Born:
March 28, 1981
in
New York
Best Known For:
A string of Hollywood movies.
Early-life:
Julia O'Hara Stiles was born in New York on March 28, 1981, to Judith and John. The eldest of three children, Julia started acting at the age of 11 at the off-Broadway La MaMa Theatre. It wasn't long before she was performing professionally and working in commercials. She studied at New York's Professional Children's School and made her big-screen debut at the age of 15 in I Love You, I Love You Not (1996).
Career:
Stiles had small roles in The Devil's Own (1997) and Wide Awake (1998) and her first lead came in Wicked (1998). Her interest in Shakespeare was rewarded when she starred in 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), which was based on The Taming of the Shrew, an updated version of Hamlet (2000) and a film based on Othello entitled O (2001). A year later, Stiles portrayed Viola in an off-Broadway production of Twelfth Night. She took a break from acting to study at Columbia University. Other film credits include three Bourne films alongside Matt Damon, Mona Lisa Smile (2003), The Omen (2006), Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and a recurring role on Dexter. In 2012, she played the lead role in web series Blue.
Quote:
'I am a big fan of horror movies but I had never thought that I had wanted to act in one because I don't think that actors get to do much in them.'
Trivia:
Stiles is a big baseball fan and supports the New York Mets.