When Heath Ledger first graced movie theaters with his quintessentially Aussie charm in 10 Things I Hate About You, teens the world over fell in love with Patrick Verona. An adaptation of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, the 1999 hit proved to be the perfect vehicle for Ledger's burgeoning talents. Tragically, the handsome Australian died in 2008 at the tender age of just 28, but he will live on forever through his impressive acting resume.

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The multitalented actor went on to make us weep in tearjerker Brokeback Mountain, which, controversially, was snubbed for Best Picture, and left us recoiling in fear with his menacing and unhinged performance in The Dark Knight. But it's his role in 10 Things I Hate About You that has left an indelible mark as a pivotal coming of age classic. For many fans, his captivating youthful effervescence as Patrick Verona remains the iconic image of Heath Ledger, so here are 10 interesting facts about his role in the 90s teen hit.

10 He Dated Co-Star Julia Stiles

Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles in 10 Things I Hate About You
via IMDB

Ledger had been linked to many beautiful actresses from Heather Graham to Naomi Watts. But life imitated art during the filming of 10 Things I Hate About You, as he fell for co-star Julia Stiles, who played his love interest Kat. Falling in love on set is quite common when filming romantic comedies and the two began dating. Their romance was short lived, however, as the two lost contact after filming. In a 2016 interview with the Huffington Post, Stiles recalled the poignant moment when she discovered a note the actor had left for her: 'I forget the beginning of the quote, but it's like, 'Dance like you've never heard music and love like you've never been hurt.' It was so sweet. I almost cried. That was his goodbye note to me.'

Related: Here's Why We Don't Hear About Julia Stiles Anymore

9 The Director Wanted Heath From The Moment He Saw Him

Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You
via Metro

Director Gil Junger has explained that he knew Ledger was the man for the role from the minute he walked into the audition room. 'Heath walked in', Junger told the New York Times, 'and I thought to myself, 'If this guy can read, I'm going to cast him'. There was an energy to him, a sexuality that was palpable.' The director then went on to say that, despite his heterosexuality, 'if I had to sleep with a man, that would be the man.' While reducing actors to sexual objects is rather problematic in the age of MeToo, we will meet Junger halfway and concede that the late star was certainly attractive.

8 He Did His Own Singing

Heath Ledger singing in 10 Things I Hate About You
via NYT

Dubbing over vocals is common in movies. Some notable examples include 1964's My Fair Lady, in which Audrey Hepburn was dubbed by Marni Nixon, and 1952's Singin' in the Rain, in which Betty Noyes sang for Debbie Reynolds. Always the method actor, Ledger rejected lip-synching and sang his own songs. Famously, he serenades Kat with a rendition of 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You', complete with music from the school band.

7 It Was His First US Role

Heath Ledger posing for an interview
via LA Times

Prior to 10 Things I Hate About You, Ledger could be seen in sweet family comedy Paws (1997) and had a blink-and-you'll-miss-it role in tense whodunnit thriller The Interview (1998). But outside of his native Australia, Ledger was a complete unknown. His role in 10 Things would be his first on US soil and it wasn't long before the hitherto undiscovered actor became a Hollywood star, going on to appear in box office hits A Knight's Tale and the Oscar-winning Monster's Ball just one and two years later respectively.

6 He Beat Hollywood Heartthrobs To The Role

Heath Ledger at an event
via Esquire

The role of Patrick Verona was highly sought after. Teen heartthrobs Josh Hartnett, who was in the midst of filming The Virgin Suicides at the time, and That '70s Show star Ashton Kutcher both auditioned for the part. Incredibly, the up-and-coming Aussie actor beat both actors to the role. Considering his charm and natural charisma, it comes as little shock that the producers only had eyes for Ledger.

5 Ledger And Gordon-Levitt Had More Than One Thing In Common

Ledger and Gordon-Levitt in 10 Things I Hate About You
via IMDB

10 Things I Hate About You also starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who was just 18 at the time. As it turns out, the two dynamic young actors have a couple of notable things in common. The actors share a striking resemblance, which has been the subject of much discussion. In addition, they both went on to appear in Christopher Nolan's Batman series of movies. In one of his most iconic roles, Ledger played the Joker in The Dark Knight, which garnered much praise from his co-stars, as well as the Academy (he won a posthumous Oscar for the role). Meanwhile, Gordon-Levitt appeared in the movie's acclaimed sequel, The Dark Knight Rises, as Robin.

4 He Earned A Modest Salary

Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You
via People.com

We associate a big movie star like Heath Ledger with multimillion dollar salaries. Accordingly, it may come as a surprise to discover that he earned a modest $100,000 for his role as Patrick Verona. While 10k isn't anything to scoff at - and for a 20-year-old kid it most certainly would have been a life-changing salary - it is nonetheless somewhat of a shock considering the movie's $16 million budget and subsequent high-grossing success at the box office.

3 His Aussie Background Was Incorporated Into Patrick

Heath Ledger profile
via Vogue

From his cowboy drawl in Brokeback Mountain to his medieval English inflection in A Knight's Tale, Ledger was adept at perfecting different accents for his roles. Therefore, viewers may be concerned when noticing that Patrick speaks with an unusual accent that flits between American and Australian. This is because director Gil Junger felt that Ledger's Aussie accent added a certain edge to the character. Junger has been quoted as saying that the accent made Patrick 'dangerous and sexy.'

Related: 10 Celebs Who Are Actually Australian

2 He Improvised Playing With Fire

Ledger improvises a scene in 10 Things I Hate About You
via Amazon

Hollywood movies usually adhere to strict scripts with little room for improv. However, this was not the case with 10 Things I Hate About You. The moment in which Patrick plays with a live flame was not actually in the original script. Ledger improvised the scene, which helps add to the character's dangerous 'bad boy' persona. He wasn't the only actor to utilize improvisational skills for the movie: Julia Stiles ended up improvising crying when she read the '10 Things' poem.

1 His Inspiration For Patrick Foreshadowed A Much Later Role

Heath Ledger as the Joker in The Dark Knight
via Warner Bros

When interviewed about his portrayal of Patrick, Ledger explained that Jack Nicholson provided major inspiration for the role: 'my Patrick has also got a Jack Nicholson edge to him with his cheekiness and his smiles', the young actor said. Evidently, the Nicholson influence remained with Ledger, as almost a decade later he went on to portray the Joker, a role immortalized by Nicholson in Tim Burton's 1989 adaptation of Batman.

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