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Julia Stiles Reunites With ’10 Things I Hate About You’ Cast to Honor Heath Ledger on ‘DWTS’
Confirmed
In Short: During Tuesday's episode of 'Dancing with the Stars,' Julia Stiles paid tribute to the late Heath Ledger.
During Tuesday's episode of 'Dancing with the Stars,' Julia Stiles paid tribute to the late Heath Ledger, her co-star from the 1999 film '10 Things I Hate About You,' with a contemporary dance to Frankie Valli's 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You.'
Stiles and her partner Ezra Sosa dedicated their performance to Ledger, who starred as Patrick Verona in the beloved teen rom-com. The routine was a heartfelt tribute, reflecting on Ledger's impact and the joy they shared filming the movie.
Stiles expressed her admiration for Ledger, recalling how he helped her understand the nuances of acting, such as portraying drunkenness, and how he made her feel like a princess with his magnetic personality.
Ledger's co-stars, including Gabrielle Union, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Larisa Oleynik, joined Stiles on the dance floor, creating a poignant reunion.
The cast's reunion was emotional, with Stiles placing a rose on the stairs as a tribute to Ledger, who died in 2008 at the age of 28 from an accidental overdose.
Stiles and Sosa approached the performance with care, sensitivity, and intention, aiming to honor Ledger's memory with dignity, love, and respect.
Stiles reflected on her time with Ledger, saying, 'I just want people to know there was a suffering individual there, who couldn’t have been a lovelier human being. I prefer to remember Heath as a 20-year-old kid doing his first American lead with a big giant Cheshire grin smile on his face, taking charge as the leader of the group like any good ensemble leader should.'
The performance received a score of 36 out of 40, and judges praised the dancers for their heartfelt tribute.
Stiles noted, 'What came up for me a lot in this dance was remembering who I was at 17 years old and who I am now.'
WarpBeat previously reported that Stiles and Sosa approached the performance with care, sensitivity, and intention, aiming to honor Ledger's memory with dignity, love, and respect.
Background
Stiles and Sosa approached the performance with care, sensitivity, and intention, aiming to honor Ledger's memory with dignity, love, and respect.
What's confirmed
- "I just want people to know there was a suffering individual there, who couldn’t have been a lovelier human being. I prefer to remember Heath as a 20-year-old kid doing his first American lead with a big giant Cheshire grin smile on his face, taking charge as the leader of the group like any good ensemble leader should."
- Stiles told her partner Ezra Sosa that she had always admired his “lust for life” and wanted to replicate that in her contemporary routine, which the pair aptly performed to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli.
- In a dance dedicated to the late Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles reunited with much of the cast of the 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You during Tuesday night’s episode of Dancing with the Stars.
- “He just walked into the room and lit it up,” she told E!
- Ledger died in 2008 of an accidental overdose caused by mixing painkillers and sedatives that were prescribed to him.
- Actors Andrew Keegan, Susan May Pratt, Larisa Oleynik, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Gabrielle Union joined Stiles on the ballroom floor, creating a heartwarming reunion.
- “I don’t think we’ve every approached a performance with more care, sensitivity, and intention than this one,” Sosa wrote in the joint post with Stiles.
- “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.
- “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 in her rehearsal package before the dance.
- Home » Julia Stiles’ 10 Things Reunion on DWTS Brings Heath Ledger’s Legacy Full Circle Julia Stiles paid tribute to the late Heath Ledger during a recent episode of Dancing with the Stars.
- Then, the cast members Gabrielle Union, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Andrew Keegan, Susan May Pratt, and Larisa Oleynik popped up to pay homage to the actor (via PEOPLE ).
- Breaking news: Russia frees Stephen Hubbard, 74, captured in Ukraine and detained since 2022 There was not a dry eye in the ballroom Tuesday night after celebrities competing on “Dancing with the Stars” paid tribute to those who left an impact on them, who included actors Heath Ledger and James Avery.
What's still developing
- When Ledger auditioned for the part of Patrick Verona, it sounds like it was a done deal right out the gate; according to director Gil Junger, the future Oscar winner nailed his audition in a matter of seconds.
- "I mean, I was 17, so I remember Heath — because he was older — giving me tips on what being drunk looks and feels like.” While we're talking about iconic 10 Things I Hate About You moments, the scene where Patrick dances and sings all over the bleachers almost had a very different sound.
- "That’s a pretty special gift, and I don’t think it’s talked about enough.” In addition to being an wildly talented and captivating human being, Ledger also was very helpful on set.
- In honor of the beloved rom-com's 20th anniversary, The New York Times chatted with the cast and crew about the movie, which is loosely based on William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.
- Karen McCullah, one of the screenplay’s writers, said "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" was not the original pick, but Ledger switched it up.
- The movie follows Patrick Verona (Ledger), a high school bad boy who is recruited by Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) to woo Kat Stratford (Stiles), a militant feminist whose refusal to date is preventing her parents from allowing her younger sister, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) from dating.
- Each of season 35’s remaining contestants teased what they planned for their dedications in the lead-up to Tuesday’s new episode, from frontrunner Ezra Frech’s tribute to his mom, Bahar, to underdog Tyler Cameron’s vague tease of a dedication “to mothers everywhere.” But it will be hard to top what Stiles brought to the ballroom this week.
- Stiles said during rehearsals that she wishes she could call up Ledger and tell him how much people still love their movie.
- “The last thing I want is to become a distraction from an important week or from the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is putting in,” he continued.
- Stiles had hinted at “special surprises” leading up to the performance, reminiscing about how meaningful it was to work with Ledger and expressing sadness that they couldn’t celebrate their shared success with him.
- \n\tAmber Glenn is an Olympic gold medalist and three-time U.S.
- “It was a wonderful, wonderful tribute to an outstanding talent by an equally talented performer, well done,” Bruno told Julia.