Julia Stiles delivered an emotional contemporary routine honoring her late 10 Things I Hate About You costar Heath Ledger during Dedication Night on Dancing With the Stars, culminating in an unexpected on-stage reunion with five of her original film costars.
The Bleacher Serenade Brought to the Ballroom Floor
Stepping barefoot onto a candlelit stage in a flowing blue dress that recalled her character’s on-screen wardrobe, Julia Stiles performed a contemporary routine with professional partner Ezra Sosa to Frankie Valli’s 1967 hit Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
. The song holds a permanent place in pop culture history from the 1999 romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, in which Ledger’s character, Patrick Verona, famously serenades Stiles’s character, Kat Stratford, from the bleachers during high school sports practice. Stiles told her partner Ezra Sosa that she had always admired Ledger’s lust for life
and wanted to replicate that in her routine. The film itself is a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew and served as Stiles’s first major feature film.
Cast Reunion and Judge Reactions on Dedication Night
As the contemporary routine drew to a close, Sosa left Stiles alone on the stage while her emotional film monologue played in lieu of music and a still photograph of her and Ledger filled the screen behind them. After placing a rose beneath the image, Stiles turned to find five of her former 10 Things I Hate About You costars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Andrew Keegan, Susan May Pratt, and Gabrielle Union stepping out to surround her. The cast stood with their arms around one another’s shoulders facing Ledger’s image.
Watching you, it just makes me want to open my heart.
The judges responded with deep emotion to the tribute. Bruno Tonioli called the routine a wonderful tribute
and praised the choreography, while Carrie Ann Inaba broke down in tears, describing the dance as an expression of the soul
and noting that it was so healing
. Derek Hough remarked that the performance will last forever
, and guest judge Kym Johnson praised the evening as a gorgeous dedication to him. Stiles and Sosa earned four 9s, bringing their total to 36 out of 40 points, their highest score of the season. The episode aired on Tuesday, October 20, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, as part of an evening where ten celebrities honored special people and places in their lives.
Reflections on a Breakout Film and a Lost Costar
The 1999 teen rom-com served as the breakthrough feature film for Stiles, Ledger, and Gordon-Levitt. Reflecting on her early experiences working alongside Ledger during her first leading role in a major production, Stiles recalled him as such a bright light
who walked into the room and lit it up with his natural kindness and authentic presence. She noted in a January 2025 interview with E! that working with him was effortless because he was so authentic and easygoing.
Speaking to Variety after the broadcast, Stiles marveled at the lasting affection audiences hold for the movie nearly three decades later. 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,
she told the publication. She also shared that she had begged each member of the cast to join her on stage to properly represent his legacy.
Yet it was the Dedication Night gathering for Ledger that anchored the episode, leaving cast members and viewers alike to ponder how a single high school comedy from 1999 continues to resonate so deeply across generations.
Julia Stiles Reunites With '10 Things I Hate About You' Cast, Cries During Heath Ledger Tribute on 'Dancing With the Stars' https://t.co/AkAnPDoywM
— https://x.com/Variety/status/2112725816266162591
More on Julia Stiles
The cast of '10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU' reunited to honor Heath Ledger ❤️Julia Stiles and her co-stars paid tribute to Ledger on 'Dancing With the Stars' with a dance to 'Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.' pic.twitter.com/XBqPsNkOWd
— https://x.com/Complex/status/2112924829510754682
We couldn’t take our eyes off of Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa after that fantastic Contemporary dedicated to Heath Ledger. ♥️ #DedicationNight #DWTS pic.twitter.com/GvBinW2eRq
— https://x.com/officialdwts/status/2112723611391791137