Julia Stiles shared fond memories of working with Heath Ledger on the set of the 1998 teen comedy “10 Things I Hate About You.” The actress detailed why she got along so well with her late costar 26 years after the film’s release. “He was amazing,” Stiles said. “He was such a bright light.” Now 43, Julia reminisced about the camaraderie among the cast, which included Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, Andrew Keegan, and Larisa Oleynik.
She recalled Heath having a notably special presence. “He just walked into the room and lit it up,” she said. Considering “10 Things I Hate About You” was Julia’s first starring role in a feature film, she was particularly grateful for her close connection with Ledger, who passed away at the young age of 28.
“He was very kind and generous to me,” she explained. “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.”
Reflecting on the film’s production, Julia emphasized the fun she had filming her character Kat Strafford’s paintball date with Heath’s character, Patrick Verona.
Julia recalls Heath’s special presence
She also remembered the poignancy of shooting the iconic scene where Kat reads her titular poem aloud in class. “The scene where I read the poem, I did not expect to start crying or tearing up or choking up, whatever,” Julia recounted. “But it just happened because the movie was coming to an end, the production was coming to an end.
And I think I was just so moved by the whole experience.”
Julia remains amazed by how the film continues to resonate with audiences. “I’m so happy and thrilled that people are still talking about that movie,” she said. “It was really important to me as my first big role as an actress.
It was a part that really spoke to me. And so, to know that audiences are still talking about it 25 years later is what you dream of as a performer.”