27 years after the pool table dance, Julia Stiles is going on Dancing With the Stars
Julia Stiles has signed on for a dance-heavy gig, and 10 Things I Hate About You fans are buzzing about a nod to one of her standout routines.
Now, here’s a bit of news for 10 Things I Hate About You die-hards who still put that pool table dance scene on a pedestal: Julia Stiles is dusting off her moves for a spot on Series 35 of Dancing With the Stars. Yes, Julia Stiles, the same one who brought us the infamous Kat Stratford, is now swapping teen rom-com chaos for a very real shot at glitterball glory. It's got a proper whiff of nostalgia, and I can't imagine the casting directors weren't laughing up their sleeves at the "full-circle" angle here.
Julia Stiles joins the new season of Dancing With the Stars, paired with Ezra Sosa and bringing her famous film dance scene memories to the ballroom for the first time.
Back in 1999, Stiles went viral (well, pre-YouTube viral) for busting out a pool table dance at a raucous house party in 10 Things I Hate About You. That one scene didn’t just end up on endless Tumblr gifs – it accidentally launched her dance career, thanks to director Thomas Carter clocking her moves and roping her into Save the Last Dance two years later. There, she famously merged ballet with hip-hop and, as every millennial knows, headed off for a shot at Juilliard. So, seeing her now as a contestant on an actual dance competition has fans of a certain age basically losing it over the symmetry; she's finally gone from dance-floor fiction to live telly competition.
Who Else Is in the Mix?
She’s paired up with pro dancer Ezra Sosa, who’ll try to keep her poise firmly on the floor (and not, presumably, atop any furniture). Stiles isn't the only high-profile name this year. You’ll find Jenna Dewan (with dance film cred of her own), Harry Shum Jr., Tatyana Ali, and Giada De Laurentiis rounding off the celeb slate. Fans get some returning pros in the ballroom, too: Witney Carson—pregnant with number three—and Sharna Burgess, making a return after a five-year break. Newcomer Hailey Bills also slips into the pro lineup, along with Sarah Jane Nader for the series' second-ever female-female pairing.
Season 35 launches its two-night premiere on 15 and 16 September 2026 at 8pm ET on ABC and Disney+, with catch-up on Hulu next day.
Hosting duo Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough are both back, plus Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough are all locked in for judging duties. Between Stiles’s legacy, a stacked cast, and the never-old drama of on-air quicksteps, it’s bound to be a proper entertainment circus—for better or worse.