'10 Things I Hate About You' cast reunites as Julia Stiles honors Heath Ledger on 'Dancing with the Stars'

A 1999 teen comedy was back at the top of US searches overnight. “10 Things I Hate About You” drew more than 100,000 searches after Julia Stiles dedicated her Dancing with the Stars routine to her late co-star Heath Ledger on Tuesday, Oct. 20, then was joined on the ballroom floor by much of the film’s original cast, according to Google Trends and coverage from Deadline, NBC News and TODAY.

What happened on DWTS Dedication Night

Dedication week is a DWTS tradition in which contestants dance in honor of someone who shaped their lives. Stiles and her pro partner, Ezra Sosa, performed a contemporary routine to a cover of Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” the song Ledger’s character, Patrick Verona, memorably serenades Stiles’ Kat Stratford with in the film, Deadline reported.

Near the end of the routine, Sosa left Stiles alone on the floor as her monologue from the movie played instead of music and a still from the film filled the screen behind her. Stiles placed a rose beneath a photo of Ledger. When she turned around, her former castmates were on the dance floor.

Who was in the 10 Things I Hate About You reunion

According to Deadline and NBC News, the cast members who joined Stiles were:

• Joseph Gordon-Levitt
• Gabrielle Union
• Larisa Oleynik
• Andrew Keegan
• Susan May Pratt

They linked arms and held hands with Stiles as the music faded.

What the judges said and her score

Stiles received four 9s for a total of 36, among the highest scores of the night and her best of the season so far, according to Deadline and NBC News.

“Watching you, it just makes me want to open my heart,” judge Carrie Ann Inaba told her, per Deadline. Judge Derek Hough thanked the cast for being there. “How cool is it to have created something that will last forever, you know?” he said, according to NBC News. “And tonight, this performance will last forever, as well.”

Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger: were they close?

Some of the most common related searches were questions about the two actors’ relationship, including “did Julia Stiles date Heath Ledger” and “were Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger close.” The coverage we reviewed describes them as co-stars who met on the set of the film, Stiles’ first major feature, according to Deadline. It does not describe a romantic relationship, and we won’t speculate.

What Stiles did share was grief and fondness. In her rehearsal package, NBC News reported, she recalled how authentic Ledger was during filming. “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,’” she said. “And I can’t do that.”

Ledger died in 2008 of an accidental overdose. He later won a posthumous Oscar for playing the Joker in The Dark Knight, Deadline noted.

Why “James Avery actor” was trending too

The same episode included another tribute that drove searches. Tatyana Ali and Alfonso Ribeiro, her former Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star, danced in honor of James Avery, who played Uncle Phil, NBC News reported. Avery died on New Year’s Eve 2013 after complications from open-heart surgery. Ali, with partner Jan Ravnik, danced a Viennese waltz to her own cover of Nancy Wilson’s “(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am” and scored 32.

About the film

10 Things I Hate About You is a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Released in 1999, it solidified Ledger as a teen heartthrob, as NBC News put it.

FAQ

What song did Julia Stiles dance to? A cover of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” the song from the film’s serenade scene.

Who joined her? Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, Larisa Oleynik, Andrew Keegan and Susan May Pratt.

What did she score? 36 out of 40.