Julia Stiles and her "Dancing With the Stars" partner, Ezra Sosa, shared tearful interviews following their elimination on "Disney Night." The pair were cut from the ABC competition series on Monday, finishing in eighth place for Season 35.
Stiles, 45, reflected on her "incredible" experience on the show in an interview with "On the Red Carpet," stating, "I will always have that with me. And I’m really, really glad that we were able to go out with a bang." She was referencing their paso doble performance to "Satisfied" from "Hamilton."
Expressing her sadness about the departure, Stiles added, "I’m really sad because I’m gonna miss seeing this guy every day."
Sosa, 25, echoed her sentiments, telling Entertainment Tonight, "She made me a better person. Oh, I’m gonna cry!" He elaborated that Stiles made him a "better teacher, choreographer [and] person," citing her "openness and her honesty" as particularly impactful.
The actress also shared with Entertainment Tonight that the competition had boosted her "confidence" and "strength," and that she had "so much fun."
Stiles joined the cast of "Dancing With the Stars" Season 35 in August. Earlier in the competition, she and Sosa had a playful disagreement during a rehearsal, with Stiles calling Sosa a "cranky bitch." Sosa acknowledged that he had pushed Stiles "too far" at times, driven by his knowledge of her potential.
Despite suffering from a recurring rib injury during her time on the show, Stiles remained determined. Upon their elimination, she commented, "I pulled things out of myself that I didn’t realize were there."
Stiles called it an "absolute honor" to have partnered with Sosa throughout the season.
Sosa, who has been a pro on "DWTS" since 2021, recently expressed his desire to compete with a same-sex partner in a future season, stating to Out magazine, "I’ve been so passionate about same-sex dancing in general, especially being part of the queer community. I’ve put in my word to the casting director."