Julia Stiles is turning 45 years old, and the star’s birthday surely makes fans nostalgic for her former, truly memorable roles.
Along with “Save the Last Dance” (2001) and “Mona Lisa Smile” (2003), Stiles appeared in the “Bourne” franchise (2002–2016) and the 2013 Hallmark Hall of Fame movie “The Makeover.”
Of course, we can’t forget about her performance in “10 Things I Hate About You,” which co-starred the late Heath Ledger (in a role that made it clear he had the potential to be an A-list actor) as well as Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Gabrielle Union, Andrew Keegan, David Krumholtz, Susan May Pratt and Larry Miller.
“Stiles made a name for herself in 1999 as Kat Stratford in 10 Things I Hate About You, an effortlessly cool, smart, and fiercely independent albeit sombre teen who went against the grain of her high school set,” according to Grazia.
“When Stiles was starting out in the industry as a teenager, in every single audition she was told, ‘You need to smile more, just smile, just be more bubbly and effervescent because you’re so serious,'” Grazia explains. “It made her angry. But then came Kate Stratford.”
GettyStiles recalled the role in an Instagram reel for Merit that was shared on March 27, saying, “It was just so much fun playing her because she wasn’t driven by everybody else’s judgment of her. How awesome that 25 years later, different generations of ladies are still responding to her.”
See Julia Slay Over the Last Year
GettyStiles has been busy over the past year and has popped up at quite a few industry events, looking fabulous at each one.
GettyFor instance, on October 22, 2025, the actress showed up at Netflix’s “Frankenstein” NYC Tastemaker Screening at Crosby Street Hotel in New York City while wearing a velvety orange jumpsuit.
GettyThe star also appeared at the Netflix Live Event: Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden on July 11, 2025. For the occasion, she opted to wear a sporty dress.
GettyStiles slayed a radiant red suit while attending the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert event at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall on February 14, 2025.
GettyStiles was also a guest at a screening of “Wish You Were Here” in New York City on January 15, 2025, and wore a stunning blue piece.
Julia Opened Up About Aging (& Wrinkles)
In Stiles’ video for Merit, she noted, “My grandmother used to always say ‘don’t gild the lily,’ meaning don’t put paint on a flower. I’m really lucky that I came from a long line of women who appreciated natural beauty.”
Beyond that, the star talked about aging, with Grazia explaining that “Stiles gets real about a funny window of time during her 30’s when her skin was finally rid of acne. While elated at the prospect of clear skin, her excitement was short-lived when the onset of wrinkles quickly crept in, but she didn’t let it phase her.” Stiles explained, “That’s okay, we should be lucky to grow old and have wrinkles, right?”
