Julia Stiles Honors Heath Ledger With '10 Things' Cast Reunion on DWTS

Julia Stiles Honors Heath Ledger With ’10 Things’ Cast Reunion on DWTS

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Julia Stiles delivered an emotional contemporary routine honoring her late 10 Things I Hate About You co-star Heath Ledger on Tuesday night’s episode of Dancing with the Stars, surprising viewers with an on-stage reunion of the cult classic film’s cast.

Revisiting a 1999 Rom-Com Classic on the Ballroom Floor

For Dedication Night on the reality competition series, Stiles and her professional dance partner, Ezra Sosa, performed a contemporary routine to Frankie Valli’s 1967 hit Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. The track holds deep significance for fans of the modern Shakespeare adaptation The Taming of the Shrew.

In the 1999 romantic comedy directed by Gil Junger, Ledger’s character, Patrick Verona, famously serenades Stiles’s character, Kat Stratford, from the bleachers of their high school stadium. The film marked a crucial career milestone for both actors. For Stiles, then 17, it served as her first leading role in a major studio production. For Ledger, an Australian actor largely unknown to American audiences, it was his Hollywood debut, launching a film that ultimately earned $54m worldwide.

Preparing for the routine proved unexpectedly heavy for the 45-year-old actress. I know that Dedication Night is emotional, but I thought I was distanced from it enough. Like, oh, it was so many years ago, Stiles told Variety during rehearsals. Something about seeing clips from that movie and images and hearing my voice and hearing his voice is bringing back so many memories. It’s a lot.

I have so many great memories, but I am also sad because I really wish I could pick up the phone and be like, 'Hey dude.&#039.

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The 10 Things I Hate About You Cast Reunites Live on Stage

As the contemporary dance drew to a close, Sosa left Stiles alone on the floor. A still image of Stiles and Ledger filled the screen at the back of the room while an audio recording of Kat’s iconic poem played in lieu of music. Stiles placed a single rose on the steps beneath the portrait before turning to find an unexpected gathering waiting for her.

Heath ledger julia stiles
Photo: Yahoo

Stiles revealed that she had personally petitioned her former colleagues to take part in the tribute. I said, if we had to have someone with us on stage representing Heath’s legacy or the film, I said it had to be the whole cast, Stiles explained. I begged them, each and every one of them, and they all rallied. They really did.

Standing arm-in-arm on the studio floor alongside Stiles were Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, Larisa Oleynik, Susan May Pratt, and Andrew Keegan, all visibly moved as they stared up at the projection. The surprise appearance caught viewers and the studio audience off guard.

Judges and Fans React to the Emotional Dedication Night Performance

The routine struck a profound chord across social media platforms, with fans posting about being brought to tears by the unannounced cast reunion. Inside the ballroom, the four judges rewarded the technical precision and emotional resonance of the routine with a combined score of 36 out of 40, marking Stiles’s highest score of the competition series thus far.

Ledger died in January 2008 at the age of 28 from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. Later that same year, he received a posthumous Academy Award for his unforgettable performance as the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.

DWTS' Julia Stiles Reunites With 10 Things Cast to Honor Heath Ledger

At 17 years old, I never would have thought that I’d be here at 45, celebrating my body, dancing on the show that I absolutely love and that fans are still interested in this movie and still moved and touched by this movie, Stiles reflected after leaving the dance floor.

More on Heath Ledger

Julia Stiles Teases Tribute to Heath Ledger on DWTS Dedication Night | E! News
Julia Stiles on Honoring ‘Beacon of Light’ Heath Ledger w/ ‘DWTS’ Dedication (Exclusive)
Julia Stiles Says She Cried Rehearsing Heath Ledger Tribute for ‘DWTS’

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Marina Collins - Entertainment Editor

Senior Editor, Entertainment Marina is a celebrated pop culture columnist and recipient of multiple media awards. She curates engaging stories about film, music, television, and celebrity news, always with a fresh and authoritative voice.

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