Julia Stiles brought fans to tears with a beautifully heart-wrenching tribute to Heath Ledger on Dancing With The Stars, which included a reunion with the cast of 10 Things I Hate About You.
Stiles is currently competing on the US version of the dance TV show alongside pro dancer Ezra Sosa.
During the competition’s Dedication Night on Tuesday, the couple devoted their dance to Perth-born Ledger, who starred opposite Stiles in the beloved 1999 rom-com.
The pair danced to Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli, which was the song Ledger’s Patrick Verona serenaded Stiles’ Kat Stratford with during her soccer practice at the high school stadium.
In the scene, he runs and dances across the stands as the marching band plays to try and win her over after Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan) pays him to take Kat out.
Following Stiles and Sosa’s emotional dance, which featured some of Ledger’s iconic moves, the poem her character reads in the film about Patrick began playing in the ballroom.
The actress then placed a red rose on the ground in honour of Ledger before she is joined by her fellow co-stars, including Keegan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Cameron James), Larisa Oleynik (Bianca Stratford), Gabrielle Union (Chastity) and Susan May Pratt (Mandella).
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Fans took to social media after the dance to share their love for the tear-jerking performance.
“Omg this has me sobbing all the way down. Especially with the whole cast at the end. This was such a beautiful way to end tonight’s beautiful dancing,” one person wrote on X.
Another person wrote: “My millennial heart”.
“Julia Stiles wrecked me with that tribute to Heath Ledger,” a third added.
Ahead of the dance, Stiles reached out to Michelle Williams, the mother of Ledger’s daughter Matilda, to ask for her permission to honour him.
Williams and Ledger met while filming Brokeback Mountain in 2004, and the following year, Matilda was born.
The couple split in the fall of 2007, and just months later, the 28-year-old actor died of an accidental drug overdose.
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Before the DWTS episode went to air, Sosa took to Instagram to share just how much the dance tribute meant to him and Stiles.
“I don’t think we’ve ever approached a performance with more care, sensitivity, and intention than this one,” Sosa wrote in a joint post with Stiles.
“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.
“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.”