It’s been over two decades since “10 Things I Hate About You” was released, but Julia Stiles still remembers a thoughtful gesture made by her late-co-star, Heath Ledger.
“When it came time for us to kiss he made me feel really comfortable. I was better able to perform because I wasnât feeling criticized or threatened by him,” Stiles recalled to The Times on May 16.
She added, “Oh, he just lit up a room. So magnetic.”
On how the 1999 film still resonates with fans, Stiles said, “Itâs such an affirmation that people are still interested in it.”
Stiles previously told E! News in January that the cast of “10 Things I Hate About You,” which included Gabrielle Union and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, got along really well.
She also shared how Ledger made her feel at ease being the lead of her first feature film. “He was very kind and generous to me, which you know, when you’re an actress in your first leading role in a big studio movie, you need to feel comfortable with the other person. And he was very generous that way,” Stiles told The Times.
Stiles Praised Ledger on How He Would Let Her Shine
Ledger starred opposite of Stiles in “10 Things I Hate About You,” but he never stole her spotlight. “He wasn’t trying to compete with me. He stood back and he was like, this is your scene,” Stiles said on the “People in the ’90s” podcast in July 2021.
“When they did his reaction shot, he didn’t well up. He didn’t go, ‘Okay, now I have to do something with my side of the camera.’ He was just like, ‘That was beautiful and this is your scene,’” the “Save the Last Dance” star shared.
She added, “You know, he had his amazing moments in the movie, too â the singing and dancing and running up and down those steps. But he was confident enough, even just starting out, to be like, ‘I’m handing over the stage to you.’ And I learned way later in life that that doesn’t always happen.”
’10 Things I Hate About You’ Remains Dear to Stiles’ Heart
Stiles reflected on how “10 Things I Hate About You” was pivotal to her career. “It was such a huge moment for me starting out as an actress where I was constantly, you know, you face a lot of rejection and a lot of criticism, especially when you’re an auditioning actor,” she told MovieWeb in October 2024.
“As a 17-year-old girl when you’re still trying to figure out who you are, the feedback was always like, ‘You’re too serious. You’re too feisty,” Stiles continued.
Stiles said that after reading the script for “10 Things I Hate About You,” she felt moved by the character and expressed gratitude that others still feel the same way about Kat Stratford.
“As a performer, that’s why you make moves. You want people to watch them … and carry the story with them,” she said.
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