Most fans of Julia Stiles remember her fondly in films like '10 Things I Hate About You' and 'Save the Last Dance.' But those movies were decades ago, and a lot has changed in film and in Julia Stiles' life since then.
She's now married to Preston Cook, who many fans had never heard of, and she even has a son!
Though a lot of fans worry that Julia isn't headlining many blockbusters these days, and wondering whether she may have taken a break from acting, their concerns may be unwarranted.
That's because Stiles has continued working in Hollywood over the years, though fans don't hear much about her.
So what happened to her career, and why isn't she making waves the same way she did alongside Heath Ledger or Sean Patrick Thomas back in the day? 'Dexter' fans have a specific theory about Julia's work, and fans may not like it.
Julia Stiles Is Still Working In Hollywood
Though some wonder why Julia's career slowed down, one online commenter pointed out "her career isn't that flat." This comment was years ago, when Julia was about to appear in the 'Bourne' franchise, and she also had a list of upcoming indie projects.
So while many of her projects aren't big names these days, Julia has still been working in Hollywood. In fact, she's been on a TV series since 2017; she plays Georgina Clios on 'Riviera.'
She also appeared in 'Hustlers' not long ago with other relevant '90s names like Jennifer Lopez and Keke Palmer, along with fresher faces like Cardi B and Lizzo. But it's an earlier TV appearance that some say could indicate why Julia's career slowed a bit.
Julia's Role In 'Dexter' Wasn't A Hit
While discussing the series 'Dexter' (its original incarnation, not the upcoming 'Dexter: New Blood'), fans of the show weren't too thrilled with Julia Stiles' character. She appeared in ten episodes in season five as Lumen Ann Pierce.
One viewer of the series posed the honest question "Is it just me or is Julia Stiles a bad actress?" They elaborated (and tried to keep Stiles fans soothed) by saying they thought Lumen was poorly done.
In fact, the critic said the role didn't seem to be "on par with her acting abilities." Their criticism extended to the delivery of Stiles' lines; "the way she sounds things sounds very tense and kinda cringe."
Though they were apologetic about their criticisms, the 'Dexter' fan explained that Lumen had been grating on them as a sour point in the entire series. But was that fan a lone troll in a sea of adoring Julia Stiles fans and prestigious acting award nominations?
'Dexter' Fans Didn't Love Lumen
It's true that Julia received multiple nominations for awards based on her role on 'Dexter' (a Golden Globe and an Emmy nom, for starters). But other fans agreed with the original critic's complaints: Lumen just wasn't that great, in the context of the entire 'Dexter' series.
Though one fan of the show said they lacked the depth of knowledge of Julia's film and TV history for reference, they honestly confessed "I was unimpressed by her performance and it kind of ruined the character and her storyline for me."
Others echoed the same sentiment, saying that maybe she's not a "bad actress exactly," but that in this specific role, Stiles wasn't spot-on. Other complaints from self-proclaimed 'Dexter' fans? "Mostly her crying/sobbing wasn’t believable to me," one confessed, though they "still liked" her character.
Another commenter agreed that her "screaming and crying" was "so unconvincing," they also made the judgment that "she's awful," not necessarily in the vacuum of the 'Dexter' series.
Yet other commenters suggested Julia did right by the role; "She seemed tense and stiff sometimes, but given her situation, that seems appropriate."
What Happened To Julia Stiles' Acting?
The overall consensus seems to be that Julia isn't great in every role she tackles, and she didn't meet 'Dexter' fans' apparently rigorous standards. So what happened to her acting, when she previously had rave reviews from nearly every devoted fan?
Are 'Dexter' fans simply from a different era (one stated they didn't recall seeing Julia in anything other than 'Dexter' before)? Or maybe the genre of the show is too far off from what Julia typically does?
Although, her '90s films were mostly teen feel-good comedies or romances, while the 'Bourne' role was in stark contrast. Either way, 'Dexter' fans make a good point: do Julia's strengths really lie in the crime drama genre, or elsewhere?
Most seem to think it's elsewhere. Which may explain what happened to Julia Stiles' overall career; she's trying different things with varying levels of success (and viewer reception).