Heath Ledger’s Dancing With the Stars tribute left Julia Stiles in tears
Julia Stiles is looking back at Dancing With the Stars’ Heath Ledger tribute — and the moment that left her in tears might catch you off guard.
During rehearsal week for the Dancing with the Stars tribute to Heath Ledger and 10 Things I Hate About You, Julia Stiles says she rewatched most of the movie, combed through clips, and even listened to the film ’s audio to lock into the moment. The process hit hard: at 45, revisiting something she made at 17 pulled her straight back to Tacoma High and the set where she first played Kat Stratford.
“We were watching a lot of clips and listening to audio for the rehearsals and I was like bawling,” Stiles told Variety. “I mean it just brought back a ton of great memories.”
Stiles also put a firm boundary around how the tribute would look. If anyone was going to join her on stage to represent Ledger’s legacy or the film, it couldn’t be just one or two faces from 1999 — it had to be the whole crew. She says she personally called and begged her former co-stars to take part, and they rallied, turning the ballroom into a full-on reunion.
Broadway is next
Meanwhile, the story that made Kat and Patrick a late-’90s touchstone is headed to a bigger stage. A new 10 Things I Hate About You musical is in the works, with preview performances set to begin August 17, 2027 . No theater, opening night, or casting has been announced yet, but the creative roster is already set.
- Carly Rae Jepsen and Ethan Gruska — music and lyrics
- Lena Dunham and Jessica Huang — book
- Tom Kitt — music supervision, arrangements, orchestrations
- Christopher Wheeldon — director and choreographer
- Mike Bosner — producer
The logline pitches a rebellious musical about two sisters defining themselves on their own terms — a clear nod to Kat and Bianca’s push against the rules that sparked Ledger’s unforgettable serenade and everything that followed.
Preview performances begin August 17, 2027.