Julia Stiles pays stunning tribute to Heath Ledger as 10 Things I Hate About You cast reunite

Julia Stiles paid an emotional tribute to the late Heath Ledger after she reunited with cast members from 10 Things I Hate About You, with the actor saying she was surprised that fans were still "touched" by the rom-com.

Stiles is currently taking part in the 35th season of Dancing with the Stars alongside Ezra Sosa, with the latest routine - performed during Dedication Night - seeing them dance to Frankie Valli's 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You'.

The song was famously performed by Ledger in the iconic 1999 film, with his charming character, Patrick Verona, serenading the uptight Kat Stratford (played by Stiles) as he attempts to win her affection.

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At the end of the routine, Stiles and Ledger - the latter of whom passed away at the age of 28 in 2008 - appeared on-screen together, with Stiles laying a rose on the stairs in tribute to the late actor.

She was subsequently joined in the studio by co-stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, Larisa Oleynik, Andrew Keegan and Susan May Pratt, with the group looking at the image on the big screen.

Speaking to Variety about the tribute, Stiles said: "If we had to have someone with us on stage representing Heath's legacy or the film, I said it had to be the whole cast. I begged them, each and every one of them, and they all rallied. They really did."

"At 17 years old, I never would have thought that I'd be here at 45, celebrating my body, dancing on the show that I absolutely love, and that fans are still interested in this movie and still moved and touched by this movie," she added.

Stiles, who is also known for her role in the Bourne franchise, spoke to the same publication during rehearsals for the routine, and said that seeing clips from the film was enough to conjure up "many memories".

"One of the things that we really hope to do as performers is to make people feel something and have people care about the work that you do, and his memory lives on because it was such an incredible performance," she added.

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The tribute was widely praised by fans of both the film and the reality series, with one user on Instagram commenting: "I loved how they mixed in so much of his charm as well as making me cry."

"SOBBING SOBBING SOBBING. Such a beautiful and emotional tribute to Heath. I didn't expect the cast to be there at the end! And that iconic quote from the movie. PERFECTION," wrote another viewer.

Dancing with the Stars streams on Disney+ and airs on ABC.

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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.