Julia Stiles asked Michelle Williams to give a proper compliment to Heath Ledger

Julia Stiles confirming that she arrived late 10 Things I Hate About You costar Heath Ledgera former partner Michelle Williams before he was honored Dancing With The Stars.

“I asked Michelle if this was okay,” Julia, 45, confirmed to him In addition after “Dedication Night” on Tuesday, October 20. “She said yes.”

tuesday night DWTS features each celebrity contestant paying tribute to someone important in their lives. Julia chose to honor Heath – and then he joined her on stage 10 Things I Hate About You cast members Gabrielle Union, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Susan May Pratt and Andrew Keegan. (1999 rom-com writers, Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smiththey were also in the DWTS studio to see Julia and her pro partner Ezra Sosacontemporary adaptation.)

“I called Joey and Larisa [first] and then Susan and Keegan and everyone, and also the two female writers at 10 Things they were here tonight. I called them,” Julia confirmed to the outlet. “The net was cast and everyone said, ‘I’ll do it if everyone else does it.’ And that’s it!”

Unfortunately, 10 Things alum David Krumholtz was absent from the reunion because he was shooting a movie in New York although he said he had “loved, loved, been there.”

Julia and Ezra’s powerful tribute to Ledger was a hit with the judges, delivering the pair their highest score of the season so far with 36 out of 40 points. (The routine was set to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” in which Heath’s character sings to Julia 10 Things.)

Before she hit the dance floor, Julia opened up to Dancing With The Stars fans about what it meant to celebrate Heath’s life and legacy.

“It was important to me, in the music and the dance, that we honor him because, obviously, he’s passed away and he’s not with us anymore,” she said in a recent TikTok live stream. “But also that scene brings so much joy to people. And the energy it has, I wanted to be musical and dance-wise.

Ledger died in his New York City loft in January 2008 after an accidental overdose. He was 28. (An Dark Knight The actor had one child, daughter Matilda, with ex Michelle, 46.)

“I have a lot of good memories [of Heath]but I’m also sad because I really wish I could pick up the phone and be like, ‘Hey dude, people really care about that movie. We did something special.’ And I can’t do that,” Julia admitted in her live stream.

Julia and her professional partner Ezra went on to “Horror Night” next week, in which they perform a spooky trick in honor of Halloween.

Dancing With The Stars On Tuesdays on ABC and Disney+ at 8pm ET.