Julia Stiles remembers Heath Ledger fondly as the 17th anniversary of his death approaches.
Stiles, 43, appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Monday, Jan. 13, where she reflected on working with other famous actors, including the late Ledger on their 1999 teen romantic comedy. 10 things I hate about you.
“He was such a force,” said Stiles, who is making her directorial debut on the romantic drama Wish You Were Herefor which she also wrote the screenplay.
“He walked into a room and just lit it up and had so much energy and passion, and it’s really sad that he’s gone,” she added.
Ledger was found dead on January 22, 2008. A toxicology report revealed a fatal mix of prescription drugs in the 28-year-old’s system.
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Talk to PEOPLE in the middle 10 things I hate about youLast year’s 25th anniversary, director Gil Junger said that “the cast [Heath] in fact before he even spoke.”
“This guy was an old soul if you ever met one,” the director continued of Ledger, adding that at the time he met the actor 10 things at the audition, he “already read over 200 types” for the role of bad boy Patrick Verona, while casting “probably read close to 2,000.”
“[Heath] walked into the room at one of those big castings … I swear to my parents’ lives, I thought, ‘If this f*ck can speak English, I’ll give him the part,'” recalled Junger, 70. “He just had an energy that was undeniable.”
Undeniably, in fact, “I liked Heath so much as a person that I would literally drive to and from work with him just to spend more time with him,” the director added.
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Enter Heath Ledger 10 things I hate about you (1999).
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10 surprising facts about 10 things I hate about you as the film turns 25 (exclusive)
Adapted from William Shakespeare Taming Shrew, 10 Things I Hate About You follows Kat Stratford (Stiles), a cynical, intelligent high school senior who dreams of leaving her West Coast town to attend Sarah Lawrence College in New York.
At home, their overprotective single father Walter (Larry Miller) constantly compares her to her popular, cheerful younger sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik). But Kat’s world is soon turned upside down by the arrival of Patrick Verona (Ledger), a nervous new student who forces her to look at herself in a way she’s been reluctant to do for so long.
On WWHLStiles was asked if she enjoyed working on 10 things or Save the last dance (2001) more — and noted that the last film was “a completely different experience,” as she “put a lot of pressure on herself” during production.
“10 thingsit was fun!” she said, comparing the two. “And it was [my] it’s the first time I’m doing such a big studio film and I really love that character. We had a great time.”
Wish You Were Here is in theaters on Friday, January 17. Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen airs Sunday through Thursday evenings on Bravo.
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