Julia Stiles and Cast Honor Heath Ledger on Dancing With the Stars

Actress Julia Stiles paid a deeply emotional tribute to her late co-star Heath Ledger during Dedication Night on Dancing With the Stars. Performing alongside professional partner Ezra Sosa, Stiles delivered a contemporary routine on Tuesday night that incorporated heartfelt references to their classic 1999 romantic comedy.

The pair danced to Frankie Valli's 'Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,' the iconic song Ledger’s character, Patrick Verona, used to serenade Stiles’ character, Kat Stratford, during a memorable high school stadium scene in the movie. Stiles wore a blue dress reminiscent of her prom outfit in the film, and the choreography included subtle nods to Ledger's original, goofy dance moves from the screen.

Toward the conclusion of the routine, Sosa handed Stiles a single rose before leaving the stage. As an image of Kat and Patrick was superimposed in the background, audio played of Stiles reciting her character's famous titular poem. Stiles placed the rose on the stage stairs as the camera panned out to reveal a surprise on-screen reunion.

Standing together on stage and holding hands were five of their former co-stars: Gabrielle Union, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Susan May Pratt, and Andrew Keegan. Stiles shared that she had personally begged every member of the cast to participate, noting that if anyone was going to represent Ledger's legacy and the film, it had to be the entire group.

Speaking ahead of the performance, Stiles reflected on working on the cult classic film, recalling that Ledger 'brought out the light in everybody' and served as the leader of the pack on set. She also admitted that she wished she could call him today to discuss how much fans still cherish the movie.

The judges responded enthusiastically to the performance, awarding the routine four scores of nine for a total of 36 out of 40. Due to the emotional nature of the evening, host announcements confirmed that no couples were eliminated at the end of the episode, with a double elimination scheduled for the following week during Halloween Horror Movie Night.

Heath Ledger passed away in January 2008 at the age of 28 following an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. Released nearly three decades ago, 10 Things I Hate About You remains a beloved cinematic milestone that helped launch the careers of its young ensemble cast.