Julia Stiles is finding it hard to hold back her emotions as she prepares to honor her late co-star Heath Ledger on Dancing with the Stars. The actress will perform a special dance inspired by their 1999 movie 10 Things I Hate About You. The tribute has brought back memories she did not expect to feel so strongly. Stiles says the experience has already moved her to tears.
Julia Stiles says rehearsing Heath Ledger tribute on Dancing With the Stars brought back memories
Stiles shared her feelings at the InStyle Imagemaker Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday. “I was crying in rehearsals today,” she told Variety. She and her professional dance partner, Ezra Sosa, will perform to Frankie Valli’s 1967 song “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” during Dedication Night. Ledger famously sang the song to Stiles’ character in 10 Things I Hate About You.
Stiles thought the years since filming the movie would make the tribute easier. However, watching old clips and hearing their voices again brought back strong memories. “Something about seeing clips from that movie and images and hearing my voice and hearing his voice is bringing back so many memories,” she explained. “It’s a lot,” she added, describing how deeply the rehearsals have affected her.
The actress also reflected on why Ledger’s performance continues to matter to people. “One of the things that we really hope to do as performers is to make people feel something and have people care about the work that you do,” she said. She added that his memory lives on because he gave such an incredible performance.
Stiles also revealed that DWTS producers had invited her to join the competition for the past couple of years. Turning 45 finally pushed her to accept the challenge. “I was like, ‘I’m halfway to 90! Why not? It’s now or never,’” she recalled. She wanted to face her nerves, rediscover her love of performing and dance before a live audience, joking that she had chosen to tackle those fears “in front of millions and millions of people.”
