Stiles is often lauded for her potential rather than her (adult) accomplishments. Either she’s the next Meryl Streep or, in the mind of Hughes, the next Liev Schreiber. It’s a strange comparison that hints at the difficulties in casting her; she’s never been an obvious romantic lead, despite her early movie roles. “Julia’s got a poise and dignity that comes with not wearing it all on your sleeve,” Pullman says. But her career was also slowed by college (she studied English at Columbia), and she’s picky about parts. “I don’t know if it’s a gender thing,” she says. “Roles for younger women are mostly the Girlfriend—but there are exceptions.”

Pullman appreciates her dilemma. “Last night, an actor”—not Stiles—“said there was an expiration date stamped on her forehead. I never thought that I would expire at certain points. Would I take shitty roles just to keep myself from going under?” Stiles, he says, has obviously chosen not to. “That selectivity is brave.” Then he speculates on why she feels a connection to Oleanna’s mysterious Carol—a hunch about the character that could just as easily apply to the actress. “Does she need a lot of sympathy, or a lot of respect? I think she’s going for respect.”

Related:

• Archive: “Theater Features”
• Articles by Boris Kachka
• Table of Contents: Oct 12, 2009 issue of New York | Subscribe!