It’s been 15 years since Patrick—with the help of his high school’s band—serenaded Kat on the steps of the bleachers landing him in detention. After a decade and a half since this modern take on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew made cast members household names, where are the stars of this (not so affectionately-named) 1999 teen romantic-comedy-drama flick now?
Heath Ledger, a brilliant talent that died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in his NYC apartment in 2008, first stole the hearts of teens and tweens everywhere with his infectious smile and long locks as the mysterious but charming Patrick Verona. But looking to stray from being type-casted as the “pretty-boy,” Heath picked up such roles as in The Patriot and Brokeback Mountain—here he played Jake Gyllenhall’s love-interest. The last film Heath shot before his untimely death, The Dark Knight, won him a posthumous Oscar for his role as The Joker.
Julia Stiles also starred in quite a number of successful films since her breakout role as volatile and feminist teenager Katarina “Kat” Stratford. A few years later in 2002, Julia performed on stage as Viola in the off-Broadway show, Twelfth Night. Showcasing her talent in films such as Save The Last Dance, The Bourne trilogy and The Omen further solidified the actress’ ability to take on different roles through varying genres. Currently, Julia is set to play Courtney Hopkins in the upcoming 2014 film, The Great Gilly Hopkins—an adaptation of the popular children’s book by the same name.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt who played the fresh-faced Cameron James who stopped at nothing to win over his love-interest Bianca—including learning the French language—has since gone on to star in such hits as Inception with Leonardo DiCaprio, Premium Rush and in Looper with Bruce Willis. Having since made a name for himself in Hollywood, Joseph currently has several films in production and has his own company, hitRECord—a platform for regular people to come together and collaborate artistically. The company took to television where Joseph hosts the show entitled, HITRECORD ON TV.
Larisa Oleynik who had already been dubbed teen idol by the time she played Joseph’s love interest Bianca—the younger and fashion-conscience sister of Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You, went on to star in several films such as An American Rhaspody and Winx Club. In her most recent role as Maggie Cutler in the television series, Pretty Little Liars, she played a young woman uncertain about the identity of the father of her son.
David Krumholtz whose mathematical prowess helped the FBI solve crime in the hit CBS crime-drama Numbers, won the battle with thyroid cancer in early 2012. Since his role as Michael Eckman—the geek who was in on getting Patrick to date the un-dateable Kat—David has filmed such movies as Superbad and the Harold & Kumar trilogy. He has several films in the works including the upcoming 2014 film, The Judge, starring Robert Downey Jr.
Andrew Keegan who played the role of self-absorbed high school senior and model, Joey Donner has since appeared on numerous television series, such as, 7th Heaven, House and CSI: NY. Andrew is slated to play ”Blake,” a sociopathic vampire in the upcoming film, Living Among Us, set for release next year.
Gabrielle Union’s biggest role yet came the following year in the film, Bring It On, starring Kirsten Dunst and Eliza Dushku. Her lengthy television and film career included appearances in Clueless and Ugly Betty, as well as a leading role in the feature film, Deliver Us From Eva. Gabriella recently married to NBA player Dwayne Wade. She can be seen playing a bridesmaid in Think Like A Man Too, which is in theaters now. Right now she is currently the star of Being Mary Jane, a BET series about a journalist searching for “Mr. Right.”
(Feature photo via ImgFave)