ABC is positioning this as a prestige casting move — Julia Stiles brings indie film credibility, Jenna Dewan adds serious dance credentials from her "Step Up" era and professional career, while Harry Shum Jr. delivers the fan-favorite trajectory from dancer to leading man. The network wants viewers to see DWTS as appointment television for quality entertainment.
Insiders are already whispering about potential alliances forming behind the scenes. With Jenna Dewan — a trained professional dancer — in the mix, some contestants may feel they have an unfair advantage while others might target her as the one to beat. Meanwhile, Harry Shum Jr.'s "Glee" fanbase is expected to mobilize early and aggressively for voting.
Confirmed cast members include Julia Stiles, Jenna Dewan, and Harry Shum Jr. The two-night premiere begins Tuesday, September 15, airing simultaneously on ABC and Disney+. Season 35 marks the show's continued presence across both broadcast and streaming platforms.
This cast is stacked with performers who can actually move — which means judges will have no excuses when scoring gets tough. Expect fireworks from night one as Hollywood talent meets ballroom pressure in prime time.
ABC has officially pulled back the curtain on "Dancing With the Stars" Season 35, and let's just say — they're not playing it safe this fall. The network unveiled a cast that reads like a who's who of performers who've actually spent time on their feet: Julia Stiles, Jenna Dewan, Harry Shum Jr., and a roster of names that'll make you forget last season entirely. The two-night premiere kicks off Tuesday, September 15, simultaneously on ABC and Disney+, meaning viewers have double the chances to catch their favorites stumbling through paso doble basics.
But beyond the logistics, what really matters here is the talent level heading into this cycle. Jenna Dewan isn't just a former "Step Up" star — she's trained in multiple dance disciplines and spent years performing professionally before pivoting fully to acting. That background could either make her the judges' darling or paint an enormous target on her back from week one.
Julia Stiles brings a different kind of heat to the ballroom. Best known for her work in films like "Save the Last Dance" and "10 Things I Hate About You," she's got screen presence that translates — but raw dance technique? That's the question mark hanging over her head.
Sources close to production hint that Stiles has been quietly training for weeks, suggesting she knows exactly what she's walking into. Harry Shum Jr. rounds out the headline trio with perhaps the most dedicated fanbase of the bunch. His years on "Glee" and "Shadowhunters" built an audience that's proven they'll vote early and often.
Whether that translates to actual dancing skill remains to be seen, but don't sleep on his athletic background — the man can move. The real tea? Insiders reveal production is already engineering what they call "competitive chemistry" between multiple contestants behind closed doors. With professionals watching from the sidelines and celebrities jostling for camera time during rehearsals, expect the drama to start before the first score card gets filled out.
