Actor Julia Stiles discusses joining ‘Dancing with the Stars’ to rebuild confidence after years of a private life. The ’10 Things I Hate About You’ star says the show is a major step in reclaiming her relationship with being a performer.
Actor Julia Stiles has opened up about her journey on ‘Dancing with the Stars’, saying the reality competition is helping her rebuild confidence as a performer after years of maintaining a private life, according to People.
Stiles, 45, who is competing on the show with professional partner Ezra Sosa, told People that joining ‘DWTS’ marked a major personal step for her. “Throughout my career, I’ve been a very private person,” Stiles said. “I went to college, I knew that I wanted to have kids and raise a family, and I didn’t really chase the spotlight the way I think people expected.”
“So coming on the show is a really big deal to me. Like, I am a performer. I do love performing, but it’s taken a bit to get me [here],” she added.
A Complicated Relationship with Fame
Stiles and Sosa recently performed a tango to Teddy Swims’ “Door” during the show’s “Viral Hits Night” episode. In the rehearsal package, the ‘Save the Last Dance’ actor spoke about her connection with the song and her complicated relationship with fame. “My personal connection to the lyrics is that I’ve had a funny relationship with being in the public eye,” she said.
Reclaiming the Spotlight
Stiles rose to fame at the age of 17 with her breakthrough role as Kat Stratford in ‘10 Things I Hate About You’. Reflecting on her early experience with fame, she said she was initially overwhelmed by the attention, according to People. “I was intoxicated by it. But it also scared me, and I kind of ran in the other direction,” Stiles said. “So I’m reclaiming my relationship with people watching me.”
The actor said her main goal on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ is to become comfortable performing in front of audiences again. “My whole point in coming on the show is to find the confidence in performing again, and Ezra’s really helped pull me out of my shell,” she said, according to People. “But it’s not easy. And so, no matter what, I just wanna keep letting people in. I wanna keep trying. I wanna get better and better,” she added.
Overcoming Fear to Join the Cast
Ahead of the show’s season 35 premiere, Stiles revealed that she had been approached to join the cast several times before finally accepting the opportunity. “It’s taken a couple of years,” she said. “They’ve asked me in previous years [and] every year I say, ‘Oh my God, I love the show, and I would love to go on, but I just can’t do it. I just can’t do it.’”
Explaining her hesitation, Stiles said, “For a number of reasons, the first one being my own fear.” “This year I was like, ‘I’m scared I might say yes.’ The timing just felt right, and I was like, ‘You only live once,’” she added, according to People.
Stiles and Sosa scored 16 out of 30 during week two of the competition and are set to return for the next episode, “Yacht Rock Classics Night.”
‘Dancing with the Stars’ airs live on Tuesdays on ABC and Disney+, with episodes streaming the following day on Hulu. , according to People. (ANI)
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