The Touching Message Heath Ledger Left For 10 Things I Hate About You Costar Julia Stiles

Nineties darling Julia Stiles admits that she fell out of touch with Heath Ledger after they filmed "10 Things I Hate About You," the 1999 high school rom-com adaptation of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" that catapulted both actors to fame.

In a 2016 interview with HuffPost, Stiles recalled the sweet goodbye note Ledger left for her as filming for the teen comedy wrapped. She said she was surprised to learn of Ledger's death in 2008, which inspired to revisit the note. "He had written on this hotel stationery because we were all staying at the Sheraton in Tacoma, Washington, and it said — I forget the beginning of the quote, but it's like, 'Dance like you've never heard the music and love like you've never been hurt.' It was so sweet. I almost cried. That was his goodbye note to me," said Stiles.

Ledger played Patrick Verona, the love interest to Stiles' Kat Stratford, and their rapport sparkles on the screen. It's clear the actors had a warm relationship behind the scenes. "He had a zest for life and just was like always, he was never checked out. He was always totally engaged with everybody. Really interesting, remarkable person and actor," Stiles told Daily Telegraph (via The Brag). But that doesn't make the film easier for Stiles to watch now.

Julia Stiles has shared that Heath Ledger's tragic and abrupt death left her shocked. "It was so sad," she told HuffPost, sharing that it added a complicated, emotional layer to her feelings about filming "10 Things I Hate About You." "That was such an amazing time for all of us, and we were all so innocent."

But Stiles has admitted that she already finds it difficult to revisit the teen comedy that transformed her into a household name. "If you had your prom video or a home video from high school, I don't know that I'd watch it," she told People in 2019.

But while she might not love rewatching it, Stiles maintains that the '90s teen classic holds a special place in her heart — as does her character, the prickly Kat Stafford who loves riot girl bands and feminist literature. "I was just so eager to get that part because it was unique at the time. I hadn't read a character that was so feisty, outspoken, and opinionated," she added.