Julia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas Have Save the Last Dance Reunion
Key Points:
- Julia Stiles' dance skills first caught attention in a 40-second table-dancing scene in 1999's "10 Things I Hate About You," which led to her being screen-tested for "Save the Last Dance."
- To convincingly portray a teenage ballerina aiming for Juilliard, Stiles underwent intense dance training for a month and a half, enduring physical tolls like blisters and calluses, as she insisted on performing her own dance scenes without a double.
- Co-star Sean Patrick Thomas, with little prior dance experience, quickly learned choreography on set and embraced the challenge to avoid looking awkward, demonstrating dedication similar to Stiles'.
- Stiles drew on her real-life experience growing up in a diverse New York City neighborhood to authentically portray her character, while co-star Kerry Washington researched teen parenthood to deepen her role.
- The cast enjoyed their dance scenes, notably celebrating during a club shoot in Chicago where they danced for hours, and despite Stiles' later embarrassment watching the film, Washington expressed enthusiasm for a potential reunion project decades later.