Heath Ledger’s Former Co-Star Details Iconic Movie Moment That Wasn’t Scripted

Julia Stiles is shedding light on that scene in 10 Things I Hate About You, suggesting her real tears were the product of an all-star cast and crew, namely, co-star Heath Ledger.

Decades after the film's release, the Silver Linings Playbook actress revisited the part of the movie where her character Kat Stratford recites a poem listing all the things she "hates" about a former love interest (played by Ledger) and becomes quite emotional while doing so.

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"The scene where I read the poem, I did not expect to start crying or tearing up or choking up, whatever," Stiles told E! News this week. "But it just happened because it was the movie was coming to an end, the production was coming to an end. And I think I was just so moved by the whole experience."

Related: The Best Quotes From '10 Things I Hate About You'

Stiles, now 43, previously opened up about the raw scene about a decade ago, telling Cosmopolitan UK in February 2015: "I never expected that I was going to start crying. I don't know why I did, whether it connected to something going on at the time, or if I was just overwhelmed by the whole experience of making my first big movie."

But while talking to E!, Stiles gushed over the late actor, recalling how "amazing" and "generous" he was to her while filming, hinting that his friendship helped her evoke the unscripted emotion.

"He was very kind and generous to me," Stiles said of Ledger, who tragically passed away at age 28 in January 2008. "Which you know, when you're an actress in your first leading role in a big studio movie," she explained, "you need to feel comfortable with the other person."

"And he was very generous that way," Stiles concluded.

Next: Heath Ledger’s Daughter Matilda Is All Grown Up in Rare Sighting