Julia Stiles pays tribute to Heath Ledger on Dancing with the Stars

In the fourth episode of the 21st season of Dancing with the Stars, aired on Saturday, October 24th, Julia Stiles paid a touching tribute to her friend Heath Ledger. The actress, who is competing in the American talent show, dedicated her performance on the "tributes" theme night to the late Australian colleague who passed away nearly two decades ago.

For the occasion, Stiles reunited almost the entire surviving cast of the cult film "10 Things I Hate About You," in which they both starred, live on television. Appearing were Gabrielle Union, Larisa Oleynik, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Andrew Keegan, and Susan May Pratt. The actress recounted having asked permission for the tribute from Ledger's last partner, Michelle Williams, the mother of his only daughter Matilda.

The episode represented a highly emotional moment in the program, which features thirteen pairs of celebrities and professional dancers competing on the dance floor. Julia Stiles is vying for the final victory in the competition, which is judged by a panel presided over by Carolyn Smith.

Heath Ledger was an Australian actor who became an icon of his generation, passing away prematurely in January 2008 at the age of 28. His portrayal of the Joker in *The Dark Knight* earned him a posthumous Oscar. Before that role, Ledger had won over young audiences with films like *10 Things I Hate About You* (1999), a modern romantic comedy inspired by Shakespeare's *The Taming of the Shrew*.

In that film, Ledger starred alongside Julia Stiles, who played the female lead, Kat Stratford. The movie, which became a cult classic of the early 2000s, launched several careers and created a special bond among the cast members. Ledger's sudden death left a void in the film world and in the hearts of colleagues and fans.

Julia Stiles, continuing her career across film, theater, and television, has kept the memory of her friend alive. Her choice to pay tribute to him during a television competition like *Dancing with the Stars* shows how that artistic and personal bond has remained significant after nearly twenty years, also allowing the public to share in a moment of collective remembrance.