Julia Stiles is enjoying the ride on Dancing With the Stars Season 35 and learning the perks of being a dancer rather than an actor on the 2026 TV schedule. Speaking to that point, the actress opened up about the advantages of having instant feedback and how she's not used to getting that during her "day job."
The Save the Last Dance actress caught up with ET and revealed the unexpectedly exciting perk of dancing with Ezra Sosa this season. She's a fan of the instant feedback, which she usually has to wait a lot longer for when appearing in a movie or show:
Normally, in my day job, you do the thing, it comes out, and then later you hear whether people like it or not. But this is in real time. I feel really boosted by people's interest in us and excitement over our dances. It's nice.
Well, she didn't learn that at Juilliard, that's for sure. Jokes aside, it's interesting to hear Julia Stiles talk about her experience on the show and the enjoyment she gets out of it. Overall, it seems like the controversies about dancers with experience and who should or shouldn't still be on Dancing With The Stars aren't impacting the fun she's having on the show.
It's good to hear Stiles is enjoying the ride, because it doesn't seem like she's going to leave DWTS anytime soon. She's in the middling portion of the lineup as it stands, but I don't think she's in any danger of elimination in the near future. I have to imagine she'll outlast Guillermo Rodriguez, whose continued run remains a surprise.
Next week is Super Bowl Week on Dancing With The Stars, but I'm most looking forward to Dedication Night the week after. I know I'm waiting to see if Julia Stiles will pay tribute to her former 10 Things I Hate About You co-star, Heath Ledger.
Of course, there are never guarantees when it comes to voting in Dancing With The Stars. Ciara Miller learned that the hard way after being eliminated the same night she posted her best dance score of the season. She was also solidly in the middle of the pack when it came to the rankings, so all I can suggest to fans is that if they want Julia to stick around, they better keep voting for her.
As someone offering suggestions for how Dancing With The Stars can revamp the series to deal with its talent disparity among contestants, it feels like it's time for the show to make a change. There has to be a way to balance the desire of people who want to see bad dancers improve while still protecting the others who have a better chance of making the finale. Is Julia Stiles one of those people? Time will tell, but it's clear that she's loving the process of learning and improving.
We can only wait and see as DWTS continues on ABC on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Tune in next week to see Stiles perform a jazz dance to a Jennifer Lopez classic, and a lot of other Super Bowl fun!
