David Krumholtz Misses '10 Things' Tribute on 'Dancing With the Stars'

Julia Stiles delivered a nostalgic performance on *Dancing With the Stars*, channeling her breakout 1999 film *10 Things I Hate About You* alongside professional dance partner Ezra Sosa. The routine was designed as an explicit tribute to her late co-star Heath Ledger, set to the Frankie Valli standard "Can't Take My Eyes Off You."

The broadcast segment drew immediate viewer interest when actor David Krumholtz, who portrayed Michael Eckman in the Gil Junger-directed high school romantic comedy, was absent from the live studio taping despite surrounding promotional buzz.

According to reporting by The Hollywood Reporter, the routine heavily referenced Ledger's memorable bleacher serenade from the Touchstone Pictures title. Stiles and Sosa incorporated choreography that echoed the iconic sequence, which helped define the late-1990s teen cinema landscape.

While cast reunions have become a dependable tool for unscripted broadcast series looking to maximize social engagement, logistical and scheduling demands frequently limit full ensemble turnouts on short television production cycles.

For broadcast networks, packaging catalog film IP inside competition reality television remains a key demographic play. Hollywood Tomorrow notes that legacy titles from the late 1990s and early 2000s provide reliable emotional hooks for millennial audiences who drive live multi-platform conversation.

Ledger, who passed away in 2008, launched his Hollywood profile with the Shakespeare adaptation. The ballroom tribute highlighted the enduring cultural footprint of the film more than two decades after its theatrical premiere.