Julia Stiles and her former 10 Things I Hate About You co-stars paid an emotional tribute to Heath Ledger during Tuesday night's 'Dedication Night' on Dancing With The Stars, a week in which celebrities dedicate their routines to someone important to them. Stiles chose to honour Ledger, who died of an accidental overdose in 2008 at the age of 28.
A Contemporary Dance to a Classic Song
The routine was a contemporary number set to 'Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You', the song Ledger danced to in the 1999 film while serenading Stiles' character Kat Stratford. At the end of the dance, several cast members joined Stiles on the dancefloor: Gabrielle Union, Larisa Oleynik, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Andrew Keegan and Susan May Pratt. They held hands with Stiles as they all looked up at a picture of Ledger.
Cast Support and Emotional Moments
Ahead of the routine, the cast filmed a video together. In it, Union said they had joined Stiles for the show to support her and knew she was going to "be the best" out there. Several seemed to shed a tear while on air, and Stiles admitted she had been "crying most of the day" leading up to the dance.
Speaking to Variety, she added: "I know that Dedication Night is emotional, but I thought I was distanced from it enough. Like, oh, it was so many years ago. Something about seeing clips from that movie and images and hearing my voice and hearing his voice is bringing back so many memories. It's a lot."
Care and Sensitivity in the Tribute
Her dance partner, Ezra Sosa, said on Instagram that they took "guidance" from those who "hold Heath and his memory closest". He wrote: "I don't think we've ever approached a performance with more care, sensitivity, and intention than this one. From the very beginning, it was incredibly important to both Julia and I that this tribute be created with the utmost respect, thoughtfulness and close guidance from those who hold Heath and his memory closest."
He continued: "This isn't about defining a relationship or telling a story that isn't ours to tell. It's about honouring a beautiful moment in time, a film that changed so many lives, and someone whose impact continues to be felt by generations. We've poured so much love into this piece and we're incredibly grateful for the trust placed in us to bring it to life. Our only hope is that it honours his memory with the dignity, love and respect it deserves."
Leaderboard and Legacy
Stiles and Sosa earned 36 out of 40 for their dance, placing them joint fourth on the leaderboard, behind Amber Glenn (38), and Ezra Frech and Jenna Dewan (both 37).
Ledger died in January 2008 in his home in Manhattan. He was 28 and died of an accidental overdose of prescription medication, including oxycodone and hydrocodone. He was survived by his daughter with Michelle Williams, Matilda Rose Ledger, who was only a year old at the time.
In 10 Things I Hate About You, Ledger played Patrick Verona, the central love interest who is convinced to take Stiles' Kat out on a date so that her younger sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) can also date boys. The film is a loose adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.
