The actress best known for "Save the Last Dance" and the "Bourne" franchise is joining the celebrity cast of "Dancing With the Stars" Season 35, a move she hinted at more than a year ago.
Page Six confirmed that Julia Stiles will compete on the upcoming season of the long-running ABC and Disney+ dance competition, which premieres September 15. ABC has not commented on the casting, and the full Season 35 lineup is scheduled to be revealed September 2 on "Good Morning America."
Stiles, a mother of three, told People magazine in a February 2025 interview that she had discussed doing the show before but faced a practical obstacle, she lives in New York City, far from the Los Angeles production.
"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."
She also admitted to binge-watching past performances online.
"I'll go down YouTube rabbit holes of watching old videos, and I have my favorite choreographers."
Whatever logistical hurdle kept her away appears to have been resolved. Stiles now joins a growing roster of confirmed and rumored competitors as the show heads into its 35th season, two decades after "Dancing With the Stars" first premiered in 2005.
Stiles built her career on roles that mixed brains with grit. She broke out in 1999's "10 Things I Hate About You" opposite the late Heath Ledger, then starred in 2001's "Save the Last Dance" as Sara, a young woman chasing a spot at Juilliard while navigating life on Chicago's South Side alongside co-star Sean Patrick Thomas. She went on to appear in "Mona Lisa Smile," "The Prince & Me," and "The Omen" before landing a recurring role across four "Bourne" franchise films with Matt Damon. In 2012, she played Jennifer Lawrence's sister in "Silver Linings Playbook."
Stiles has also shown a willingness to take creative risks outside the studio system. She starred in a YouTube series called "Blue," playing a single mother working as a call girl, a role she researched by meeting with real escorts and their managers. In an interview with Fox News, Stiles praised the creative freedom of working outside traditional networks.
That independent streak may serve her well on a competition show where personality counts as much as footwork.
Stiles is far from the only name generating buzz. ABC has officially confirmed that Savannah Bananas star Jackson Olson and Guillermo Rodriguez, Jimmy Kimmel's longtime sidekick, will compete this season. Reality television is well represented, too. "Summer House" cast member Ciara Miller and "Love Island" alum Maura Higgins, who came in as runner-up on the latest season of "The Traitors," have both been confirmed.
Beyond the official confirmations, the rumor mill has been busy. TMZ reported that model Brooks Nader's sister, Sarah Jane Nader, and "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" alum Tatyana Ali are joining the cast. Us Weekly reported that "Bachelorette" alum Tyler Cameron and actress Jenna Dewan, who starred alongside her now ex-husband Channing Tatum in 2006's "Step Up", are also set to compete.
Page Six noted that it reached out to ABC for comment on Stiles' casting, but the network does not comment on casting rumors. The September 2 announcement on "Good Morning America" should settle the full lineup.
Returning to the judges' table are Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli. Alfonso Ribeiro, the former "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" star who won Season 19 with pro partner Witney Carson, will co-host alongside Julianne Hough. The winner takes home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, named for the late founding judge.
Robert Irwin, son of the late "Crocodile Hunter" star Steve Irwin, won the trophy last season. Whoever claims it this time around will do so in front of audiences on both ABC and Disney+.
For an actress who once danced her way into Juilliard on screen, the ballroom is a fitting next stage, and millions of viewers will get to see whether the moves are real.
