How a Real High School Helped Make ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ a Classic
There’s a real high school behind one of the biggest cult classics. 27 years after 10 Things I Hate About You hit theaters, the cast and crew behind the beloved teen rom-com continue to share stories that even devoted fans might not know — from the film’s spot-on location to a rooftop stunt that nearly ended the director’s career.
The 1999 film, shot primarily in Seattle, starred Julia Stiles as the fiercely independent Kat Stratford, Larisa Oleynik as her sister, Bianca, and Heath Ledger as the enigmatic Patrick Verona. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and David Krumholtz rounded out the ensemble.
Seattle Locations Gave the Film Its Look
Padua High School in the film was actually Tacoma’s Stadium High School in real life.
Stadium High School, often called the “Brown Castle,” was originally planned in 1891 by the Northern Pacific Railroad Company as a grand luxury hotel on the Pacific Coast, but financial collapse left it unfinished until it was later converted into a school. Opening in 1906 as Tacoma High School with hundreds of students and staff, it was renamed Stadium High School in 1913 and has since hosted notable figures including U.S. presidents and war heroes, adding to its rich legacy. Now a registered historical landmark, the school blends its historic charm with modern updates completed around its 2006 centennial, maintaining a strong reputation for academic excellence, vibrant arts programs and a highly involved, diverse student community.
Elsewhere around the state, Patrick’s serenade of Kat was filmed at Seattle Center. Gas Works Park served as the setting for the rooftop date scene, and the University of Washington doubled as the campus. Outdoor biking and walking sequences were shot at Green Lake Park. People now visit the sites to show their appreciation for the film.
The Rooftop Finale Nearly Ended a Career
The final scene featuring Letters to Cleo performing a cover of “I Want You to Want Me” on top of Padua High School almost didn’t happen. The studio pushed back because of the cost of sending a helicopter up to film.
“We did two takes, and it was pretty much assumed that this shot wasn’t going to work, and Gil [the director] would never work in Hollywood again because he had just blown through half a million dollars doing this shot he was forbidden to do. And it ended up being a pretty iconic scene,” lead singer Kay Hanley told The New York Times in 2019.
Hanley described the conditions on the roof: “We’re all arranged on top of this postage-stamp-sized roof with chicken wire the only thing protecting us from toppling to our deaths into the Puget Sound.”
Heath Ledger’s Bleachers Scene Featured His Real Vocals
Ledger performed Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” himself during the soccer practice scene.
“The singing impressed me more than anything because, as a choreographer, I can always find a way to make actors look amazing. But singing? That’s something you can’t fake,” choreographer Marguerite Pomerhn Derricks told Huffpost in March 2019.
Julia Stiles Actually Cried While Filming
One of the film’s most emotional moments — Kat’s poem recital — was captured in just two takes, Stiles told Bustle in January 2025. Her tears were unscripted.
“We were filming that scene at the end of the summer and the movie was going to be winding down, and it had been such a big experience for me,” she said. “It was my first studio movie leading role. I loved that part so much. I loved the rest of the cast. And we’d had such a fun time and it was coming to an end, and it just … the emotion kind of got to me.”
Was Kate Hudson Almost Cast in the Film?
Casting director Marcia Ross recalled the process for a 2019 New York Times oral history about the film.
“But Julia and Heath just had the best chemistry together,” Ross said. “I loved Katie Holmes. She was about to get Dawson’s Creek, and we had to make a decision really fast. The other person I loved was Kate Hudson. But her mom didn’t like the script for her, so she passed.”
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
