The latest wave of ’90s nostalgia flooding social media with teary emojis can be traced back to the recent episode of Dancing with the Stars. During the live dedication show on Tuesday, Julia Stiles honored her former co-star Heath Ledger from the movie 10 Things I Hate About You. Stiles was not alone in paying tribute to the late actor as other cast members from the 1999 teen comedy also made appearances.
Stiles and her dance partner, Ezra Sosa, delivered a contemporary routine to the tune of Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli, a fitting homage to the iconic scene where Ledger’s character serenades Stiles in the film. In a pre-performance video with Sosa, Stiles reminisced about Ledger, expressing genuine sorrow despite cherishing their shared memories and wishing she could convey to him the impact of their work together.
The dance concluded poignantly as Sosa left Stiles on the dance floor while her famous monologue from the movie played, accompanied by a photo of her and Ledger displayed above. As a touching gesture, Stiles placed a rose beneath the photo before revealing her 10 Things co-stars, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Gabrielle Union, joining her arm in arm.
Reflecting on the performance, Stiles shared with host Julianne Hough her emotional journey from her teenage self to the present day, reminiscing about Ledger’s ability to uplift those around him and create a playful environment on set.
Ledger, who tragically passed away in 2008 at the age of 28 from an accidental overdose, posthumously received an Oscar for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight. Sosa and Stiles received high praise from the judges, scoring nines across the board, marking their best performance of the season.
While viewers may have shed a tear or two on that Tuesday night, the heartfelt tributes extended beyond Stiles, with other participants dedicating their dances to loved ones, including Tatyana Ali honoring her late Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star James Avery. Ali, accompanied by her partner Jan Ravnik, performed a Viennese waltz to the tune of (You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am by Nancy Wilson, with Alfonso Ribeiro, another Fresh Prince co-star and DWTS host, joining her on stage to complete the emotional tribute.