Why Justine Jordan From Firefly Lane Looks So Familiar – Looper

One of Jolene Purdy’s first breakout roles was in “10 Things I Hate About You.” Adapted from the popular film starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles, Bianca (Meaghan Martin) and Kat Stratford (Lindsay Shaw) start their new lives at Padua High, where romance awaits them. 

Purdy portrays Mandella — who was initially played by Susan May Pratt — a loner who quickly becomes best friends with Kat. She is extremely loyal to Kat, going as far as beating up an unwanted admirer after he continuously tries to woo her. Unlike in the movie, Mandella is introduced as a goth girl — rather than a Shakespeare buff — who is easily alarmed and would rather scribble graffiti than attend prom. There are also hints that she is a lesbian — in the film, she begins a relationship with Michael Eckman (David Krumholtz) — and though it’s confirmed, she disappears from the series, only appearing in eight episodes of the 20 that were aired. 

Immediately after “10 Things I Hate About You,” Purdy landed a main role in the TeenNick series “Gigantic.” This revolved around the lives of Anna Moore (Grace Summer) and her brother, Walt (Tony Oller), and depicted the lives of two children in Hollywood with their famous parents. Purdy appears as Piper Katins, Anna’s best friend, who is witty and does not tolerate how fake everyone in the town is.