Julia Stiles thinks her time on “Save the Last Dance” may not translate the way fans expect when she hits the ballroom for Season 35 of “Dancing With the Stars.”
The actress, who famously played aspiring ballet dancer Sara Johnson in the 2001 dance drama, will be competing against 15 other celebrities, including “Step Up” star Jenna Dewan and “Glee” alum Harry Shum Jr., this fall.
Following Wednesday’s official cast reveal, Stiles, 45, dismissed the notion that her experience working on the dance film would give her a leg up in the competition.
“I think it’s a bit of a disadvantage,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “To be honest, I stopped taking dance classes after that movie because people expected me to be a great dancer.”
Instead, the “10 Things I Hate About You” star said she’s more of a “home dancer.”
“I love dancing at home, and part of my reason for coming on this show was to find the joy in dance again … find my confidence in dance again,” Stiles added.
“Making that movie, yeah, it was great training and it was a wonderful opportunity, but I felt very, very self-conscious and kind of tense. And I want to let that go.”
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“GMA” confirmed Wednesday that Stiles will be competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy with pro dancer Ezra Sosa.
The “Prince & Me” actress previously called the show her version of “Monday Night Football” in a February 2025 interview with People.
“I’ll go down YouTube rabbit holes of watching old videos, and I have my favorite choreographers,” she gushed at the time.
“We’ve talked about me doing it, but I live in New York City, so it would be hard. Maybe they could do an East Coast version.”
Stiles’ fellow “DWTS” contestant Jenna Dewan, meanwhile, defended her casting against fans who took issue with her dance background, telling EW that she does “not know how to ballroom dance.”
“Let’s be clear, it’s two different languages,” she said. “There’s parts of my dance training that’s helpful, obviously. I’ve learned choreography, I can perform, but there is a certain sense of unlearning for me.”
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