Julia Stiles asked Michelle Williams for permission before dedicating her “Dancing With the Stars” routine to Heath Ledger, who co-starred with her in the 1999 film “10 Things I Hate About You.”
“I did ask Michelle if this was OK and she said yes,” Stiles told Extra TV following her and pro partner Ezra Sosa’s emotional performance for Tuesday’s “Dedication Night.”
When asked what she believes Ledger’s family will think of their routine, Stiles, 45, told the outlet, “I can’t speak on that, I can’t… I don’t want to speak for them, I’m sorry.”
However, the actress did share how she decided to incorporate the rest of her “10 Things I Hate About You” cast in the routine. Stiles and Ledger, notably, played love interests in the beloved rom-com.
“When we decided we were going to do the dedication, we needed to have somebody here to sort of represent the movie and represent Heath,” she told the outlet.
“I was like, ‘It has to be the whole cast, it can’t just be one person, it’s got to be everybody,'” she recalled thinking.
The “Bourne Identity” star also described the late actor as a “beacon of light” and “the leader of the pack” amongst the cast, who were all young adults at the time of filming the movie.
“He was always very playful and made it such a fun set to be on and brought out the light in everyone,” she said.
Stiles and Sosa danced a contemporary routine to Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” which Ledger’s character sings to Stiles’ in the film in a memorable scene.
At the end of the routine, Stiles was joined by some of her “10 Things I Hate About You” castmates, including Andrew Keegan, Susan May Pratt, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik and Gabrielle Union. Their co-star David Krumholtz was noticeably absent.
The routine earned Stiles and Sosa a 36/40.
Ledger died of an accidental overdose at age 28 in 2008, nine years after the cult classic film came out.
He and Williams, 46, met in 2004 on the “Brokeback Mountain” set and began dating. The following year, they welcomed their daughter, Matilda, who is now 20.
Ledger and Williams ended their relationship in 2007 and “The Dark Knight” star died in January 2008.
The “Dawson’s Creek” alum has made a few rare comments about Ledger over the years.
In May 2025, she called her ex “so special” during her appearance on “Armchair Expert.”