American actress Julia Stiles marked her ninth wedding anniversary with husband Preston Cook on Friday, September 4, 2026, sharing a public tribute as she prepares for her upcoming television return on the reality competition series Dancing With the Stars.
Stiles, 45, posted a throwback wedding photograph on Instagram to celebrate the milestone with Cook, whom she met on the set of the thriller film Blackway in 2014. The couple, who married in 2017 and share three children, have historically maintained a highly private family life. In her anniversary message, Stiles expressed gratitude to Cook for managing their household during her intensive rehearsals, writing, “Thank you for holding down the fort while I live my dance dream.”
The personal anniversary coincides with a significant professional transition for Stiles. Earlier in the week, producers announced her as a celebrity contestant for the 35th season of Dancing With the Stars, where she is partnered with 25-year-old professional dancer Ezra Sosa.
Despite her famous starring role as an aspiring ballet dancer in the 2001 teen drama Save the Last Dance, Stiles emphasized that her cinematic background does not provide an advantage in the ballroom. Speaking exclusively to Us Weekly on Wednesday, September 2, Stiles clarified that she stopped taking dance classes immediately after filming the movie over two decades ago due to feeling self-conscious about her performance.
“It did not prepare me for Dancing With the Stars,” Stiles told the publication, adding that she could see how tense she appeared in the 2001 film. “I am not a professional dancer. I just played pretend.” She described the upcoming competition as an opportunity to challenge herself and learn a new skill under Sosa’s guidance.
The 35th season of Dancing With the Stars is scheduled to premiere with a two-night broadcast on ABC and Disney+ on Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.