Julia Stiles has spent much of her life in the spotlight, from her breakout role in 10 Things I Hate About You to her work in Save the Last Dance, the Bourne franchise and television dramas. But when it comes to her personal life, the actress has usually preferred to keep things much more private.
Stiles is married to Preston J. Cook, a camera assistant who works behind the scenes in the film and television industry. Their relationship began after they met while working on the 2014 thriller Blackway. What started as a professional connection eventually became a romance, followed by an engagement, a quiet wedding and a growing family.
The couple married in 2017 and welcomed their first child later that same year. They have since expanded their family, with Stiles confirming in 2024 that they had welcomed a third child.
Their relationship has remained relatively low-key compared with many Hollywood couples. Still, Stiles has occasionally opened up about Cook, their marriage and the experience of working together on television.
Here is a closer look at Julia Stiles’ husband, their relationship timeline, wedding, children and life together.
Who Is Julia Stiles’ Husband?
Julia Stiles’ husband is Preston J. Cook, a camera assistant who has worked on numerous film and television productions.
Cook’s career is quite different from Stiles’ work as an actress, but the entertainment industry is what brought them together. He has worked behind the camera, taking on roles as a camera assistant and helping production teams bring films and television projects to life.
Their relationship is an example of two people meeting through the entertainment business without both being performers.
While Stiles is recognizable to audiences around the world, Cook has generally stayed out of the spotlight. His career has been focused on production rather than celebrity, which has helped the couple maintain a quieter personal life.
How Did Julia Stiles Meet Preston Cook?
Stiles and Cook first met in 2014 while working on the thriller Blackway.
Stiles starred in the movie as Lillian, a woman dealing with a frightening situation involving a former police officer who has become a dangerous criminal figure. The film also featured actors including Anthony Hopkins, Ray Liotta and Alexander Ludwig.
Cook worked on the production as a second assistant cameraman.
The two became close while working together, and their professional relationship soon developed into something more personal.
Meeting on a film set is not unusual in Hollywood, but their connection eventually turned into a serious relationship that would change both of their lives.
Unlike a typical celebrity romance that begins at a red carpet event or through mutual famous friends, Stiles and Cook’s story started while they were simply doing their jobs.
Preston Cook Proposed to Julia Stiles
Cook proposed to Stiles in December 2015 during a family vacation in Isla Grande, Colombia.
The proposal came as a surprise to Stiles. She later explained that she had actually talked herself out of expecting an engagement, which made the moment even more unexpected.
The couple had been spending time on a beautiful island with their families. Stiles described the trip as a wonderful experience and remembered the surroundings, including the beaches and opportunities for snorkeling.
There had apparently been one small clue before the proposal.
Stiles recalled that Cook had once brought up the subject of jewelry while they were waiting for an elevator. He casually asked about her preference between metals and mentioned that she seemed to prefer gold over silver or platinum.
At the time, Stiles found the conversation unusual but did not necessarily connect it to an engagement ring.
Soon afterward, Cook proposed.
Stiles later shared the engagement news publicly, celebrating with a photo of her new ring and describing it as her best Christmas ever.
Julia Stiles and Preston Cook’s Engagement
After becoming engaged, Stiles and Cook did not immediately rush toward the altar.
In 2016, Stiles said they were taking their time with wedding planning. The actress also joked that she had not been collecting a huge amount of marriage advice from friends and family.
Their approach seemed consistent with the way they handled much of their relationship. They were happy together but did not appear interested in turning every personal milestone into a major public event.
Their engagement lasted for around two years before they eventually married in 2017.
They Worked Together on Riviera
One of the interesting parts of Stiles and Cook’s relationship is that their professional lives crossed again.
The pair worked together on the television series Riviera. Stiles played Georgina Clios, an American art curator caught in a complicated world of wealth, secrets and crime.
Cook worked behind the scenes as a camera assistant.
For Stiles, the opportunity had an unexpected benefit. She had initially worried that accepting the role could mean spending months away from Cook.
Instead, he was hired for the production as well.
That meant the couple could spend considerable time together while filming in the south of France.
Stiles later described the experience in romantic terms, explaining that working together and living in France turned out to be a special period for their relationship.
The production also gave them the opportunity to explore the region when they were not working.
For a couple whose relationship began on a film set, continuing to work together on another production became an unusual but memorable chapter in their story.
When Did Julia Stiles and Preston Cook Get Married?
Julia Stiles and Preston Cook married in September 2017.
Their wedding was extremely intimate.
Rather than having a large Hollywood ceremony with a long guest list, the couple reportedly married over Labor Day weekend on a beach in Seattle.
Only an officiant and two friends were present.
Stiles later confirmed the marriage with a playful social media post showing the couple’s hands resting on her baby bump, with their wedding rings clearly visible.
She joked about having a “shotgun wedding,” a reference to the fact that the couple were expecting their first child.
The simple ceremony reflected the private way they had approached their relationship from the beginning.
There was no huge celebrity event. Instead, they celebrated their marriage quietly with a very small group of people.
Julia Stiles and Preston Cook Welcomed Their First Child
Just weeks after their wedding, Stiles and Cook became parents.
Their first child, a son named Strummer Newcomb, was born on October 20, 2017.
Stiles announced the birth with a photograph of her newborn son’s hand wrapped around Cook’s thumb.
The actress expressed her gratitude to the medical staff who helped with the birth and shared her excitement about becoming a mother.
Before Strummer was born, Stiles had also talked about the baby’s unusual name.
She admitted that both sets of grandparents were not particularly fond of the name the couple had chosen.
Still, Stiles joked that the grandparents would eventually get used to it.
Strummer’s arrival marked a major new chapter for Stiles and Cook. They had gone from meeting on a film set to becoming engaged, getting married and starting a family within just a few years.
Julia Stiles and Preston Cook’s Second Child
The couple later expanded their family again.
About five years after Strummer was born, Stiles and Cook welcomed another child, a son named Arlo.
Stiles has generally kept her children away from the public spotlight. She has occasionally shared family details, but she has not made motherhood a constant part of her public image.
Her approach reflects her broader attitude toward privacy.
Although she has been famous since she was young, Stiles has never appeared particularly interested in making every detail of her family life available to fans.
Julia Stiles Reveals They Have Three Children
In April 2024, Stiles revealed that she and Cook had welcomed a third child the previous year.
The announcement surprised some fans because the couple had kept the pregnancy and birth largely private.
Stiles’ decision to reveal the news later rather than make the pregnancy a major public story was consistent with the couple’s approach to family life.
The couple now have three children.
The family has largely remained out of the entertainment spotlight, with Stiles choosing to share only occasional glimpses into her life as a mother and wife.
Julia Stiles’ Marriage to Preston Cook
Stiles and Cook have now been married for several years, and their relationship has continued away from the constant attention that follows many celebrity couples.
In September 2020, Stiles marked their third wedding anniversary by sharing a photograph from their wedding day.
She posted an image featuring herself in her wedding dress and wrote a humorous message about their marriage.
Her caption referenced the number of countries they had visited and the difficult experience of living through two quarantines together.
The joke offered a small glimpse into their relationship. Rather than presenting a perfect Hollywood marriage, Stiles appeared comfortable poking fun at the everyday challenges of spending so much time together.
What Does Preston Cook Do?
Preston Cook works as a camera professional in the film and television industry.
His job is very different from the public-facing side of acting. Camera assistants work closely with cinematographers and camera departments to help productions operate smoothly.
Cook’s résumé includes work on projects such as Blackway, Jason Bourne and Riviera.
His career has also taken him to different locations for filming, which sometimes meant that Stiles’ work and his work could overlap.
That professional connection was especially useful during the filming of Riviera, when both were able to work on the same production.
Julia Stiles and Preston Cook’s Private Family Life
Privacy has been one of the most consistent themes in Stiles and Cook’s relationship.
Stiles became famous at a relatively young age, so she has spent decades dealing with public attention.
Even so, she has generally kept her marriage and children separate from her professional identity.
The couple occasionally appear together at public events, but they do not regularly share extensive details about their home life.
This has allowed them to raise their children with considerably less public attention than many celebrity families experience.
Stiles’ comments about Cook also tend to focus on their connection and shared experiences rather than creating a detailed picture of their private life.
How Long Have Julia Stiles and Preston Cook Been Together?
Stiles and Cook met in 2014 and married in 2017.
That means their relationship has now lasted for more than a decade.
Their story has moved through several major stages over those years. They first met while working on Blackway, became engaged in 2015, worked together on Riviera, married in 2017 and welcomed three children.
Their relationship has therefore grown alongside both of their careers.
For Stiles, her professional life has continued to include film and television projects, while Cook has continued working in camera and production.
Final Thoughts on Julia Stiles’ Husband
Julia Stiles’ husband, Preston Cook, is a camera assistant who works behind the scenes in film and television.
The pair first met in 2014 while working on Blackway, and their professional relationship eventually became romantic. Cook proposed during a family vacation in Colombia in December 2015, and Stiles later described the engagement as a complete surprise.
They married in September 2017 in a small beach ceremony in Seattle, with only an officiant and two friends present. Their first son, Strummer Newcomb, arrived about a month later.
Five years later, the couple welcomed another son, Arlo. In 2024, Stiles also revealed that they had quietly welcomed a third child in 2023.
Through all these milestones, Stiles and Cook have maintained a fairly private relationship. They have occasionally shared special moments with fans, but they have not made their family life a public spectacle.
Their love story is also somewhat unique because it began at work. Both Stiles and Cook were part of the same film production when they first met, and their careers later brought them together again on Riviera.
For Stiles, who has spent much of her life being recognized by audiences, having a partner who understands the entertainment industry from behind the camera may have provided a comfortable balance.
After more than a decade together, Julia Stiles and Preston Cook have built a marriage and family away from much of the usual Hollywood noise. Their story began quietly on a movie set and has continued through marriage, parenthood and years of shared experiences.