Julia Stiles Says She’d Be ‘Foolish’ Not to Learn From Sir Anthony Hopkins on ‘Blackway’ Set

“His enthusiasm is so contagious, too," Stiles said on "Good Morning America."

ByABC News
June 2, 2016, 9:52 AM

— -- Julia Stiles was the “it girl” in teen classics like “Save the Last Dance” and “10 Things I Hate About You,” and now she’s starring in the revenge thriller “Blackway,” with Sir Anthony Hopkins, about a brave young woman standing up to a sociopath played by Ray Liotta.

“It’s a classic good-versus-evil story,” Stiles, 35, said on “Good Morning America” today. “I play a young woman who is terrorized by this man in a small logging town in the Pacific Northwest and she decides to finally not be afraid and stick up for herself.

“She seeks out the help of people in the town like the sheriff and law enforcement and everybody and the only person who will help her is Anthony Hopkins’ character. He becomes sort of a father-figure to her and helps her put an end to this guy.”

The actress said working alongside the legendary Hopkins was “amazing.”

“He’s such a talented actor; had such an amazing career, he’s 70-something years old, been knighted by the queen, and he loves being on a movie set,” she said of the 78-year-old Welshman. “His enthusiasm is so contagious, too. He sets a really nice tone. He’s great.”

Despite growing up in New York City acting her entire life, Stiles said she’s be “foolish not to” continue learning from an actor of his caliber.

“I have so much to learn, and I’m really fortunate that I get to work with actors like him,” she said. “That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to do the movie, to soak up everything that I could.”

“Wow, Julia, it's been 15 year since ‘Save the Last Dance’ came out,” he said in a video he recorded for her. “I'm very proud of the work you and I did together. We worked really hard on the movie, people still enjoy it, and I love working with you.”

“Awww, that’s so sweet,” she said, shocked by his message, holding her hand to her heart. “Right back at you.”

“Blackway” opens nationwide June 10.