It’s Time to Revisit Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger’s Relationship Ahead of ‘DWTS’ Dedication Night

Archive Photos//Getty ImagesKey PointsJulia Stiles is set to give an emotional tribute to her late 10 Things I Hate About You co-star by performing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” on Dancing With the Stars’ Dedication Night.She revealed that rehearsals have made her emotional as she revisits their iconic film nearly 18 years after his tragic death in 2008.Revisit what Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger’s bond was like off-screen ahead of her DWTS dedication.I’m not the only one still thinking about Heath Ledger’s iconic rendition of Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” in 10 Things I Hate About You. Julia Stiles and her pro partner, Ezra Sosa, are paying homage to the flick and her late costar with their own performance of the beloved song for Dedication Night on Dancing With the Stars.

Though she and Heath played on-screen love interests in the 1999 rom-com, fans are raising questions about their real-life relationship ahead of Julia’s October 20 performance. Did Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles date in real life, or were they even friends? Scroll ahead to find out what their bond was really like off-screen.

The pair may have been pretty convincing in 10 Things I Hate About You, but they never dated IRL despite speculation.

The movie’s director, Gil Junger, later revealed in 2021 that Julia actually ended up secretly dating a different 10 Things costar from the movie.

“She, for a minute or 10, went out with Joseph Gordon-Levitt,” he shared. “They were very, very attracted to each other, which was cool.”

There aren’t many public photos of Julia and Heath off the iconic movie set, so it’s unclear. But Julia revealed whether they kept in touch during a 2016 interview with ABC Australia.

“As an actor, you of course hope your work continues to mean something in years to come. It’s a very special thing to be in a movie that people genuinely care about so many years on,” she said, later admitting, “Heath and I did not keep in touch after filming ended, but when I heard about his death, I was incredibly sad, I was very shocked.”

She added that Heath, who tragically passed away from an accidental prescription drug overdose in 2008, “was such a force, such a vibrant person, right at the really exciting time of his life.”

Ahead of her DWTS dedication, Julia opened up about her upcoming performance at the InStyle Imagemakers Awards on October 15.

“I’m actually surprised at how emotional it’s been,” she told People of rehearsals. “I know from watching the show how emotional Dedication Night is. It’s always very personal stories. But I thought, ‘Oh, I’m distanced enough from it. The movie was so many years ago.’ But something about watching clips from that movie, seeing our pictures, hearing our voices is bringing up a lot.”

She then said of her late costar, “I really feel how important it is to honor him. He lives on because his performance in that film was so incredible.”

Ezra also teased their Dedication Night routine by sharing his reaction to her costume in a TikTok.

“You look so pretty,” he said, as tears welled in his eyes. Without revealing the costume, he referred to Julia as her 10 Things character, Kat Stratford.

Could she be wearing her iconic blue prom dress from the movie?

Guess we’ll have to find out during tonight’s episode of DWTS!

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