Julia Stiles on her romantic directorial debut, 'Wish You Were Here'

Julia Stiles makes her feature directorial debut with Wish You Were Here, now playing in movie theaters.

The journey to making her first film was long, but the actress-turned-director told ABC Audio it was something she always dreamed of.

"It's been a career-long dream of mine to direct a movie," Stiles said. "I spent so long looking for the right story. And then I was sent this book, Wish You Were Here, five years ago, and it just totally hit me as something that needed to be a movie."

After she found the story she wanted to develop for the big screen, it took Stiles half a decade to get the project made.

"In the five years since we set out to make it, I feel like the story has only gotten deeper and more meaningful for me," Stiles said. "I feel like we need a movie like this right now that's full of hope and is about love and taking care of another person."

Stiles, known for her roles in iconic romance films like 10 Things I Hate About You and Save the Last Dance, said the genre has always spoken to her.

"I'm a romantic at heart. I love the idea that people can find their soulmate," Stiles said. "One of the things that I love about the way that ... we approached the love story, and it comes from the book, is that it's much more mature than the age of the characters."

As for the differences between acting and directing, Stiles said she definitely got to flex different muscles.

"Being an actor or a performer, a lot of times you're just being told what to do or be," Stiles said. "But being a director, you really have to be a good manager. You have to be good with multitasking, thinking 10 steps ahead, but also being present. And there's a logical part of my brain that got put to work that was really enjoyable for me."

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