Julia Stiles turned her Dancing With the Stars dedication night into a moving tribute to Heath Ledger, her co-star in the 1999 classic 10 Things I Hate About You. Dancing with partner Ezra Sosa to Frankie Valli’s“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,”the same song Ledger performed in the film’s famous bleacher serenade, Stiles wore a blue shimmery dress reminiscent of her character’s wardrobe and danced barefoot. The routine incorporated nods to Ledger’s moves from the movie before slowing for a quiet moment when Sosa handed her a single red rose and her character’s poem played over images of the co-stars.
The emotional peak came when several of the film’s cast members walked out to join Stiles on stage, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, Larisa Oleynik, Andrew Keegan and Susan May Pratt. Stiles spoke about the importance of honoring Ledger, who died in 2008 at age 28, saying he lives on because his performance in the film was so incredible. She and Sosa earned a score of 36 out of 40 on a night with no elimination. A double elimination is set for next week’s Horror Movie Night.
Fans of the film have been celebrating the moment online, calling it a heartfelt throwback to one of the most iconic teen movies of the late’90s. It’s a reminder of how a single scene, and a single performance, can stay with audiences for decades. New generations keep discovering the film and its legacy, and this tribute showed exactly why it still matters.
What’s your favorite scene from 10 Things I Hate About You? Let us know in the comments.
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Local Lawton
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