Watch: DWTS’ Derek Hough Accidentally Calls Tyler Cameron the Wrong Name Live On-Air
Julia Stiles is saving the last laugh for Andy Cohen.
The Save the Last Dance star shared how she was using the Bravo host’s past critique—that she was “not the greatest dancer on the planet,” as he said on Andy Cohen Live in 2025—as motivation to win Dancing With the Stars as a season 35 celebrity competitor.
“The quote is imprinted in my brain,” Stiles admitted to partner Ezra Sosa during a rehearsal showed in the Sept. 16 premiere episode. “We’re gonna win the Mirrorball, sit on Andy’s couch and be like, ‘Hey.'”
And the Bourne Identity actress made major strides toward that goal when she got high praise for her quickstep to Dolly Parton‘s “9 to 5.”
As such, judge Derek Hough quipped when evaluating her debut performance, “Andy Cohen, you can eat it!”
Indeed, the actress intends to live up to her legacy as an onstage performer that started with her notable role in the beloved 2011 romance film Save the Last Dance, in which she played a ballerina who fell in love with a new boyfriend (Sean Patrick Thomas) and with hip-hop.
Though she clarified it was a body double dancing in the film, the Emmy nominee was still able to move one step closer to the DWTS finale after scoring an 18 out of 30 points during her quickstep. And the dance meant more than just earning positive feedback from the judges.
“Tonight I am dancing to ‘9 to 5’ by Dolly Parton,” Stiles explained of the touching honor bestowed by the late country music icon. “It was only a couple of weeks before Dolly passed that she approved this song specifically for me.”
Photo by Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
“I’m so honored to be dancing to her music and honoring her legacy,” she continued, “and I want to make her proud.”
In addition to Stiles’ touching tribute, it was also an emotional evening for Summer House‘s Ciara Miller. The reality star danced to “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)”—an inspirational track by another timeless music legend, Whitney Houston—days after she wore Houston’s dress to the Emmys 2026.
Keep reading to see the stacked competition for season 35.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
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