Julia Stiles addresses Juilliard confusion after DWTS casting

Julia Stiles’ casting as Ezra Sosa’s partner on Dancing With the Stars Season 35 has prompted fans to joke that the actress has an unfair advantage because of her role in Save the Last Dance.

Stiles was announced as Sosa’s celebrity partner on September 2, joining the 16-person cast for the new season. Sosa later made the pairing official on TikTok with a clip captioned, "last dance? not even close ;)".

Some viewers referenced Stiles’ 2001 film Save the Last Dance, in which she played Sara, an aspiring ballerina. One commenter wrote, "That's cheating. She went to Juilliard," while another said, "Based on experience. No one else has a chance now."

A third fan added, "This should NOT be allowed!! She's a classically trained dancer!!!!"

However, Stiles did not attend Juilliard and is not a professional dancer. She took ballet classes while growing up, but the Juilliard backstory comes from her character in Save the Last Dance.

Stiles addressed the misunderstanding following the DWTS casting announcement, telling Us Weekly, "I'm so grateful for all the opportunities that came from that movie but I am not a professional dancer," before adding, "I just played pretend."

Sosa also clarified the situation, saying, "We are emphasizing that she did not actually get into Juilliard, people."

Dancing With the Stars does not require celebrity contestants to have no previous dance experience. Casting director and executive producer Deena Katz said age, background and dance experience are not what determine whether someone is suitable for the programme, with a willingness to participate and commitment to the process being key considerations.