundaries, it’s been a work in progress.

I have always thought that the most compelling actors were the ones you don’t know as much about because then you can believe them more on screen. Now, of course, it’s impossible to not divulge some of your personal life. Being an actor, half of my job is to go out and promote what I’m doing and I feel like they are always interested in what is going on in my life.

I feel like, throughout my career, major life moments have happened coincidentally whenever I am promoting something. When I started college, Save The Last Dance was coming out and every article I did was about going to college. When I got engaged, or married or had a child, everything happened while I was working on something else and those are things you can’t really keep to yourself.

“I think women get caught up too much in having a plan – ‘I’m going to get married at this age; I’m going to have a kid at this age’ – and then they just try to find a guy who will fit into that picture. I don’t want my life to be based on that.” – Julia Stiles

Dress by Rosetta Getty @rosettagetty. 

Imagista: Where is your “happy place”?

Julia Stiles: Definitely with my son, when he’s giggling or when we’re hugging. I would also say anywhere by the ocean or by the beach; that seems to be very calming for me.

Imagista: What is something our readers can’t find about you on Google?

Julia Stiles: This is really specific and random but I am really good at self-mic’ing. I spend so much time having to get wired for microphones and I have very little patience for it and end up almost always doing it myself, then I rip it off at the end of the day. You need to somehow hide the microphone in your clothes, and I have gotten really good at it.

When you get into Googling anyone, I think we forget that I put my pants on one leg at a time, just like everyone else. People forget that we all have vulnerabilities. I have to go to the grocery store, and I need to buy deodorant and pay bills, just like everyone else.

“We’re not doing brain surgery. We’re not saving lives… Even if you’re doing Shakespeare, it’s still entertainment. We’re just entertaining people. We’re just doing the stuff that comes on in between the ads.” – Julia Stiles