What Michelle Williams told Julia Stiles about 'DWTS' Heath Ledger tribute

Michelle Williams gave her blessings to Julia Stiles for her Dancing With The Stars tribute to her 10 Things I Hate About You costar Heath Ledger.

For the DWTS Dedication Night on Tuesday, October 20, Stiles and her pro partner Ezra Sosa performed a contemporary routine to Frank Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You as a tribute to the late Australian actor. Before going ahead with the dedication, Stiles sought permission from Williams, who is the mother of Ledger’s daughter, Matilda.

“I did ask Michelle if this was OK and she said yes,” Stiles, 45, told Extra TV following the performance.

READ MORE: '10 Things I Hate About You' cast joins Julia Stiles for Heath Ledger tribute

Williams and Ledger met on the set of Brokeback Mountain in 2004 and began dating shortly afterwards. A year later, they welcomed their daughter, Matilda. The pair ended their relationship in 2007, just one year before the Dark Knight star passed away from an accidental overdose at the age of 28.

The Dawson’s Creek alum has made few comments Ledger since his passing, and her approval of Stiles’ dedication led to one of the most talked-about performances of the night, proving that Ledger’s legacy lives on.

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You was the song Ledger’s character, Patrick Verona, serenaded Stiles’ character, Kat Stratford, with. Stiles’ performance was filled with subtle nods to their on-screen romance, and she even reunited the film’s cast, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, Andrew Keegan, Susan May Pratt, and Larisa Oleynik.

Reflecting on her choice to bring the cast back together again, Stiles told Extra, “When we decided we were going to do the dedication, we needed to have somebody here to sort of represent the movie and represent Heath. I was like, ‘It has to be the whole cast, it can’t just be one person, it’s got to be everybody.” 

READ MORE: Michelle Williams moved to tears remembering late Heath Ledger