Julia Stiles has found love with assistant cameraman, Preston Cook. Known and loved for her roles in 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and Save the Last Dance (2001), the actress was shooting another film when she found love.
Almost eleven years and three children later, Julia and Preston are happily married and they've even collaborated on several projects, including the Sky Atlantic series, Riviera, which just landed on Netflix. Here, we take a look at their seriously sweet love story…
Meeting on set
Julia was introduced to Preston on the set of the thriller movie, Blackway in 2014. The former was cast as Lillian, while the latter worked as the second assistant cameraman.
Notoriously private, the duo managed to keep their relationship out of the spotlight, but after announcing their engagement in 2015, Julia began to shed some light on their love story.
A romantic proposal
Appearing on Live With Kelly! in 2016, the A-lister dished on Preston's proposal. "It was a total surprise," she said. "Mostly because I talked myself out of it. We went on a trip to Colombia with his entire family over Christmas and New Year's. So, because I'm a lady, I was like, 'Do not ruin a perfectly good vacation by getting your hopes up. Just let it go. Be in the present moment.'"
While Julia was surprised when Preston popped the question on Christmas Eve, she'd been suspicious, especially after her beau had quizzed her about her jewellery preferences.
Tying the knot
In September 2017, Julia shocked fans by revealing that she and Preston had said 'I do' in an intimate ceremony. "Who doesn't love a shotgun wedding?" she captioned a sweet photo from their big day. At the time, the Hollywood star was pregnant with their first child.
Following her post, Julia's reps confirmed: "They got married Labor Day weekend, with two friends on the beach in Seattle."
Growing their family
Julia and Preston welcomed their son, Strummer Newcomb Cook, on October 20, 2017. Their second son, Arlo, was born on January 26, 2022, and in 2024, the Riviera star shocked the world, by revealing that they had secretly welcomed a third child, whose name remains unknown.
Speaking to Romper in 2019, Julia opened up about her journey into motherhood. "My focus is less inward," she reflected. "I don't go home and dwell on what I did at work that day, and I don't lie in bed thinking about the scene coming up tomorrow and stress about it. It's made me much more fluid as an actress."
More recently, Julia told the New York Times that being a mother had been "great training" for directing. After working on the film, Wish You Were Here, the 43-year-old explained: "You have to think 10 steps ahead but also be in the present moment. You have to be good at time management. You have to be sensitive to people's needs and guide them, but also hold a boundary."