Stiles and partner Ezra Sosa danced to the song Ledger's character sang to hers in the 1999 film, and the cast joined her at the end.
On Tuesday's episode of Dancing with the Stars, Julia Stiles performed a contemporary routine with her pro partner, Ezra Sosa, as a tribute to Heath Ledger, her co-star in the 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You. Gabrielle Union (Chastity) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Cameron James) were among the film's cast who joined her at the end.
The pair danced to Can't Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli, the song Ledger's character, Patrick, sang to Stiles' Kat Stratford in the film. Stiles told Sosa during rehearsals: "I learned a lot from Heath. He was so authentic."
Near the end, Stiles placed a rose on the steps in front of a giant photo of Ledger. Then her co-stars came to join her, including Andrew Keegan (Joey Donner), Susan May Pratt (Mandella) and Larisa Oleynik (Bianca). Stiles explained why she wanted the whole cast on stage:
"I said, if we had to have someone with us on stage representing Heath's legacy or the film, I said it had to be the whole cast. I begged them, each and every one of them, and they all rallied. They really did."
Before the show, Stiles told PEOPLE she was surprised by how emotional rehearsals had been, as clips, photos and voices from the film were bringing up a lot.
In a joint Instagram post, Stiles and Sosa wrote: "I don't think we've ever approached a performance with more care, sensitivity, and intention than this one."
Judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Stiles after the performance: "Watching you, it just makes me want to open my heart." Stiles and Sosa earned four 9s, a total of 36, among the highest scores of the night.
Ledger died in 2008 at 28 from an accidental overdose. The film was the first time Stiles, then just 18, was installed in the driver's seat of a studio film, and EW reports that it grossed more than $53 million on a $13 million budget.
Stiles recalled Ledger's behaviour on set: "He was very kind and generous to me," she recalled.
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