Los Angeles — Julia Stiles honored her late co-star Heath Ledger during Tuesday night’s episode of “Dancing With the Stars,” delivering an emotional performance that brought together several members of the cast of “10 Things I Hate About You.”
For Dedication Night, Stiles and her dance partner, Ezra Sosa, performed a contemporary routine to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” The song featured prominently in the 1999 film, when Ledger’s character, Patrick, sang the Frankie Valli classic to Stiles’ character, Kat Stratford, from the bleachers as she practiced soccer.
At the conclusion of the performance, Stiles’ voice could be heard reciting the poem she read to Ledger in the movie. Her former castmates Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Andrew Keegan, Gabrielle Union and Susan May Pratt then joined her on the ballroom floor.
In a prerecorded segment ahead of the dance, Stiles became tearful as she spoke to Sosa about her memories of Ledger.
“I learned a lot from Heath… It was so easy with him. I have so many great memories. I really wish I could pick up the phone, and be like, ‘Hey dude,’” she said.
Stiles also explained that her emotional reaction during the film’s poem scene was genuine. She said she hoped to “recreate the musk for life he had” in that moment.
The performance earned four nines from the judges.
Earlier on Tuesday, hours before the live broadcast, Sosa posted a statement on Instagram discussing the care taken in preparing the tribute.
“I don’t think we’ve ever approached a performance with more care, sensitivity, and intention than this one. From the very beginning, it was incredibly important to both Julia and I that this tribute be created with the utmost respect, thoughtfulness, and close guidance from those who hold Heath and his memory closest,” he wrote.
“This isn’t about defining a relationship or telling a story that isn’t ours to tell. It’s about honoring a beautiful moment in time, a film that changed so many lives, and someone whose impact continues to be felt by generations. We’ve poured so much love into this piece, and we’re incredibly grateful for the trust placed in us to bring it to life. Our only hope is that it honors his memory with the dignity, love, and respect it deserves.”
Earlier in the week, Stiles spoke to Variety about the emotional experience of rehearsing the routine and revisiting memories of the film.
“I know that Dedication Night is emotional, but I thought I was distanced from it enough. Like, oh, it was so many years ago. 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,” she said.
Stiles revealed that she had begun crying during practice. She also reflected on the lasting influence of Ledger’s work and the connection performers can create with audiences.
“One of the things that we really hope to do as performers is to make people feel something and have people care about the work that you do, and his memory lives on because it was such an incredible performance,” she said.
Ledger died in January 2008 at the age of 28.
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