For an entire generation, Julia Stiles will forever be Kat Stratford — the fiercely independent teenager who danced on a table in 10 Things I Hate About You and helped make the 1999 romantic comedy a defining movie of its era.
More than 25 years later, Stiles is dancing in front of millions again.
At 45, the actress made her Dancing with the Stars debut during the second night of the Season 35 premiere, partnered with professional dancer Ezra Sosa. ABC confirmed Stiles as one of the season’s 16 celebrity contestants earlier this month. (ABC)
But there was something unexpectedly emotional about the song chosen for her first dance: Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.”
Parton had personally cleared Stiles to use the song only weeks before the country legend died at 80 on August 25, 2026. (People.com)
Dolly Had Personally Given Her Approval
Stiles and Sosa performed a quickstep to “9 to 5,” the title song from Parton’s beloved 1980 film.
The choice had an additional personal connection for Stiles: the song became a No. 1 hit in 1981, the year she was born.
But Stiles revealed after the performance that using such a famous song required permission — and that permission had come directly from Parton before her death.
Stiles said she felt particularly honored knowing that Parton had approved the use of her music for the performance. (People.com)
What had originally been planned simply as Stiles’ debut dance suddenly carried a very different meaning.
Everything Changed After Dolly Parton Died
Parton died on August 25 at 80 after a brief battle with cancer, bringing an extraordinary career spanning music, film, business and philanthropy to an end. (AP News)
Stiles and Sosa had already begun working on their “9 to 5” routine when they learned the news.
Rather than abandon the song, they decided to transform parts of their performance into a tribute.
Sosa told Entertainment Weekly that they made changes to the choreography after Parton’s death, adding details meant to acknowledge the singer’s legacy. One was inspired by the distinctive tapping sound Parton famously created with her acrylic nails on “9 to 5.” (EW.com)
Stiles said they wanted the performance to capture the joy Parton had given audiences.
Then Julia Walked Into the Ballroom
When Stiles finally stepped onto the floor with Sosa, the moment marked a major departure from what fans are accustomed to seeing from her.
The actress has spent decades working in film, television and theater, but competitive ballroom dancing was unfamiliar territory.
Their quickstep was theatrical and energetic, incorporating office-inspired elements that nodded to Parton’s famous song and film.
The performance earned a standing ovation in the ballroom. (People.com)
Carrie Ann Inaba called Stiles “radiant,” while Bruno Tonioli praised the way she combined her acting ability with dance. The judges also identified areas for improvement, including the need for greater energy as the competition progresses. (People.com)
The final result was 18 points out of 30. (EW.com)
It wasn’t the night’s highest score.
But Stiles had done something she’d resisted doing for years: she had finally stepped onto the DWTS floor.
She Had Turned Down the Show Before
Stiles revealed that Dancing with the Stars had approached her in the past.
She had repeatedly hesitated.
Fear was part of the reason.
Accepting the invitation meant leaving the relative control of acting behind and performing a skill she hadn’t mastered live in front of judges and millions of viewers. This time, however, she decided she wanted the challenge. (People.com)
Her partner has since praised the determination she brought into rehearsals.
Sosa described watching Stiles improve and push beyond her comfort zone, while Stiles has spoken warmly about the trust developing between them. (People.com)
Yet there was another reason she arrived with something to prove.
And it involved Andy Cohen.
One Old Comment Came Back to Haunt Her
Before Stiles joined the show, Cohen had publicly questioned her dancing ability.
During a 2025 SiriusXM discussion, he characterized Stiles as “not the greatest dancer on the planet.” (People.com)
That assessment was particularly striking because Stiles has one of the most recognizable dance-film credits of her generation.
In 2001, she starred in Save the Last Dance, playing Sara Johnson, an aspiring ballerina who becomes immersed in a new style of dance after moving to Chicago.
The movie became a major part of Stiles’ early career.
So when Cohen’s remark resurfaced as she prepared to compete on DWTS, Stiles didn’t pretend she’d forgotten it.
Quite the opposite.
She Called Him Out on Live Television
During the premiere, Stiles brought up Cohen’s comment and made clear that it had stayed with her.
Rather than simply treating the criticism as an insult, she said it had given her additional motivation as she prepared for the competition. (People.com)
Derek Hough then came to her defense from the judges’ table.
And the story didn’t end when the credits rolled.
That same evening, Cohen addressed the controversy on Watch What Happens Live.
He apologized.
Cohen named himself his show’s “Jackhole of the Day,” admitted he wasn’t exactly qualified to criticize someone else’s dancing and even used footage of his own dancing to make the point. He then praised Stiles’ DWTS performance. (EW.com)
Suddenly, a throwaway remark from the previous year had become one of the talking points surrounding Stiles’ ballroom debut.
Fans Remember a Very Different Julia
Part of the excitement surrounding Stiles’ appearance comes from how strongly she is associated with the late 1990s and early 2000s.
There was 10 Things I Hate About You.
Then Down to You.
Save the Last Dance.
And the Bourne movies.
For many viewers, the sight of Stiles back in a major weekly television spotlight inevitably brings back memories of the young actress who became one of the defining faces of that period.
But Stiles never actually disappeared.
Her career evolved.
She continued acting while also moving behind the camera, eventually making her feature directorial debut with Wish You Were Here, released in 2025.
Now Dancing with the Stars is putting her in a completely different position: there is no character to disappear into and no second take when something goes wrong.
The person being judged is Julia herself.
The Premiere Had a Nostalgic Twist
Season 35 opened with a two-night premiere on September 15 and 16, with the women making their competition debuts on the second night. (ABC)
The premiere’s musical theme made Stiles’ Dolly selection particularly fitting.
Each celebrity performed to a No. 1 song from the year they were born. Because Stiles was born in 1981, “9 to 5” became her song. (People.com)
What no one could have anticipated when the performance was initially being planned was that Parton’s death would occur only weeks before Stiles took the floor.
That turned a nostalgic song choice into something considerably more emotional.
At 45, She Is Doing Something That Scared Her
There is also a strangely fitting connection between Stiles’ past and present.
She became famous playing young women who refused to let other people define them.
Now, decades later, she’s willingly entering a competition where three judges — Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli — evaluate her in real time. ABC confirms all three returned to judge Season 35. (ABC)
And Stiles already knows criticism will be part of the experience.
Her first score of 18 out of 30 leaves plenty of room for improvement. But the debut also demonstrated exactly why she finally agreed to participate: she wanted to do something that frightened her and see how far she could take it. (People.com)
One Dance Connected Two Very Different Generations
For longtime Stiles fans, the performance brought back memories of the young actress dancing across movie screens more than two decades ago.
For Dolly Parton fans, it carried another meaning entirely.
Parton personally approved the song.
Weeks later, she was gone.
Then Stiles walked into the ballroom and danced to it anyway — this time with small changes intended to honor the woman behind the music. (EW.com)
The judges gave her an 18.
Andy Cohen apologized.
And Stiles survived her first night in the competition.
For someone who had spent years saying no to Dancing with the Stars, simply getting through that first quickstep represented a milestone.
But perhaps the detail she’ll remember most has nothing to do with the score.
Before Dolly Parton died, she knew Julia Stiles was going to dance to “9 to 5” — and she personally said yes.
For more on how our favorite stars have changed over the years, check out Jean Smart, 75, Makes a Rare Red-Carpet Appearance With Teenage Son Forrest Five Years After Losing Husband Richard Gilliland, Demi Moore Stuns With Dramatic Bob After Decades of Signature Long Hair – Fans Compare Her New Look to Nicole Kidman, and see how ‘The Breakfast Club’ Star Judd Nelson, 66, Looks Dramatically Different During Rare Outing 40 Years After Becoming an ’80s Heartthrob.
