Julia Stiles will dedicate a dance to her late co-star Heath Ledger on Dancing with the Stars on October 20.
By Star Struck Times October 15, 2026
LOS ANGELES, California — Julia Stiles will honor her late co-star Heath Ledger during an upcoming episode of Dancing with the Stars, bringing renewed attention to the actor’s legacy and his early television career. The October 20 episode will feature Stiles performing a contemporary dance to Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” as a dedication to Ledger, according to ABC’s official announcement.
The news comes as Ledger’s 1997 fantasy series Roar is attracting fresh attention online. Fox canceled the show after airing eight episodes, although the remaining five episodes from its 13-episode production were later broadcast in 2000. The renewed interest offers a look at a lesser-known chapter in Ledger’s career, years before his acclaimed performances in films such as Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight.
Key Points
Julia Stiles will dedicate a contemporary dance to Heath Ledger on Dancing with the Stars on October 20.
The performance will use Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
Fox canceled Ledger’s fantasy series Roar after eight episodes aired in 1997.
Five additional episodes were eventually broadcast in 2000.
The renewed attention connects a forthcoming television tribute with a little-remembered part of Ledger’s early career.
Julia Stiles Plans a Heath Ledger Tribute on DWTS
ABC’s official Dancing with the Stars announcement confirms that Stiles and her professional partner, Ezra Sosa, will perform a contemporary routine dedicated to Ledger during the show’s October 20 “Dedication Night.”
The episode is scheduled to air from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time on ABC and Disney+, with streaming on Hulu the following day.
Stiles and Ledger shared the screen in the 1999 romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, a film that became a defining title for audiences who grew up watching late-1990s teen movies. Their work together helped establish both actors as memorable faces of that era.
The announced dance is a tribute to Ledger, who died in 2008 at age 28. It is not evidence of a romantic relationship between the two actors; their documented connection was as co-stars.
Fox Canceled Heath Ledger’s Fantasy Series Roar After Eight Episodes
While the upcoming tribute is bringing attention to Ledger’s best-known work, renewed interest has also focused on Roar, the fantasy-adventure series he led in 1997.
Ledger played Conor, a young Irish prince fighting Roman rule in a story that mixed historical settings with Celtic mythology and supernatural elements. The cast also included Vera Farmiga, who would later become known for roles in The Conjuring franchise and other film and television projects.
Fox aired eight episodes of Roar between July and September 1997 before canceling the series. Contemporary retrospective coverage has cited the show’s inability to attract a sufficiently large audience relative to its costs as a factor in its short run.
The cancellation did not mean that five completed episodes disappeared permanently. Those episodes were broadcast later, in 2000, bringing the total released episode count to 13.
The distinction is useful for viewers encountering headlines that describe Roar as an eight-episode series. Eight episodes initially aired before cancellation, but the production ultimately had a longer broadcast history.
Why Roar Matters to Heath Ledger’s Career
Roar arrived early in Ledger’s career, before the international recognition that followed films including Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight. His performance as Conor offered an early opportunity to carry a television series and work within a fantasy setting that demanded action as well as drama.
The series has since become a point of interest for viewers exploring Ledger’s work beyond his best-known film roles. Recent retrospective coverage has also debated how its ambitious mythology, production limitations and storytelling affected its reception.
That history provides context for the renewed search interest: Ledger’s legacy is not limited to the films that made him a household name. His earlier television work remains part of the story, even when a project had a short original run.
The upcoming Dancing with the Stars tribute and the renewed discussion of Roar are separate developments, but both are prompting audiences to revisit different parts of the actor’s career. The October 20 performance will offer Stiles an opportunity to honor her former co-star, while the renewed interest in Roar gives viewers another reason to explore Ledger’s early work.
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