Julia Stiles Honors Heath Ledger With Dance and Cast Reunion on 'Dancing with the Stars'

Actor Julia Stiles paid tribute to the late Heath Ledger on Tuesday night's "Dancing with the Stars" Dedication Night, performing a contemporary dance with partner Ezra Sosa to Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." The song echoes the scene in the 1999 film "10 Things I Hate About You" in which Ledger's character, Patrick Verona, serenades Stiles's character, Kat Stratford. At the end, Stiles linked arms with former cast members including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, Larisa Oleynik, Susan May Pratt and Andrew Keegan. A photo of Ledger appeared on screen, and Stiles placed a flower beneath it. In a rehearsal package, Stiles called Ledger authentic and said she wished she could phone him. Ledger died in 2008 of an accidental overdose. Tatyana Ali also honored her late co-star James Avery that night.

Left-leaning coverage (NBC News) frames the episode as a dedication-week tradition and also covers the James Avery tribute, adding detail on Ledger's death. Alternative outlets, Deadline and Variety, focus on the reunion and the routine's staging, with Deadline adding Ledger's posthumous Oscar. Right-leaning New York Post leans on Stiles's quotes and her remarks to host Julianne Hough. All sides agree on the core facts.