Julia Stiles gave us 10 things to love about her “Dancing With the Stars” Dedication Night performance.
During the Oct. 20 episode, Stiles and partner Ezra Sosa performed a heartfelt contemporary routine set to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli. The performance was in honor of her late “10 Things I Hate About You” co-star Heath Ledger, who died of an accidental overdose in 2008.
Fans of the film know the song very well, as it’s the one that Ledger’s character Patrick sings to Stiles’ Kat while she’s at soccer practice and he’s trying to make her go on a date with him.
Stiles said during rehearsals that she wishes she could call up Ledger and tell him how much people still love their movie. She said their dance would show his “lust for life.”
The performance was emotional and uplifting. It gave nods to Ledger and the film, before it ended with Stiles putting a flower on the steps.
A photo of Stiles and Ledger was shown on the screen, as her iconic “I Hate You” speech from the film was heard.
Fans got a bigger surprise when the “10 Things I Hate About You” cast appeared on the ballroom floor.
Andrew Keegan, Susan May Pratt, Larisa Oleynik, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik and Gabrielle Union surrounded Stiles as the routine ended.
The cast had also created a video before the episode, sharing how they were in attendance to support their girl.
Stiles had previously teased “some special surprises.”
“Making ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ with him was such a special moment in time,” she said in a clip shared days before. “It’s amazing that people still care about that movie, and it’s just sad that we can’t celebrate it with him.”
Sosa also expressed how honored and grateful he was for the opportunity.
“We felt like this routine is so important, not just to honor Heath, but to celebrate the joy and capture his essence in that time that you guys had together filming ‘10 Things I Hate About You,’” he said.
Released in 1999, the teen rom-com is loosely based on William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” Set in Seattle, Washington, it follows sisters Kat (Stiles) and Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik).
Desperate to have a more exciting social life and go to prom, Bianca teams up with new student Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) — who is head-over-heels for her — to find someone to date Kat, an outspoken and independent feminist. Enter Patrick, the bad boy from Australia, who gets paid to woo Kat.
To prepare for the big night, Stiles and Sosa re-created Kat and Patrick’s memorable paintball scene.
They also did the voiceover where Stiles took over Ledger’s lines, while Sosa did hers.
Ledger leaves behind an incredible legacy and body of work that include “The Dark Knight,” for which he won the best supporting actor Oscar, “A Knight’s Tale,” “The Patriot” and “Brokeback Mountain.”
The actor was found dead in January of 2008 in his Manhattan apartment after his accidental overdose. He welcomed daughter Matilda Rose Ledger, now 20, with actor Michelle Williams.
