In a heartfelt tribute, Julia Stiles is preparing to honor her late 10 Things I Hate About You co-star Heath Ledger during tonight’s episode of Dancing With the Stars. Stiles, alongside her professional dance partner Ezra Sosa, will perform a contemporary routine to Frankie Valli‘s classic “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” a song deeply meaningful to fans of the beloved 1999 romantic comedy.
Emotional Preparations
As Stiles prepares for the performance, she admits that the process is stirring up a torrent of emotions. Speaking with People magazine, she expressed surprise at how emotional the experience has been. “I know watching the show how emotional Dedication Night is. It’s always very personal stories. But I thought, ‘Oh, I’m distanced enough from it. The movie was so many years ago. But something about watching clips from that movie, seeing our pictures, hearing our voices is bringing up a lot,” she shared.
Ledger passed away in January 2008 at the age of 28 due to an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. Reflecting on their time together, Stiles reminisced on Instagram, describing their work on the film as a “special moment in time.” She added, “It’s amazing that people still care about that movie and it’s just sad that we can’t celebrate it with him.”
A Lasting Legacy
Stiles has fondly remembered Ledger in previous interviews, calling him “such a bright light.” During an interview with E! News, she recounted how his kindness and charisma made her feel at ease while taking on her first leading role in a major film. “He just walked into the room and lit it up,” she recalled.
Tribute Night on Dancing With the Stars
Stiles’ tribute comes just a week after she performed a jazz routine inspired by her 2001 film Save the Last Dance, set to a remix of Jennifer Lopez’s “Jenny From the Block.” Stiles and Sosa received an impressive score of 33 out of 40 points, marking their highest score of the season thus far. Stiles expressed her gratitude for the audience’s reception, stating, “It is a dream for any performer to have people care… Decades later, to know that people are still enjoying that movie, it means the world to me. And I got to do my do-over. I got a second chance.”
Tonight, Stiles joins nine other celebrities who will pay tribute to people and places significant to their lives. Notably, Jenna Dewan will honor her mother with a Viennese waltz, and Tatyana Ali will remember her late Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star James Avery with a Viennese waltz to Nancy Wilson’s “(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am.”
Controversy Within the Show
In a twist of events, Jenna Dewan’s partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, has been benched for the week following a controversial TikTok video he posted. In the video, he referenced a critique of his wife, Jenna Johnson, that judge Carrie Ann Inaba made during a previous episode. After an announcement from BBC Studios, which produces Dancing With the Stars, Chmerkovskiy has since apologized, acknowledging his “poor decision” in referencing a meme.
The episode, which airs tonight, October 20, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, is set to be an emotional one, filled with tributes, memories, and heartfelt performances as participants honor their inspirations.
