Julia Stiles will pay tribute to her late 10 Things I Hate About You costar Heath Ledger on the next episode of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars.
Stiles and her professional dance partner, Ezra Sosa, will perform a contemporary routine to Frankie Valli’s 1967 hit “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” during Dedication Night on Oct. 20.
The song holds special significance for fans of 10 Things I Hate About You. In the 1999 romantic comedy, Ledger’s character serenades Stiles’s character from the bleachers at their high school stadium.
Ledger died in January 2008 at age 28 from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.
Stiles told Hulu’s Get Real podcast on Thursday that the tribute will be “really special.”
Stiles has previously spoken fondly of working with Ledger, describing him as “such a bright light” in a January 2025 interview with E! News. She recalled how his kindness helped her feel comfortable during her first leading role in a major movie. “He just walked into the room and lit it up,” she said.
The DWTS tribute will come one week after Stiles revisited another movie moment on the dance floor.
During the Oct. 13 episode, she and Sosa performed a jazz routine inspired by her 2001 film Save the Last Dance, set to a remix of Jennifer Lopez’s “Jenny From the Block.” The routine featured a surprise cameo by her former costar Sean Patrick Thomas.
The pair earned 33 out of 40 points from the judges, their highest score of the season so far.
Stiles will be among 10 celebrities paying tribute to people and places that hold special meaning for them.
Other performances will include Tatyana Ali honoring her late Fresh Prince of Bel-Air costar James Avery with a Viennese waltz to Nancy Wilson’s “(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am.”
Glee actor Harry Shum Jr. will dedicate a foxtrot to his wife, Shelby, while Jenna Dewan will honor her mother, Nancy, with a Viennese waltz to “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers.
The Traitors star Maura Higgins will pay tribute to her home country of Ireland with a paso doble to Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.”
Former DWTS professional Kym Johnson will return as a guest judge for the episode, which airs Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 8 p.m. ET.
