David Krumholtz has explained why he was absent when the cast of 10 Things I Hate About You reunited to honor their late costar Heath Ledger on Dancing with the Stars.
Krumholtz, 48, played the lovable Michael Eckman in the beloved 1999 romantic comedy. While several of his former castmates gathered in Los Angeles on Tuesday, October 20, to support Julia Stiles, he was unable to attend because of a filming commitment in New York.
Stiles, 45, delivered an emotional tribute to Ledger during the ABC competition show, dancing with professional partner Ezra Sosa to Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” the song Ledger famously performed in the original film. Ledger, who played Stiles’ romantic interest in the movie, died in 2008 at age 28 from an accidental prescription drug overdose.
At the conclusion of the performance, Stiles placed a single red rose on the steps of the stage while looking toward an image of herself and Ledger from the film. The moment prompted several of her former costars, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, Larisa Oleynik, Andrew Keegan and Susan May Pratt, to join her on the dance floor and embrace her.
Krumholtz addressed his absence in an Instagram video filmed in New York’s Catskill Mountains on Wednesday, October 21.
“I’m here shooting a film,” the actor explained. “I could not be in L.A. for Dancing with the Stars last night. I would have loved, loved, loved to have been there. Everyone looked so amazing.”
He also praised Stiles and Sosa for their performance, calling the tribute to Ledger, whom he described as a dear friend he misses every day, “amazing and stunning.” Krumholtz added that he was proud of Stiles for the heartfelt moment.
The actor then joked about his appearance, suggesting that his partially bald head might have distracted from the reunion. He had shaved what remained of his hair and imagined the internet making a spectacle of the change.
“It would have been weird because I shaved what’s left of my hair,” he said. “And then it becomes a whole Internet fodder, ‘Oh, look what happened to him!’ I didn’t want that.”
However, Krumholtz made clear that his hair was not the actual reason he missed the event, adding that he would have dealt with the attention had he been able to attend.
Julia Stiles Explains Why David Krumholtz Was Missing
Stiles also addressed Krumholtz’s absence after the performance, telling Entertainment Tonight that he had wanted to be there just as much as the rest of the cast.
“I have to say for the record, for the record, very important PSA — David Krumholtz, we wanted him here,” she said. “He wanted to be here, but he’s working on an HBO show in New York so there was no way he could fly to Los Angeles.”
Sosa responded with a playful remark, joking that Krumholtz was booked as a diva should be.
Despite missing the reunion, Krumholtz made his admiration for the tribute clear, while Stiles ensured viewers understood that his absence was due to work rather than any issue with his former castmates.
Julia Stiles Wanted to Honor Heath Ledger Respectfully
Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE after the performance, Stiles explained that she and Sosa felt a responsibility to honor Ledger in a way that was both sincere and respectful.
She said they wanted to approach the tribute delicately and ensure that it felt authentic, rather than simply recreating a memorable scene from the film.
The performance revisited one of the most recognizable moments from 10 Things I Hate About You, giving Stiles an opportunity to remember Ledger alongside the cast members who shared the experience of making the 1999 movie.
Dancing with the Stars airs live on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with episodes streaming the following day on Hulu.
Source: Compiled from various sources.
