Updated

Updated · Deadline · Oct 22

David Krumholtz Misses '10 Things' Reunion on Season 35 'DWTS' as Film Shoot Keeps Him Away

Updated

Updated · Deadline · Oct 22

David Krumholtz Misses '10 Things' Reunion on Season 35 'DWTS' as Film Shoot Keeps Him Away

Q: What secret movie was David Krumholtz filming in New York that forced him to miss the emotional Heath Ledger tribute on DWTS?

It has not been publicly identified. Krumholtz said only that he was in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York “shooting a film,” and no verified report in the provided coverage names the movie. There is also some conflicting follow-up reporting: Julia Stiles told Entertainment Tonight that he was working on “an HBO show in New York,” while Krumholtz himself described it as a film. In either case, the title of the project was not disclosed. So the direct answer is that the “secret movie” remains unnamed in the available reporting.

Q: How did Julia Stiles' post-show interview further clarify the real reason behind David Krumholtz's unexpected absence from the DWTS ballroom?

Julia Stiles’ post-show interview made clear that David Krumholtz’s absence was purely a work conflict, not a personal choice or an issue related to his appearance. Speaking after the “Dancing With the Stars” episode, Stiles said, “For the record, very important PSA: David Krumholtz. We wanted him here. 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.” That directly reinforced Krumholtz’s own explanation that he was filming in upstate New York and could not travel. Her remarks also helped shut down any speculation sparked by Krumholtz’s joking comment about his shaved head becoming “internet fodder.” Stiles emphasized that he had every intention of joining the reunion and was only kept away by his shooting schedule. In effect, her interview confirmed that the reason was logistical and professional: Krumholtz was booked on a production in New York and simply could not make the trip to the DWTS ballroom in Los Angeles.

Q: Beyond his Instagram apology, why wasn't a virtual cameo arranged for David Krumholtz during the iconic 90s rom-com reunion?

There is no indication a virtual cameo was planned or blocked; the available reporting points to a practical production choice tied to Krumholtz’s work schedule and the format of the reunion. Krumholtz said he was in the Catskill Mountains filming and could not get to Los Angeles. Julia Stiles later reinforced that, saying he wanted to be there but was working in New York and “there was no way he could fly to Los Angeles.” Her comments about assembling the segment also suggest the reunion was conceived as an in-person cast moment in the ballroom, not a patchwork of remote appearances. She said she “begged” the cast to rally and wanted “the whole cast” there to represent Heath Ledger’s legacy and the film. That matters because the tribute was built around a live emotional reveal after Stiles and Ezra Sosa’s performance: Stiles placed a flower for Ledger, then was physically joined onstage by former castmates. A remote insert would have changed the staging and tone of that moment. Krumholtz’s shaved head joke appears incidental. He said it might have become “internet fodder,” but stressed that was not the reason he missed it and that he would have “dealt with it.” So, based on what Stiles and Krumholtz said publicly, the reason was not a hidden dispute or refusal. He was unavailable in person due to filming, and the reunion appears to have been designed specifically as a live, in-room cast tribute rather than a hybrid virtual one.

3 articles · Updated · Deadline · Oct 22

David Krumholtz said an upstate New York film shoot in the Catskill Mountains kept him from Tuesday’s live “Dancing with the Stars” reunion honoring “10 Things I Hate About You.”
In an Instagram video posted after the Season 35 “Dedication Night” episode, he said he would have “loved” to attend Julia Stiles’ tribute to Heath Ledger and praised the cast’s appearance.
Krumholtz also joked that his shaved hair would have become “internet fodder,” but stressed that was not the real reason he missed the Los Angeles taping.
Julia Stiles was joined onstage by Larisa Oleynik, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, Andrew Keegan and Susan May Pratt after dancing to Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
The absence comes two months after Krumholtz said in August he was putting his career on hold to focus on mental health, clarifying he was not retiring.