Julia Stiles on Manifesting a New Career Chapter

For millennial women, Julia Stiles needs no introduction. She portrayed some of our favorite characters growing up – like Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You and Sara in Save the Last Dance – and challenged one-dimensional portrayals of female characters. After two decades as an actor, Julia has taken her talents behind the camera to direct her first film, Wish You Were Here. Listen as she shares how she’s managed to stay grounded despite being a child actor, how she manifested her directorial debut, and why she has no regrets about taking her time to make it happen.

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Julia shares:

• How growing up in New York City helped her maintain a grounded attitude 

• Her decision to go to college instead of continuing her acting career

• Why Hustlers marked a new chapter of intention for her 

• How being a mom was the best preparation for being a director 

• Advice on how to be confident when you lack skills needed for a specific job

On How Going to College Kept Her Centered 

Julia: I decided to go to college. As much as that was a funny place to be – and I certainly wasn't anonymous in college – I was able to just redirect my focus on what I was studying and also keep a perspective on my peers and what they were interested in. So it didn't feel like “Hollywood or movies is the center of the universe.” Even though I think as you become more successful as an actor, especially when you're out promoting your work and promoting movies, the focus is always on you. And it's really hard not to become an absolute narcissist.  So anything that can draw your attention outward –  for me it was university, New York City – is hugely important. I was lucky that I had that.

On Becoming More Intentional when Picking Roles

Julia: I was working a lot on independent films because I thought they were interesting, but also starting to notice that they don't often get seen by many people because they'll go to festivals and may or may not get distribution or be recognized. And also, I was transitioning out of the, “ingenue”, but not quite the mom yet, either. And I sort of felt like nobody knew what to do with me. But with Hustlers, I was so drawn to the script. I remember reading the article that it was based on and being captivated by that. I thought it was a great story. And then I really loved Lorene Scafaria's script. I thought she had a really interesting take on it. 

On Her Future as an Actress vs. Director 

Julia: I joked with my editor in the editing room: you'd hear me call cut [in a scene], but before they would actually turn the cameras off, you'd see the actor sneeze or pick their nose. And I was like, “I'm never stepping in front of a camera again.” Obviously that's not true. I still love acting, and I think they go hand in hand…it takes so much longer to direct a film, because you're in it from start to finish, and probably need to work in between that too. So, I don't really know. But I'm just happy to sustain a career and keep working. And I want to make movies that make people feel something. As much as I love acting, it is the passenger seat. It's been really fun to be in the driver's seat.

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