Julia Stiles Got Michelle Williams’s Approval for Heath Ledger Tribute

By Grace Kim

Julia Stiles asked Michelle Williams for permission before honoring Heath Ledger on Dancing With the Stars, then danced Tuesday to Frankie Valli’s “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.” The song connected the routine to Stiles and Ledger’s 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You. Stiles did not simply mention Ledger in an interview; she used the song and her own performance to frame the homage.

Stiles told Extra after the performance: “I did ask Michelle if this was OK, and she said yes.” When Extra asked about Ledger’s family’s reaction, she said she did not want to speak for them.

Her answer established Williams’s consent without turning it into an endorsement from Ledger’s family. That distinction matters: approval from one person is not a claim about relatives.

Variety reported that Williams and Ledger dated from 2004 to 2007 and share a daughter, Matilda. Their history gives the request context: Stiles asked Ledger’s former partner before putting on a televised tribute to him.

Variety’s account listed these cast members onstage:

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

David Krumholtz was the missing cast member. He had played Michael, the nerdy friend of Gordon-Levitt’s character Cameron, and fans noticed his absence from the ensemble.

His explanation gave no sign of a dispute with the tribute. Krumholtz addressed his absence in an Instagram video posted Wednesday, saying he was shooting a movie in upstate New York and could not attend in L.A. He added that he would have loved to be there and that everyone looked amazing.

Krumholtz also addressed Ledger in the same post: “Julia’s tribute to my dear friend, who I miss every single day, was amazing and stunning, and I’m so proud of her.” Stiles replied that they loved him.

Stiles told Variety that she wanted as much of the cast onstage as possible. She said she begged each one of them, they rallied, and the group really did come together.

Stiles framed the reunion through age as well. She said that at 17 she never imagined being 45, celebrating her body and dancing on a show she loves. She added that fans remain interested in the movie and still feel moved and touched by it.

Her point joined three elements: the age of the original performance, the physical work of dancing now, and the film’s ability to affect viewers years later. The broadcast therefore worked as both reunion and argument for continued relevance.

What does this reunion change for Ledger’s legacy?

The performance presents the film’s legacy through the reunited cast rather than through Stiles alone. It does not recreate the 1999 scenes; it puts the performers’ present-day relationship to the film on display for a television audience.

Krumholtz’s filmed message extended that reunion beyond those in L.A. and preserved Ledger’s place within it. For viewers, the practical change was concrete: a 1999 film became a current television event, with an absent cast member joining the exchange online.

Williams’s approval gave the tribute a specific foundation; Krumholtz’s public praise supplied support, while Stiles left the family’s position unclaimed. The result was not a universal statement on behalf of everyone connected to Ledger. It was a specific public performance: Williams’s approval, Krumholtz’s filmed support, and a reunited ensemble demonstrating the 1999 film’s continuing audience through movement.