The actress, 45, took to the ballroom with professional dance partner Ezra Sosa during Tuesday’s episode of Dancing with the Stars, performing a contemporary routine to Frankie Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.
The song holds a special place in the hearts of fans of the 1999 teen romcom, having featured in one of its most memorable scenes when Ledger’s character, Patrick Verona, serenaded Stiles’s Kat Stratford beneath the school bleachers.
The song holds a special place in the hearts of fans of the 1999 teen romcom, 10 Things I Hate About You
Dancing with the Stars/ABC
The performance was part of the ABC competition’s Dedication Night, with Stiles reflecting on her memories of working alongside Ledger, who died aged 28 in January 2008.
Speaking in a pre-recorded video package, she said: “I learned a lot from Heath. He was so authentic.”
Stiles also shared her sadness that she could not tell Ledger how much the film continues to mean to audiences more than two decades after its release.
“I have so many great memories, but I’m also sad because I really wish that I could pick up the phone and be like, ‘Hey dude, people really care about that movie. We did something special.’ And I can’t do that,” she said.
The performance was part of the ABC competition’s Dedication Night
Dancing with the Stars/ABC
The emotional routine culminated in Stiles approaching a photograph of herself and Ledger and placing a rose beside it, as an audio recording of her reciting Kat’s iconic poem from the film played in the background.
The moment became even more poignant when five of Stiles’s former co-stars joined her on stage in a surprise reunion.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, Larisa Oleynik, Andrew Keegan and Susan May Pratt returned to celebrate the film, with the cast coming together to pay tribute to Ledger.
The cast took to the stage at the end of Julia's performance
Dancing with the Stars/ABC
The performance also incorporated a clip featuring the film’s memorable cat, adding another nostalgic nod to the beloved comedy.
Released in 1999, 10 Things I Hate About You has remained a cult favourite, with Ledger’s performance helping cement his status as one of the most fondly remembered actors of his generation.
The reunion offered a moving reminder of the film’s enduring legacy and the affection its cast continue to hold for their late co-star.