Julia Stiles Privately Welcomed Baby No. 3 With Husband Preston Cook

Oh baby, oh baby, Julia Stiles is a mom once again. 

The 10 Things I Hate About You star recently shared that she and her husband Preston Cook privately welcomed their third child. 

"I'm kind of like a bundle of emotions," Julia told The New York Times in an interview published April 3. "Because I have a 5-month-old baby and I went into directing my first movie."

While we know details about Julia's directorial debut—it's a film adaptation of Renée Carlino's novel Wish You Were Here, and filming wrapped in February—Julia and Preston have kept the details about their newest addition, including name and sex, under wraps. In fact, the pair haven't shared the news on their social media accounts, with Julia noting to the Times of her pregnancy, "I didn't really talk about it."

But according to the 43-year-old, becoming a mom—Julia and Preston also share Strummer, 6, and Arlo, 2—was the perfect practice for becoming a director. 

"You have to think ten steps ahead but also be in the present moment," she explained. "You have to be good at time management. You have to be sensitive to people's needs and guide them, but also hold a boundary."

While directing while also caring for three kids at home has taken its toll—Julia noted she's "running on fumes in terms of sleep"—she also has taken it all in stride, adding, "But I feel more energized than I ever have."

Though Julia and Preston—who tied the knot in 2017 before welcoming Strummer—have kept quiet about becoming a family of five, the Save the Last Dance alum did previously note Arlo's arrival on her social media. 

"Welcome to the world, Baby Arlo," she captioned her January 2022 post, which featured a picture of her baby's feet. "The newest addition to our family, reminding me how infinite love can be."

She also joked, "Scroll forward to see how my 4 year old is taking it…" (Spoiler alert: he drew over their toilet in red marker.) 

And much like having children prepared her for her directorial debut, Julia has previously expressed the ways in which becoming a mom gave her a daily reprieve amid her acting career. 

"One of the most remarkable things is that, in many ways, having my attention focused on my son has made me a better actress because I don't come home every night dwelling on every little scene, every little line, and obsessing over my work," she previously told People. "It takes your focus off [the work], which makes you better [in the moment]."