The Forgotten Hallmark Movie You Probably Didn't Know Julia Stiles Starred In

There's no doubt that Julia Stiles is a '90s and early aughts rom-com legend. She might have her role as the ever-so-edgy Kat Stratford in "10 Things I Hate About You" to thank for that. In the 2000s, Stiles was on fire. She quickly made the leap from more romantic roles, like "Save the Last Dance," to more intense action films like "The Bourne Identity." As the years went on, Stiles starred in "The Orphan," "The Omen," and even had a 10-episode stint on the hit crime drama series "Dexter." Then, in 2013, Stiles returned to her romantic roots and starred in the Hallmark movie "The Makeover." Let's face it — we all could use a little Hallmark magic in our lives. While many Hallmark films tend to feature familiar faces from its roster of buzzy actors, Stiles joined in as the steadfast and stern Hannah Higgins.

"The Makeover" is a play on the story of "Pygmalion," most famously adapted for the movie "My Fair Lady," which starred Audrey Hepburn. As Hannah embarks on her political journey while running for Congress, she learns she's not the most likable person and hasn't been able to get elected yet because of it. While she's certain to get the job done, she's not so certain to win anyone over. She teams up with local Bostonian beer vendor extraordinaire Elliot Doolittle (played by David Walton) to build a campaign worthy of Boston's attention. She coaches Elliot on politics, educational reform, and, of course, gets him elocution lessons to get him prepped to speak well in front of a crowd (and to smooth out his nails-on-a-chalkboard Boston accent). Naturally, as many Hallmark movies go, the two fall in love during the makeover, despite their vast differences.

It seems that Julia Stiles was ready to dive into something sweet, which is what attracted her to "The Makeover." She wrapped up her time on "Dexter" in 2010. Then, in 2012, Stiles starred in the Academy Award-winning film "Silver Linings Playbook," which was also a love story but one with a very dark edge. "I was really at a time in my life when I wanted to do something light and romantic and to go to work everyday and be able to laugh," she told Hollywood.com at "The Makeover" premiere. She went on to say, "I had been doing a lot of drama. And as much as that's rewarding and challenging and great, I just wanted to do something romantic. I'm kind of a sucker for that stuff."

"The Makeover" received a lukewarm review from Variety. The outlet praised the film's romance (and how it made up for some plot holes) after an array of weak films released by Hallmark at the time. "The Makeover" appears to have done what every stellar Hallmark movie does best: sweet, adorable romance in its purest form. While Stiles went through a bit of a casting dry spell in Hollywood, she seems to always be keeping herself busy with various roles, big and small. Since "The Makeover," Stiles has worked on a few projects, with her biggest being her role in the 2019 film "Hustlers." However, it seems that she is yearning to get back to her more romantic roots: In 2025, she directed the romantic drama "Wish You Were Here." She also landed a role in the non-Hallmark holiday movie "Unbearable Christmas," and she had "Save the Last Dance" fans cheering when she joined the cast of "Dancing with the Stars" in 2026.