For many of us who grew up in the the 90s, Julia Stiles was an integral part of our coming of age. Her portrayal of the clever, acerbic Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You was a radical reinvention of the blonde teenage female rom-com lead. Her roles in Save The Last Dance and Mona Lisa Smile spoke to our adolescent feminist awakenings and catapulted Stiles to stardom. And, just like the heroines she played, Stiles chose to do things a bit differently. At the height of her teenage fame, she went to study English at Columbia University, continuing to act throughout her degree, most notably in the first of four Jason Bourne films.
Her latest project is her directorial debut - the feature film, Wish You Were Here, which Stiles also produced and co-wrote. As a mother of three, Stiles said that her parenting informed her ability to direct.
Wish You Were Here is available now to rent or own on digital platforms.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Intro
02:08 Directorial Debut: Wish You Were Here
03:40 Balancing Comedy and Drama
08:48 Friendship and Fame
13:39 College Life and Career Choices
21:58 Dancing Through Life
26:03 Landing the Role in Save the Last Dance
26:35 Reflecting on the Audition Scene
27:07 Challenges and Triumphs of Filming
27:50 Looking Back as a Mother and Director
29:48 Directing and Casting Jennifer Gray
31:22 Dancing with the Stars and TikTok Memes
35:56 Body Image and Self-Acceptance
45:30 Meeting Taylor Swift and Final Thoughts
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Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Mix Engineer: Josh Gibbs
Studio Engineer: Sam Bair
Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Carly Maile
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
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