Julia Stiles honors Heath Ledger with emotional tribute to their iconic film

Highlights

• Julia Stiles dedicated her Dancing with the Stars performance to her late 10 Things I Hate About You co-star Heath Ledger.
• The actress and dance partner Ezra Sosa performed to Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” recreating elements of Ledger’s memorable scene from the 1999 film.
• Stiles also reunited with several of their former co-stars and reflected on Ledger’s playful personality and lasting legacy.

Julia Stiles paid an emotional tribute to her late co-star Heath Ledger on Dancing with the Stars, revisiting the film that brought them together and helped establish their place in pop culture.

On Tuesday, October 20, the actress, 45, and her dance partner, Ezra Sosa, 25, performed a contemporary routine to Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” in honor of Ledger, who died in 2008 at age 28 from an accidental prescription drug overdose.

The song featured in one of the most memorable scenes from their 1999 romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, in which Ledger’s character, Patrick Verona, serenades Stiles’ character, Kat Stratford, with a spirited performance on the school bleachers.

Speaking to PEOPLE after the performance, Stiles explained why she and Sosa approached the tribute with particular care.

“I think we both felt a responsibility to be respectful, to honor him in a way that felt authentic and sincere. And we wanted to handle it delicately,” she said.

Julia Stiles reflects on honoring Heath Ledger

The routine included several references to Ledger’s performance in the film, blending a more subdued opening with the energetic musical moment that made the original scene so memorable.

Sosa suggested beginning with a somber, acoustic arrangement, while Stiles wanted to retain the powerful brass section that captured Ledger’s energy in the movie.

“Ezra had this great idea to have this sort of more somber, like, acoustic, beginning,” Stiles said. “And then I was like, ‘But also we need to have the big brass moment because his energy in that scene was really captivating.’”

She described the combination as a way of capturing the different elements of the original scene.

The performance ended with Stiles walking toward a photograph of herself and Ledger from the film. She also wore a blue dress that appeared to reference an outfit her character wore in the 1999 movie.

Stiles admitted that rehearsals had been more emotional than she initially expected. Although the film was released more than two decades ago, revisiting clips and photographs brought back memories of working with Ledger and their fellow cast members.

“I know from watching the show how emotional Dedication Night is. It’s always very personal stories,” she said. “But I thought, ‘Oh, I’m distanced enough from it. The movie was so many years ago.’ But something about watching clips from that movie, seeing our pictures, hearing our voices is bringing up a lot.”

She added that honoring Ledger had become especially important to her.

“I really feel how important it is to honor him,” Stiles said. “He lives on because his performance in that film was so incredible.”

Former co-stars reunite for the tribute

The performance also brought together several actors from 10 Things I Hate About You. Gabrielle Union, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Andrew Keegan, Susan May Pratt and Larisa Oleynik joined Stiles in celebrating the film and remembering Ledger.

Reflecting on their time together, Stiles recalled how close the cast had been during production.

“I just remember we all were such good friends and had a wonderful time. We were all so excited,” she said.

Looking back through the tribute, she said she was struck by the cast’s openness and enthusiasm at the time.

“But really what I took away from this dance and having to, you know, reflect on that time was that we were all so open-hearted. I mean, that’s even what we were trying to express in the dance, that it was like we were so innocent and not guarded or jaded yet,” she added.

Stiles also credited Ledger with helping create that atmosphere on set, describing him as the most playful member of the group who made everyone feel comfortable putting their hearts into the film.

Ahead of the performance, Stiles and Sosa had shared a joint Instagram statement explaining their intention to approach the tribute with sensitivity and respect for those closest to Ledger.

They emphasized that the performance was about celebrating a film that had touched audiences across generations and remembering an actor whose work continues to resonate.

More than 27 years after 10 Things I Hate About You was released, Ledger’s performance remains one of his most beloved roles. Stiles’ tribute offered a fresh reminder of the connection between the actors and the enduring impact of their film.