Julia Stiles says she asked Michelle Williams if she could dedicate emotional DWTS performance to Heath Ledger
Julia Stiles sought Michelle Williams’ permission before dedicating an emotional Dancing with the Stars performance to her late 10 Things I Hate About You costar Heath Ledger.
The actress, 45, paid tribute to Ledger during the show’s Dedication Night on Tuesday, October 19, dancing to Frankie Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You the song Ledger famously performed in their 1999 romantic comedy.
Stilest later revealed that preparing the routine brought back powerful memories of her former costar, who died in 2008 aged 28.
How did Michelle Williams respond to Julia Stiles’ Heath Ledger tribute?
Williams and Ledger were together from 2004 until 2007 and welcomed their daughter, Matilda, during their relationship. Matilda is now 20.
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According to an interview with People, Stiles had initially assumed enough time had passed since filming 10 Things I Hate About You for the experience to feel less overwhelming.
“I know from watching the show how emotional Dedication Night is. It’s always very personal stories,” she told the publication ahead of the performance.
“But I thought, ‘Oh, I’m distanced enough from it. The movie was so many years ago,’” she continued.
However, revisiting footage from the film proved more emotional than she had anticipated.
“But something about watching clips from that movie, seeing our pictures, hearing our voices is bringing up a lot,” Stiles explained.
She also admitted she was crying during the first day of rehearsals as memories and nostalgia resurfaced.
Why did Julia Stiles choose Can’t Take My Eyes Off You for DWTS?
The song carried particular significance for Stiles and Ledger’s shared film history.
In 10 Things I Hate About You, Ledger’s character, Patrick Verona, performs the Frankie Valli classic in an attempt to win over Stiles’ character, Kat Stratford, serenading her during soccer practice in one of the movie’s most memorable scenes.
For the Dancing with the Stars routine, Stiles and professional dance partner Ezra Sosa used Valli’s original recording rather than Ledger’s cover.
Stiles credited Sosa with helping her navigate the emotional weight of the performance, describing the experience as transformative.
“He clocked it and he changed the concept or the way that we thought about the dance in a way that really opened me up, and I’m forever grateful,” she told Extra.
The tribute also became a reunion for several members of the original movie’s cast. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Gabrielle Union, Susan May Pratt and Andrew Keegan joined Stiles onstage after the routine.
Ledger died in 2008 from an accidental prescription drug overdose. He had previously been in a relationship with Williams, whom he met while working on Brokeback Mountain.
Their daughter, Matilda, was born during the film’s press tour, and the couple separated in 2007.
Topics: Heath Ledger, Entertainment
Thomas Bamford