Most people see the name Ethan Peck and immediately think of the pointed ears. He’s Spock. He’s the legacy of Gregory Peck. He’s the guy carrying one of the heaviest mantles in sci-fi history on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. But if you’re a fan of late-2000s teen television, you remember a very different version of him. Before the Vulcan logic and the Hollywood prestige, there was Ethan Peck 10 Things I Hate About You.
He played Patrick Verona.
It was a daunting task. Honestly, it was almost a suicide mission for an actor’s reputation. He had to step into the shoes of Heath Ledger, who had turned the 1999 film version of Patrick into a global icon of teen angst and charm. Ledger’s performance was lightning in a bottle. Yet, in 2009, ABC Family decided to turn the beloved movie into a half-hour sitcom. Peck was cast as the lead, and while the show only lasted one season, his performance is a fascinating case study in how a young actor finds his footing under the shadow of a legend.
Why the Ethan Peck 10 Things I Hate About You Connection Still Matters
It’s easy to dismiss TV reboots. They happen all the time. Most of them are forgettable. But the 2009 series had a specific energy that worked, largely because it didn’t try to be a shot-for-shot remake of the movie. It leaned into the absurdity of high school in a way that felt fresh for the era.
Peck brought a certain "dark and broody" vibe that was distinct from Ledger’s. While Ledger was chaotic and charmingly unhinged, Peck was more of a silent enigma. He had that voice. You know the one—the baritone that sounds like it’s vibrating from the center of the earth. Even at 23, he had a gravitas that felt out of place in a suburban high school, which was exactly the point of the character.
A Different Kind of Patrick Verona
In the show, the dynamic between Patrick and Kat Stratford (played by Lindsey Shaw) had to be built from scratch over 20 episodes. It wasn't just a 90-minute arc.
- He was more of an outcast by choice than a "scary" rebel.
- The chemistry was grounded in intellectual sparring rather than just grand gestures.
- Peck's Patrick felt like he was actually hiding something, whereas Ledger's Patrick was just misunderstood.
The show focused heavily on the social hierarchy of Padua High. You had the newcomers, Bianca and Kat, navigating a world that felt both familiar and weirdly heightened. Peck’s Patrick was the anchor. He was the one person who didn't care about the social ladder, and that made him the perfect foil for Kat’s righteous indignation.
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The Casting Gamble and the Gregory Peck Legacy
When Ethan Peck was cast, the headlines weren't about his acting. They were about his grandfather. It’s a burden he’s talked about in various interviews over the years—this idea that he’s "Hollywood royalty."
Being Gregory Peck’s grandson is a lot.
In 10 Things I Hate About You, you can see him wrestling with that. He has the same striking features—the jawline, the intense eyes. But Patrick Verona allowed him to be a bit of a dirtbag. It was a role that let him get away from the "prestige" label and just be a teen heartthrob for a second. It’s funny looking back now, knowing he’d eventually play Spock, because the stillness he brought to Patrick was actually great training for a Vulcan.
The show was developed by Carter Covington, who clearly had a lot of love for the original source material (Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew). He didn't want a Ledger impersonator. He wanted someone who could carry the weight of being the "bad boy" without it feeling like a caricature. Peck delivered that. He made Patrick feel like a real guy who just happened to have a really deep voice and a leather jacket.
The Short Life of the Series
Why did it end? Ratings, mostly. ABC Family was a crowded space back then with Pretty Little Liars beginning to dominate the conversation. 10 Things was a bit more alt-rock than the soap-opera vibes the network was pivoting toward.
But for those who watched it, the show became a cult classic. It was smart. It was sarcastic. It actually had something to say about feminism and social structures. And at the center of it was the developing romance between Kat and Patrick. People still find the show on streaming platforms today and are shocked to see "Spock" looking like he just stepped out of a 2009 Hot Topic.
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The Evolution from High School Rebel to Starfleet Officer
There is a direct line from Ethan Peck 10 Things I Hate About You to his current success. If you watch his scenes as Patrick, you see the "Peck Stare." It’s that ability to hold a frame without saying a word.
In the episode "Light My Fire," the chemistry between Peck and Shaw is palpable. It’s not the flashy, "singing 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' on the bleachers" kind of energy. It’s quieter. It’s a look across a room. This nuance is what eventually caught the eyes of casting directors for bigger projects.
- He learned how to handle a fan-favorite character.
- He survived the "reboot" curse by being authentic.
- He proved he could lead a series.
Honestly, the show was ahead of its time. If it had landed on Netflix five years later, it probably would have run for five seasons. It had that Sex Education or Never Have I Ever DNA where the characters feel smarter than the world around them.
What Fans Get Wrong About His Early Career
A lot of people think Star Trek was his "breakout." It wasn't. Peck had been working the trenches for years. Aside from 10 Things, he was in The Sorcerer's Apprentice and In Time. But 10 Things I Hate About You was the first time he had to carry the emotional weight of a romantic lead.
It’s also where he met some of his lifelong friends in the industry. The cast was famously tight. Lindsey Shaw and Meaghan Martin (who played Bianca) have often spoken about how the set felt like a genuine community. That groundedness is something Peck has carried with him. You don't see him in the tabloids. He’s a "workhorse" actor, a trait he likely inherited from his family but polished on the set of an ABC Family sitcom.
Why You Should Rewatch the Series Now
If you haven’t seen the show, or if you only remember the movie, it’s worth a look for the historical context of Peck's career. You can see him figuring out his screen presence in real-time.
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The dialogue is snappy. The 2009 fashion is a total trip (so many vests). But more than that, it’s a reminder that every big star has a starting point that might seem "lesser" than their current status. For Peck, playing a high school rebel wasn't a step down; it was the foundation.
He didn't try to be Heath Ledger. He didn't try to be Gregory Peck. He just tried to be Patrick Verona.
In the end, that's why his version of the character works. It stands on its own. Whether he’s debating Shakespeare in a classroom or exploring the final frontier, Ethan Peck brings a specific, quiet intensity to everything he does.
How to Dive Deeper into Peck's Early Work
If you want to track the growth of Ethan Peck beyond the 2009 series, start with his guest spots on Gossip Girl or his role in the indie film Adopt a Sailor. You’ll see a performer who was constantly trying to find "the guy" behind the handsome face.
But if you want the pure, unadulterated "cool guy" Peck, go back to the pilot of 10 Things. Watch the way he walks into a room. It’s the same confidence he uses when he walks onto the bridge of the Enterprise. Just with better hair and fewer phasers.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Actors:
- Study the Nuance: Watch how Peck uses silence in his scenes with Lindsey Shaw. It's a masterclass in "less is more" for screen acting.
- Embrace the Reboot: Don't be afraid to take on iconic roles. The key is to bring a new perspective rather than a copy-paste performance.
- Track the Baritone: Notice how Peck’s voice acting has evolved. His vocal control in 10 Things was the precursor to his commanding presence as Spock.
- Streaming Search: The series is often available on platforms like Hulu or Disney+. If you’re a Trekker, it’s the ultimate "before they were famous" watch.
The transition from Patrick Verona to Spock might seem like a giant leap, but it’s actually just a natural progression for an actor who knows how to play the "outsider" with soul.