Photo: courtesy Everett Collection

save the last dance

Kerry Washingtonis celebrating 20 years ofSave the Last Dancewith a special behind the scenes photo.

TheLittle Fires Everywherestar shared a photo of herself and her costarsJulia Stiles,Sean Patrick Thomasand Garland Whitt on the set of the popular 2001 movie.

“OH EM GEE!!!!! Save the Last Dance turns 20 years old today 😱😱😱😱😱!” Washington, 43,wrote in the caption. “Playing Chenille changed my life.”

“I read that script and I felt like I KNEW her,” the actress continued. “At the time, I also knew the narrative that was being served in culture about who Black teen moms are. And I knew that if done right, this was an opportunity to transform some stereotyped thinking and make this young woman REAL. And human. And deserving of love and attention.”

She added, “I loooooved being a part of this film This cast. This crew. So many “slammin” memories! 😍😜.”

Thomas, 50, also commemorated the film’s anniversary, sharing two photos with Stiles, 39, from the set of the movie.

“Save The Last Dance premiered 20 years ago and we shocked the world, including myself,” Thomas wrote. “Never imagined the film would be as beloved as it is.”

“Thank you@missjuliastilesfor being an incredible partner…to@fatima_noir&@rtbrothas&@punchcity1for pushing me..to my castmates@kerrywashington,@fredro_starr,#VinceGreen, what fun…my man#JeffRoda✊🏿,” he continued. “Very proud today. We did good…#SaveTheLastDance.”

Save the Last Dancefollows the story of Sara, a white midwestern girl who moves to Chicago to live with her father after her mother dies in a car accident.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

source: people.com