Acclaimed actress Julia Stiles stole the show on Wednesday night as she made her Dancing With the Stars debut to the tune of Dolly Parton's iconic song, "9 to 5". The 45-year-old danced a quickstep with her pro partner, Ezra Sosa, just weeks after Dolly passed away at age 80 following a brief cancer battle.
The song, which was written for the 1980 film 9 to 5 starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly herself, is one of the country icon's most popular and enduring tracks.
Paying tribute to Dolly
© Instagram"A couple weeks before Dolly passed, she approved this song, specifically for me. I'm so honored to be dancing to her music and honoring her legacy. I wanna make her proud," Julia said during the DWTS broadcast.
"It was the first song we talked about. I wanted it so badly," she continued.
© Getty Images"We didn't know what was gonna happen. She cleared it, and I just feel so honored to honor Dolly. She's such a powerhouse and the song is so great. Like, it's such an anthem. What a legend."
Julia and Ezra earned a tidy 18/30 for their performance and were praised by the judges for their incredible dance.
Dolly's history with DWTS
Dolly has been part of DWTS history since 2007, when she performed "9 to 5" on the show while the pros danced along.
"The fact that we got to highlight her magic on our show back in 2007, I mean, it's really incredible," host Julianne Hough said on Good Morning America.
© Disney General Entertainment Con"I think we are all so inspired by Dolly. Authenticity is a word that gets thrown out so often, but with Dolly, specifically, she never censored herself. She was always true to who she was. Connecting and being real and honest and vulnerable. Nobody does it better than Dolly."
Dolly suffered several health issues in the last year of her life and was receiving treatment at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee, when she passed away on August 25.
Julia's journey to the stage
© InstagramJulia is a fan-favorite cast member on season 35 of DWTS, and previously revealed that she was inspired to sign on for the show after TV personality Andy Cohen joked that she wasn't "the greatest dancer on the planet" during a 2025 episode of Radio Andy.
Andy was referring to her performance in the 2001 film Save the Last Dance, in which she portrayed a high schooler training to get into Juilliard. "We're going to win the Mirrorball [trophy], sit on Andy's couch and be like, 'Hey,'" Julia quipped on the show.
© Getty ImagesAfter Julia's dance, DWTS judge Derek Hough laughed: "Andy Cohen, you can eat it. That was beautiful, graceful. You are absolutely beaming. I love to see it."
Reality TV star Sarah Jane Nader was the first female contestant to be sent home in season 35, alongside her partner, Hailey Bills, while Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Conner Leavitt was sent packing on Tuesday night after receiving the fewest votes.
