“Dancing With the Stars” unveiled its full Season 35 cast Wednesday on “Good Morning America,” packing the ballroom with dance-movie veterans, reality stars and history-making athletes.
The 16 celebrity-pro pairings include Julia Stiles, 44, who will dance with newcomer Sosa. The “Save the Last Dance” star famously played classically trained ballerina Sara Johnson in the 2001 film, performing now-iconic hip-hop-infused audition choreography for the Juilliard School. Stiles’ casting follows weeks of fan speculation fueled by photos of her in disguise heading to “DWTS” rehearsal studios in Los Angeles.
Jenna Dewan, 44, joins the competition with Chigvintsev. The “Step Up” actress celebrated the dance film’s 20th anniversary in a recent Instagram post, writing:
“The movie that changed my life forever. The way you guys love this movie all these years later is beyond.”
Dewan previously judged “World of Dance” alongside “DWTS” judge Derek Hough from 2017 to 2018 and later hosted “Flirty Dancing” and “Come Dance With Me.”
Harry Shum Jr., 42, partners with two-time mirrorball champion Johnson, who won Season 26 with Adam Rippon and Season 33 with Joey Graziadei. The “Glee” and “Crazy Rich Asians” actor brings professional dance and choreography experience from “Step Up 2: The Streets” and “The LXD: The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers.”
Tatyana Ali, 46, trades “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” for the ballroom with Ravnik, who returns for his second pro season after debuting last year with “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Jen Affleck. The Broadway-trained actress had fueled casting rumors through social media posts showing her concealed arrivals at rehearsals.
Taylor Hanson, 42, brings ’90s pop nostalgia as the first Hanson brother to compete, paired with Stewart. He formed the band with brothers Isaac and Zac in 1992 at age 9, achieving massive success with 1997’s “MMMBop” from album “Middle of Nowhere.” He later joined supergroup Tinted Windows alongside members of Cheap Trick, Smashing Pumpkins and Fountains of Wayne.
Olympic figure skater Glenn, the first openly LGBTQIA+ US women’s figure skating champion, competes with Pashkov. The three-time US national champion helped Team USA win Olympic gold in the figure skating team event and became the first American woman to land three triple axels at a single Olympic Games.
Two-time Paralympic gold medalist Frech, who won gold in the 100 meter and high jump at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, pairs with Karagach. “DWTS” described him in a press release as a world champion “redefining perceptions of disability by elevating the Paralympic movement on a global stage.” Karagach previously won Season 30 with NBA star Iman Shumpert.
Sarah Jane Nader, younger sister of 2024 “DWTS” alum Brooks Nader, makes her ballroom debut with Bills in the show’s second same-sex female partnership. Bills earns promotion from troupe to pro status this season. The pairing follows JoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson’s history-making 2021 partnership, which Johnson exclusively said felt like a “very big step forward” for the series. Sarah Jane currently appears with her siblings on Hulu/Disney+ series “Love Thy Nader.”
“DWTS” pro Jenna Johnson recently addressed fan backlash over the Season 35 cast announcements, defending the lineup on social media.
Conner Leavitt, whose wife Whitney competed last season with Mark Ballas, joins with Zalikman, this season’s newest pro and winner of “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro.” The “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star and “DadTok” personality was spotted supporting Whitney throughout her season in the ballroom.
Comedian Wood, known as Fibula across TikTok and Instagram, partners with Arnold. The rising star earned “Comic to Watch” recognition from the New York Comedy Festival and recently headlined a sold-out show at the “Netflix Is A Joke” festival. His podcast “Brooke and Connor Make a Podcast” with Brooke Averick won Adweek’s Best Comedy Podcast of 2024.
Tyler Cameron, from Season 15 of “The Bachelorette,” continues Bachelor Nation’s “DWTS” tradition with Burgess, who returns after a five-year hiatus. “I’m back in the ballroom, baby,” the former mirrorball champion exclaimed in a social media video last month confirming her comeback. Previous Bachelor Nation winners include Hannah Brown, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Joey Graziadei.
“Summer House” star Miller competes with Savchenko following public breakup news involving ex West Wilson dating former best friend and co-star Amanda Batula. Her casting was previously announced by ABC.
“Traitors” alum Higgins reunites with Ballas, her Season 4 castmate from the reality competition, as her “DWTS” partner. Other stars who have appeared on both series include Phaedra Parks, Dylan Efron, Gabby Windey, Chrishell Stause and Nikki Bella.
Savannah Bananas player Olson, previously confirmed by ABC, partners with former mirrorball champion Slater. He explained on “GMA” in May:
“I kind of manifested this whole thing. I posted a couple of TikToks last year, just joking and pranking my coach that I was going to be on this show, never thinking that it was a possibility. But when I posted it, I was like, ‘Maybe there is a possibility.'”
Hough hinted at Olson’s casting in a May Instagram post after performing at a Bananas game, writing:
“A few weeks back, I tried dropping a subtle, not-so-subtle hint about Jackson stepping up to the plate for ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ Well, the cat’s out of the bag. Can’t wait to see him trade home runs for heel leads and curveballs for cha-cha-cha. Let’s just hope he doesn’t slip on any ballroom banana peels, though, if he can dodge a fastball, he can handle a quickstep!”
Emmy-winning chef De Laurentiis, paired with Season 28 mirrorball champ Bersten, brings her Food Network stardom from “Everyday Italian,” “Giada at Home” and “Giada in Italy.” the outlet bestselling author and restaurateur rounds out the culinary corner of the cast.
Guillermo, Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime sidekick who began as a security guard discovered in the parking lot, completes the lineup for his “DWTS” debut.
The all-new season kicks off with a two-night premiere beginning Tuesday, Sept. 15, on ABC and Disney+.