Julia Stiles may be getting ready to “save the last dance” for the ballroom.
The 45-year-old actress, best known for Save the Last Dance and 10 Things I Hate About You, is reportedly joining the celebrity cast of Dancing With the Stars Season 35. Multiple reports now point to Stiles competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy when the new season premieres September 15.
But before the official cast reveal has even happened, DWTS fans believe they may have solved another mystery: who will be dancing alongside her.
The speculation started when a mystery blonde woman was spotted near the Dancing With the Stars studios in Los Angeles.
She was photographed wearing a face covering while driving a white SUV, seemingly making an effort to keep her identity hidden as rehearsals for the upcoming season got underway. That naturally sent dedicated DWTS fans searching for clues.
It didn’t take long for viewers to begin connecting the woman to Stiles.
Fans noticed similarities between the mystery woman’s blonde hairstyle and Stiles’ recent appearance. But an even smaller detail caught their attention: her manicure.
The mystery woman appeared to have pink nails, and Stiles had recently posted social-media content in which fans noticed what appeared to be a similar manicure. She had also shared clues suggesting she was traveling to Los Angeles and preparing for an on-camera appearance.
Individually, none of those details proves anything.
Together with reports that Stiles has actually joined Season 35, however, fans believe the disguise may not have worked quite as well as intended.
Then came the partner speculation.
Online DWTS chatter has increasingly linked Stiles with professional dancer Ezra Sosa, with some fan accounts already treating the potential partnership as the likely pairing.
That possibility would certainly be interesting for Ezra.
He joined the professional lineup in Season 33 and most recently enjoyed his strongest run yet with Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, finishing third. Now he’s returning at a time when he has been publicly discussing how celebrity-pro pairings are handled behind the scenes.
Ezra recently argued that he would like to see different professionals receive opportunities with contestants capable of becoming genuine finalists.
He specifically said he hopes pros who haven’t regularly reached the finale get celebrities who allow them to demonstrate everything they can do creatively. Producers have also explained that partnerships aren’t necessarily locked in immediately, because they consider factors including chemistry once rehearsals begin.
That makes the Stiles rumor especially intriguing.
Unlike many celebrities entering DWTS, Julia already has an obvious connection to dancing.
Her 2001 movie Save the Last Dance famously required her character Sara to move between ballet and hip-hop as she pursued her dream of attending Juilliard. Stiles underwent dance preparation for the movie, meaning audiences have already seen her perform choreography on screen—even if ballroom dancing more than two decades later will be an entirely different challenge.
She’s also a genuine DWTS fan.
Stiles has previously described watching the competition as essentially her version of “Monday Night Football,” and has talked about going back online to watch old performances.
So this isn’t simply a celebrity accepting an unexpected reality-show offer. If the reports are correct, Stiles is walking into a competition she already knows remarkably well.
And Season 35 is shaping up to be particularly crowded.
Stiles and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress Tatyana Ali are among the latest names reported for the cast, joining a growing collection of confirmed and rumored contestants as rehearsals begin.
One partnership has already been officially revealed: reigning champion Witney Carson will dance with Guillermo Rodriguez. Carson enters the season after winning Season 34 with Robert Irwin and will compete while expecting her third child.
But Stiles’ partner remains officially unannounced.
That’s important because, despite the growing online claims connecting her with Ezra, the Stiles-Sosa partnership has not yet received the same official confirmation.
Fans shouldn’t have to wait much longer to find out.
The complete Season 35 cast and partnerships are expected to be unveiled in early September ahead of the September 15 premiere.
And that reveal could finally answer whether fans really managed to solve two secrets before producers announced either one.
The mystery woman’s blonde hair, pink manicure and apparent Los Angeles trip have already strengthened the case that Julia Stiles has quietly begun her ballroom journey.
Now there’s only one major clue left to confirm.
If Ezra Sosa walks out beside Julia Stiles during the official reveal, DWTS fans will know they managed to uncover the partnership before the pair ever performed their first dance.
