Julia Stiles, Cast Reunite for Heath Ledger Tribute on ‘DWTS’
WHO:
The Hollywood Reporter - The cast members who joined Julia Stiles included Andrew Keegan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Gabrielle Union, and Susan May Pratt; they reprised their roles as Joey Donner, Cameron James, Bianca Stratford, Chastity, and Mandella, respectively.
NBC News - Tatyana Ali also dedicated a dance to James Avery.
Deadline - Julia Stiles, Ezra Sosa, Heath Ledger, and much of the cast of *10 Things I Hate About You* were involved in the tribute.
Variety - Julia Stiles and her dance partner Ezra Sosa performed the tribute.
Variety - Heath Ledger played Patrick in *10 Things I Hate About You*.
WHAT:
The Hollywood Reporter - *10 Things I Hate About You* was directed by Gil Junger and follows Joey’s attempt to date Bianca, who cannot date until her older sister Kat has a boyfriend under their father’s rules; Joey pays Patrick to ask Kat out.
The Hollywood Reporter - After the dance, the poem Stiles’s character reads about Patrick played in the ballroom, and Stiles placed a flower on the ground in Ledger’s honor.
The Hollywood Reporter - Sosa said he and Stiles approached the performance with “care, sensitivity, and intention,” and sought guidance from people close to Ledger. He described the tribute as honoring “a beautiful moment in time” and a film that changed many lives.
US Magazine - Stiles said, “We made 10 Things I Hate About You together. I learned a lot from Heath. He was so authentic.”
NBC News - Ali and Julia Stiles shared emotional tributes through their choreography.
Deadline - The episode featured 10 celebrity contestants and their professional partners performing dances dedicated to someone important in each celebrity’s life.
NY Post - Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose at age 28.
Deadline - Stiles reunited with much of the cast of *10 Things I Hate About You* for a dance dedicated to Ledger.
Variety - Stiles performed a contemporary routine to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
Variety - Ledger’s character Patrick sang “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” in the film.
Variety - Stiles cried during the tribute.
WHERE:
Deadline - The reunion and tribute took place on *Dancing with the Stars*.
Variety - The performance took place on *Dancing With the Stars*.
WHEN:
The Hollywood Reporter - Ledger died in 2008.
Billboard - The tribute aired Tuesday, October 20.
WHY:
The Hollywood Reporter - Sosa said the tribute was intended to honor Ledger and his continuing impact, rather than define a relationship or tell a story that was not theirs to tell.
Deadline - The dance was dedicated to the late Heath Ledger.
Deadline - Stiles told Sosa she had always admired his “lust for life” and wanted to replicate it.
HOW:
The Hollywood Reporter - The dance incorporated some of Ledger’s iconic moves and was followed by the cast reunion.
Rolling Stone TV Movies - Cast members of *10 Things I Hate About You* made a special appearance after Stiles and Ezra Sosa’s performance.
ComingSoon - Stiles wore an outfit channeling her character from *10 Things I Hate About You* during the tribute.
(UPDATED October 21, 2026 23:12 UTC)
Julia Stiles reunited with much of the cast of *10 Things I Hate About You* for a tribute to her late co-star Heath Ledger on *Dancing with the Stars*. She and professional partner Ezra Sosa performed a contemporary routine to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” the song Ledger’s character, Patrick, sang in the film. The dance incorporated some of Ledger’s signature moves, and Stiles became emotional. Afterward, she placed a flower on the floor in his honor, as the film’s poem about Patrick played. Andrew Keegan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Gabrielle Union, and Susan May Pratt then appeared, reprising their roles. Stiles said she learned a lot from Ledger and admired his authenticity. Sosa said they approached the performance with care, seeking guidance from people close to Ledger and aiming to honor his impact without speaking for him.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 17:13 UTC)
Julia Stiles reunited with much of the cast of *10 Things I Hate About You* on *Dancing with the Stars* for a tribute to her late co-star Heath Ledger. Dancing with professional partner Ezra Sosa, Stiles performed a contemporary routine to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” the song Ledger’s character sang in the film. She wore an outfit inspired by her character and cried during the performance, which also incorporated some of Ledger’s signature moves. Afterward, the film’s cast members joined her, including Andrew Keegan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Gabrielle Union, and Susan May Pratt, reprising their roles. The poem Stiles’s character reads about Patrick played in the ballroom, and Stiles placed a flower on the floor in Ledger’s honor. She said she learned a lot from Ledger and admired his authenticity. Sosa said they approached the tribute with care and sought guidance from people close to him.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 16:09 UTC)
Julia Stiles reunited with much of the cast of *10 Things I Hate About You* for an emotional tribute to Heath Ledger on *Dancing with the Stars*. She and professional dance partner Ezra Sosa performed a contemporary routine to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” the song Ledger’s character, Patrick, sang in the film. Stiles wore an outfit inspired by her character, and she cried during the performance. Afterward, members of the cast made a special appearance. Stiles recalled making the movie with Ledger, saying she learned a lot from him and that he was authentic. She also told Sosa she had always admired Ledger’s “lust for life” and hoped to capture it in the dance. Ledger died at 28 from an accidental overdose. The episode featured 10 celebrity contestants, each performing a dance dedicated to someone important to them. Tatyana Ali also honored James Avery through choreography.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 10:02 UTC)
Julia Stiles paid tribute to Heath Ledger, saying they made *10 Things I Hate About You* together and that she learned a lot from him. She called Ledger “so authentic.” During the tribute, Stiles wore an outfit inspired by her character in the film.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 04:11 UTC)
On the episode, 10 celebrity contestants and their professional partners performed dances dedicated to important people in their lives. Tatyana Ali and Julia Stiles shared emotional tributes through their choreography, with Ali dedicating her dance to James Avery. Heath Ledger died at age 28 of an accidental overdose.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 03:13 UTC)
Julia Stiles reunited with much of the cast of *10 Things I Hate About You* on *Dancing With the Stars* for a dance tribute to the late Heath Ledger. With dance partner Ezra Sosa, she performed a contemporary routine to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” the song Ledger’s character Patrick sang in the film, and grew emotional during the performance. Stiles told Sosa she had always admired Ledger’s “lust for life” and wanted to capture it in the tribute.