Julia Stiles has revealed how her husband Preston Cook and their three children are supporting her as she prepares to compete on season 35 of Dancing With the Stars.
The 45-year-old actress is partnering with 25-year-old professional dancer Ezra Sosa on the hit ballroom competition. Following the cast announcement on September 2, Stiles said her family has already been given a preview of her routines.
Stiles and Cook share children Strummer, eight, Arlo, four, and a third child welcomed in 2023. She said her children have become her first audience members and sometimes serve as practice partners when Sosa is not around.
"They see me dance every day and every night in my kitchen and in the living room," Stiles said. "They're like, 'Oh there goes Mommy again.'"
The Bourne franchise actor added: "Sometimes I pick them up and I'm actually practicing the dance holding them. And my husband will just stand there and I kind of twirl around him."
Stiles noted that despite her at-home spinning, her performances on the show will soar beyond her living room routines once she is "in the outfits and the heels and in that ballroom", adding: "It's pretty special."
Stepping out of character
Stiles is no stranger to dancing on screen, having famously played Sara, a teenager who aces her Juilliard School audition, in the film Save the Last Dance 25 years ago.
However, the 10 Things I Hate About You star admitted that the reality competition presents a different kind of challenge because she cannot rely on acting.
"That's the crazy thing," she said. "This is the first time I'm not hiding behind a character, or like a script. This is me. It's not Sarah, it's not any of the other characters I've played. It's just Julia."
She added: "But I am ready."
Sosa expressed his excitement at being paired with the actress, noting that she was already a fan of the show.
"I feel so lucky," he said. "The moment she walked in the door I literally could not even believe that she signed on to do this show. But just the fact that she is such a fan of the show makes it that much more special, and I just feel so lucky."
The dancer hinted that viewers might see some resurrected moves from Save the Last Dance if the pair make it far enough in the competition, but cautioned that they would need public support.
"You're going to have to vote," Sosa warned. "You think we're just going to whip it out week one? That's cute."
Dancing With the Stars cast revealed
Stiles joins a varied roster for season 35, which includes several other celebrities with previous dance or athletic experience.
Jenna Dewan is stepping up to the challenge 20 years after starring in the dance film Step Up. She is paired with Val Chmerkovskiy. Glee actor Harry Shum Jr will also bring his musical talents to the dance floor alongside Jenna Johnson.
The line-up features two elite athletes. Amber Glenn, a 2026 Olympic figure skater, will trade the ice for the ballroom with Pasha Pashkov. Team USA Paralympic track and field athlete Ezra Frech will showcase his athleticism with partner Daniella Karagach. In addition, Savannah Bananas baseball player Jackson Olson will step up to the plate with Emma Slater.
Several reality television stars have also joined the cast. Maura Higgins, an alumnus of Love Island UK, is paired with Mark Ballas. Speaking in May, Higgins said she had manifested her appearance on the show.
"I have a vision board and I redo it every year," she said. "This year is the first year that I stayed at home by myself on New Year's Eve. I did not go out at all. I made myself a bowl of pasta and a glass of red wine and I redid my vision board for the year."
She added that the show was already on her board from the previous year, but noted: "I added five more Dancing With the Stars on the board."
Summer House cast member Ciara Miller is preparing for her turn in the ballroom with Brandon Armstrong. Miller previously noted in June that she would need to build her fitness for the show.
"Looks are not indicative of being in shape," she said. "I do huff and puff going up the stairs, so I gotta get back into the gym and work on my stamina."
The Bachelor Nation star Tyler Cameron is trading roses for rumbas with Sharna Burgess. Conner Leavitt from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is paired with Adele Zaikman, following in the footsteps of his wife Whitney Leavitt, who competed on season 34.
Sarah Jane Nader, star of Love Thy Nader, is trying her hand at the competition with Hailey Bills. Her sister, Brooks Nader, previously competed on season 33.
The cast is completed by celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, who is paired with Alan Bersten; Taylor Hanson, the 1990s teen heartthrob known for the song MMMBop, who is dancing with Britt Stewart; Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress Tatyana Ali, paired with Jan Ravnik; comedian Connor Wood, known as Fibula on social media, dancing with Rylee Arnold; and Jimmy Kimmel Live! star Guillermo Rodriguez, who is partnered with Witney Carson.
