10 Things I Hate About You was released back in 1999, and is arguably one of the best High School movies of all time. A modern adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, the comedy (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) is still endlessly quotable and a beloved rom-com. And the movie's director recently explained why late actor Heath Ledger landed the role of Patrick Verona back in the day.
I grew up watching 10 Things I Hate About You over and over again on syndication, and I think it's one of the best '90s movies of all time. Director Gil Junger recently spoke to EW about the casting process, which include seeing hundreds of men for Patrick. As he put it:
Actors always wanted to know, 'What did he do? What did he do to make you cast him?' He was magic. The truth of the matter is we were casting and he walked into the room, and I'm very picky. I had already read 253 guys — 253 guys! And then Marcia Ross, the head of Disney casting, said, 'Look, this next kid, I don't know him. It's a favor for an agent I respect. So if he's no good, just stop it and send him on his way.'
That's show business, folks. Casting is a unique process, and sometimes people are seen thanks to personal favors. That's what happened with Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You, although the Oscar-winning actor was able to deliver in the role and land the part. Truly it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role.
10 Things I Hate About You isn't a big blockbuster, so it might be surprising that so many actors were brought in by the casting director. Later in that same interview, Junger went on to share how Heath Ledger ended up dazzling them during this long and grueling process. As he shared:
Don't forget, I've been casting for months and did not have the guy yet. And this is the God's honest truth, on my parents' life: He took three steps into the room, and my thought was, 'If this fucker can read English, I'm going to cast him.' He just had a magnetism unlike I've ever felt. It was undeniable. If there's old souls, he must have been centuries old because he just had a way about him that — he was only 17, and yet he just was so confident and loving and wanted to be the best he could be. He was just an incredible young man.
This is just one story that shows what kind of actor Heath Ledger was. Despite his young age, he had the charisma and star power to land the leading role in 10 Things I Hate About You. This rom-com was just the tip of the ice berg, and he's go on to give acclaimed performances in a number of other projects. That includes Brokeback Mountain, and his Oscar-winning role as Joker in The Dark Knight Rises.
10 Things I Hate About You is streaming now on Disney+. We'll just have to wait and see if any of the titles on the 2025 movie release list ends up being quite as iconic.
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