Julia Stiles Reflects On The Legacy Of '10 Things I Hate About You,' 25 Years Later

Stiles was just 17 years old when she landed the part of “unapologetic” Kat Stratford opposite Heath Ledger in the coming-of-age comedy.

Julia Stiles is taking a heartfelt look back at her breakout role in “10 Things I Hate About You” in honor of the movie’s 25th anniversary.

In a Yahoo Entertainment interview published Thursday, Stiles said appearing in the beloved coming-of-age comedy was a “refreshing” experience given the “unapologetic” attitude of her character, Katarina “Kat” Stratford.

“That was my first big movie,” she explained. “I was a 17-year-old auditioning actress. So I’m trying to figure out who I am as a person, and then also getting all this criticism and feedback from the movie industry.”

Prior to appearing in “10 Things I Hate About You,” Stiles had roles in films like “Wicked,” for which she beat out Katie Holmes, and “The Devil’s Own,” starring Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford. Though she had yet to cement herself as a bankable Hollywood commodity at the time of her “10 Things” casting, she’d already felt the sting of sexist criticism and was eager to push back.

“A lot of it was like, ‘You’re too serious,’ ‘You [need to] lighten up.’ You know, trying to be more appealing sexually, whatever,” recalled the actor. “That can be really disheartening, especially as a teenager.”