People's 50 most beautiful 

Julia Stiles - Actress/College Freshman

Age: 20

Height: 5'7"

Marital status: Single

Residence: Manhattan

Big break: This year's interracial romance Save the Last Dance

A reason to smile: "When I was 17, the first boyfriend I really loved told me my crooked teeth are sexy," says Julia Stiles "Now they're my favorite feature."

Her apple pie appeal: "There's something very American about Julia's face," says Dance director Thomas Carter.

The rapunzel effect: "She had her hair in a bun when I met her," says Gil Junger, who directed Stiles in 1999's 10 Things I Hate About You. "I asked her to take it down for the screen test -- and I almost proposed on the spot!"

Originally published in the June 2001 issue of People Magazine