Heath's Courtly Lady Love

Actress Shannyn Sossamon has come far since 1999, when she was first discovered while deejaying at Gwyneth Paltrow's birthday party. Now, the whole world can see her busting a move with Aussie heartthrob Heath Ledger in A Knight's Tale (opening Friday).

She's especially fond of one romantically hip dance number they did to David Bowie's "Golden Years." "Heath's a good dancer and I'm a good dancer, and it just felt magical," Sossamon enthuses to TV Guide Online. "[It was] like we were filming a musical way back when. It really felt magical."

Prior to being cast in A Knight's Tale, Sossamon confesses that — like most American moviegoers — she wasn't too familiar with Ledger's work. "I knew he was in that movie 10 Things I Hate About You, but I didn't know who he was," she admits. But clearly her fair-haired co-star has left quite an impression on her. "He's just cool," she gushes. "He's awesome. He's really charming and he's really respectful of women."

And though she raked in easy money as a commercial actress before, landing this role was like hitting the thespian jackpot for the Reno, Nev. native. Raves Sossamon: "It was like the opportunity was there, the script was great, and I knew I could play that character. I knew I could do this."