Julia Stiles Gives Rare Glimpse Into Family Life Ahead of “Dancing With the Stars”

Julia Stiles is stepping into the ballroom for “Dancing With the Stars,” but her dancing skills have already become a familiar sight at home.

The actress, who will compete alongside professional dancer Ezra Sosa when her journey begins September 15, revealed that her three sons with husband Preston Cook are used to seeing her practice her moves around the house.

Strummer, 8, Arlo, 4, and Henry, 2, “see me dance every day and every night in my kitchen and in the living room,” Stiles told E! News following the announcement of the season 35 cast.

“They’re like, ‘There goes Mommy again,’” she joked.

However, Stiles admitted that performing in glamorous costumes, heels and on an actual ballroom floor is a completely different experience.

“And in the outfits and the heels—and in that ballroom—yeah, it’s pretty special,” she said.

Her family has even become part of her preparation. Stiles explained that she sometimes practices while holding her children, while her husband simply stands nearby as she dances and twirls around him.

For fans who might find her participation surprising, Stiles has actually been interested in the idea for years. The “10 Things I Hate About You” star previously revealed that she enjoys watching dance videos on YouTube and has several favorite choreographers.

“We’ve talked about me doing it, but I live in New York City, so it would be hard,” she said in 2025. “Maybe they could do an East Coast version.”

Now, that idea has finally become reality.

Despite stepping into the spotlight on “Dancing With the Stars,” Stiles has long preferred keeping her personal life private in New York.

She met camera assistant Preston Cook in late 2014 while working on the thriller “Blackway.” The couple became engaged on Christmas Eve the following year while visiting Isla Grande, Colombia, with Cook’s family.

Stiles later admitted that she had been hoping for a proposal, but tried not to get her hopes up during the vacation.

“Do not ruin a perfectly good vacation by getting your hopes up. Just let it go. Be in the present moment,” she recalled saying to herself.

Now, nearly a decade later, Stiles is ready to trade her private life for the spotlight of the ballroom—and her biggest supporters will likely be watching from home.