Summary

• Christopher Nolan often casts actors from the 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You in his movies for memorable performances.
• Actors like Heath Ledger and Joseph Gordon-Levitt from 10 Things I Hate About You have gone on to star in key Nolan films.
• The success and impact of 10 Things I Hate About You paved the way for the actors to earn significant roles in Christopher Nolan's movies.

Director Christopher Nolan’s movies have revealed an unexpected actor pattern connected to a 1999 film.

With Nolan’s Oppenheimer giving Matthew McConaughey in Interstellar. Oddly, however, some of Nolan’s most inspired casting choices link back to a romantic comedy that only made $60 million.

Christopher Nolan Has Now Cast Three Main 10 Things I Hate About You Actors In His Movies

The 1999 romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, loosely based on William Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew, has maintained a legacy as one of the most beloved teen movies of the last 30 years. With an estimated budget of $13 million, 10 Things I Hate About You was an underdog teen rom-com with primarily up-and-coming actors, a director making his debut, and a screenplay from two writers who had never penned a feature film before. Against all odds, the movie was a huge hit in 1999 with primarily positive reviews, providing breakout roles for main actors Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Julia Stiles.

Over the next 24 years, three of the lead actors from 10 Things I Hate About You’s cast would find their way into incredibly important Christopher Nolan movie roles. Seven years after playing the male lead, Patrick Verona, in the teen rom-com, Heath Ledger was cast as the Joker for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, which became his most famous and awarded performance after his sudden ing in 2008. Nolan then hired Joseph Gordon-Levitt to play Arthur in the cast of his 2010 movie Inception, with this genius casting being followed by the actor’s role as Robin “John" Blake in Nolan’s 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises.

Over a decade later, Christopher Nolan continued his 10 Things I Hate About You casting inspiration with David Krumholtz, who portrayed Michael Eckman in the rom-com. Krumholtz landed a role in the huge ensemble cast of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer as Isidor Isaac Rabi, one of the main scientists on J. Robert Oppenheimer’s team at the Los Alamos Laboratory. Though none of the actors have been in the same Christopher Nolan movies together, it’s still curious that he has found some of his most inspired casting choices in actors who made their breakthroughs with 10 Things I Hate About You.

Christopher Nolan's Casting Trend Is A Reminder Of How Great 10 Things I Hate About You Is

While the quality of teen rom-coms over the past few decades has been debated, 10 Things I Hate About You reliably finds itself toward the top of lists regarding the 1990s’ greatest entries in the genre. From the clever screenplay and genius casting choices to its unique and memorable set-pieces, including Heath Ledger’s stadium serenade, 10 Things I Hate About You remains a classic gem in the genre. The movie happened to find these actors who would become some of the biggest names in the industry at the perfect time, and its story and writing still connect with new generations 25 years later.

10 Things I Hate About You also notably jumped on the Shakespeare rom-com adaptation trend quite early, and remains a golden standard for successfully adapting one of his plays this way. While Anyone but You successfully adapted Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing in 2023, it was really 10 Things I Hate About You that ushered new life into this trend in 1999, as similar concepts like 2006’s She’s the Man soon followed. Not all teen rom-coms end up seeing their main cast become some of the most accomplished actors in Hollywood, so 10 Things About You’s stars earning major Christopher Nolan roles gives it a great distinction.

Christopher Nolan's Next Casting Is Obvious Based On 10 Things I Hate About You

After Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and David Krumholtz, the biggest 10 Things I Hate About You actor who has yet to be cast in a Christopher Nolan movie is Julia Stiles. The actress portrayed the rom-com’s main protagonist Kat Stratford, who still remains one of her most iconic roles after 25 years. In the time since 10 Things I Hate About You, Stiles had notable roles in Mona Lisa Smile, the Bourne movies, Dexter season 5, and Hustlers, with her thriller and action movie experience making her the perfect choice for a future Christopher Nolan movie.