The cast of 10 Things I Hate About You reunited for an emotional tribute to Heath Ledger during Julia Stiles’ appearance on Dancing With the Stars.
Stiles performed a contemporary dance with her partner Ezra Sosa during Tuesday night’s Dedication Night episode, set to Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.
Julia Stiles. Photo credit.. Everett Collection, Shutterstock
The song holds a special place in the 1999 romantic comedy, with Ledger’s character, Patrick Verona, famously singing the Frankie Valli classic to Stiles’ character, Kat Stratford, from the bleachers during her soccer practice.
At the end of the performance, Stiles was joined on the ballroom floor by her former co-stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Andrew Keegan, Gabrielle Union and Susan May Pratt.
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Speaking to Variety after the routine, Stiles revealed that she had personally asked the cast to join her for 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. I begged them, each and every one of them, and they all rallied. They really did,” she said.
The performance also saw Stiles wear a blue dress reminiscent of the one she wore in the original film, along with a similar hairstyle.
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Reflecting on the experience, the actress said: “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.”
Julia Stiles. Photo credit: Lev Radin, Shutterstock
The tribute was particularly emotional for Stiles, who admitted earlier in the week that rehearsals had brought back memories of working with Ledger.
“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 told Variety.
Stiles said she began crying while practising the routine, explaining that one of the goals of performing is to make people feel something and connect with the work.
She added that Ledger’s memory lives on because of his incredible performance in the film.
10 Things I Hate About You was released in 1999 and became a much-loved teen romantic comedy, with Ledger’s performance as Patrick among its most memorable elements.
The Australian actor died in January 2008 at the age of 28.
