The 'Dancing with the Stars' Season 35 Cast Is Here – And the Internet Already Has Strong Opinions About Two Names – Details

Some contestants are stepping into the ballroom with more than just celebrity status behind them, and that difference in experience may become one of Season 35's biggest talking points. But amid the debate, another familiar face is giving longtime fans a very different reason to tune in.

The ballroom doors are officially opening again, and this year's celebrity lineup is already giving viewers plenty to debate. But amid 16 new contestants, two names have quickly emerged for very different reasons.

One has sparked a wave of excitement from viewers who suddenly have a reason to tune in. The other is facing questions about whether she should be competing at all.

Season 35's Full Lineup Is Official

On September 2, 2026, GMA, ABC News, and "Dancing with the Stars" jointly revealed the official Season 35 cast in an Instagram carousel featuring the celebrities alongside their professional partners.

"The competition is already heating up. 🔥 Meet the full 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 35 cast as they hit the ballroom and chase Mirrorball glory. #dwts," the caption reads.

The celebrity lineup unveiled spans actors, athletes, reality personalities, social media stars, a chef, and more. Season 35 will begin with a two-night premiere on Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. Episodes will stream the following day on Hulu.

Among those competing is Julia Stiles, who has been paired with Ezra Sosa. The Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actress, director, writer, and producer became a household name after starring as Kat Stratford alongside the late Heath Ledger in the 1999 teen comedy "10 Things I Hate About You."

Stiles' extensive credits also include "Dexter," the "Bourne" franchise, "Mona Lisa Smile," "Hustlers," "Silver Linings Playbook," and "Save the Last Dance." She made her feature directorial debut with "Wish You Were Here" in 2025 and is also slated to appear in "Recap" and the holiday road-trip comedy "Unbearable Christmas."

Then there is Jenna Dewan, paired with Val Chmerkovskiy. Dewan started her entertainment career as a professional backup dancer, working with stars including Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott, and Christina Aguilera before finding mainstream fame opposite Channing Tatum in 2006's "Step Up."

She has since appeared in projects including "American Horror Story," "Supergirl," and "The Mindy Project," hosted "World of Dance," served as a guest judge on "So You Think You Can Dance," and currently stars on ABC's "The Rookie."

From Sitcom Favorites to Olympians

Joining Dewan and Stiles is Tatyana Ali, who will compete with Jan Ravnik. Best known for playing Ashley Banks on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," Ali has also appeared in "Glory Road" and "Abbott Elementary," performed in the Broadway production of "Fences," released music, and won five NAACP Image Awards. She has also used her platform to advocate for Black maternal health.

Taylor Hanson, paired with Britt Stewart, will trade the stage for the ballroom. Hanson rose to fame alongside his brothers in the band Hanson and later formed Tinted Windows with James Iha, Bun E. Carlos, and Adam Schlesinger. He and his wife, Natalie Anne Bryant, share seven children.

Paralympic Gold Medalist and World-record Holder Ezra Frech will dance with Daniella Karagach. Born with congenital limb differences, Frech is also an advocate, model, motivational speaker, and co-founder of Angel City Sports.

Olympic gold medal-winning Figure Skater Amber Glenn is paired with Pasha Pashkov. The three-time U.S. national champion helped Team USA win gold in the figure skating event at the 2026 Olympics and became the first U.S. woman to land three triple Axels at a single Olympic Games.

She is also the first openly LGBTQ+ U.S. women's figure skating champion and has used her platform to advocate for inclusion, visibility, and mental health support.

Social Media Personality Connor Wood, known as "Fibula" to his 1.3 million followers, will compete alongside Rylee Arnold. Wood co-hosts "Brooke and Connor Make a Podcast," has taken his comedy on the road with his Fibs and Friends tour, and worked as an NBC correspondent during the 2026 Olympic Games.

Sarah Jane Nader will dance with Hailey Bills, following in the footsteps of her sister Brooks Nader, who placed ninth during Season 33. The actress and model currently appears on "Love Thy Nader" and also works as head of Non-Profit and Talent Partnerships at Influencer Social Responsibility.

Familiar Reality Stars Are Entering the Ballroom

Former "Bachelorette" contestant Tyler Cameron has been paired with returning pro Sharna Burgess. Since competing for Hannah Brown's heart on Season 15, Cameron has entered the real estate world and operates a construction and home-flipping business with his fiancée, Tate.

He and his brothers also co-founded the Andrea C. Cameron Foundation in honor of their late mother. The foundation provides scholarships to students throughout the Palm Beach County community.

Celebrity Chef Giada DeLaurentiis will compete with Alan Bersten. The Emmy-winning chef, cookbook author, restaurateur, and entrepreneur became known for her Food Network series "Everyday Italian," which debuted in 2003 and ran for 12 seasons. She later produced and hosted "Giada at Home 2.0" and "Giada Entertains."

Harry Shum Jr., meanwhile, is partnered with Jenna Chmerkovskiy, and he is another contestant who arrives with considerable dance experience. Before becoming known as Mike Chang on "Glee," Shum worked as a backup dancer for stars including Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, and Mariah Carey.

He also appeared in "Step Up 2" and "Step Up 3D," before going on to roles in projects including "Everything Everywhere All at Once," "Love Hard," and "Grey's Anatomy."

Conner Leavitt, husband of "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star Whitney Leavitt, will compete with Adele Zaikman. After becoming playfully known online as an "Instagram husband," Leavitt embraced the nickname "Off Broadway Husband" following Whitney's appearance in "Chicago." He made his own off-Broadway debut in "11 to Midnight" in May.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Personality Guillermo Rodriguez will dance with Witney Carson. Rodriguez famously went from working as a security guard in the show's parking lot to becoming one of its most recognizable personalities, appearing in viral segments including his Oscars red-carpet interviews. More recently, he launched Guillermo's Salsa.

Maura Higgins is paired with Mark Ballas after another major reality-TV run earlier this year. Higgins finished second on "The Traitors" after Rob Rausch convinced her he was a faithful until the end. Their storyline continued after the show when he gave her a Birkin bag as an apology for betraying her.

Before that, she competed on "Love Island" in 2019 and later became a host on "Love Island USA Aftersun" and "Love Island Games Aftersun."

"Summer House" star Ciara Miller will compete with Brandon Armstrong. Miller became part of a viral "Summer House" storyline earlier this year after her ex-boyfriend publicly confirmed a relationship with her friend, prompting widespread online support for the reality star. She has since co-hosted "Love Island USA: Aftersun" and worked as a red-carpet correspondent.

Rounding out the cast is Jackson Olson, who will compete with Emma Slater. The Savannah Bananas baseball player, entertainer, and social media personality is accustomed to performing, as the exhibition team routinely mixes baseball with dancing, comedy sketches, and other entertainment.

Yet despite all those recognizable faces, one actress appears to have instantly become the contestant many people are most excited to watch.

Julia Stiles Suddenly Has Viewers Interested

The announcement generated plenty of mixed reactions, but Stiles' inclusion produced some especially enthusiastic comments. One viewer declared, "Styles [sic] is the only one worth watching!" Another shared that enthusiasm, swooning, "omg I was not interested until I saw Julia styles 🥰 that's awesome [sic]."

Those reactions stand in sharp contrast to another commenter, who was far less impressed by the overall lineup. "So disappointed. Seriously considering not watching this time. Not happy with the line up [sic]," the viewer wrote.

But while Stiles may have given some fans a reason to tune in, Dewan has become the center of a much more heated discussion.

Some Viewers Think Jenna Dewan Has an Unfair Advantage

Because Dewan spent years working professionally as a dancer, some viewers immediately questioned whether her presence was fair to celebrities with considerably less experience. One person declared, "Jenna 100% should not be allowed! Shame on you DWTS [sic]."

Another wrote, "Jenna should be disqualified, [sic] she is a professional dancer." A third penned, "Isn't Jenna a professional dancer? That's odd," while another viewer took issue with Dewan's pairing specifically, writing, "Putting Val with Jenna is wrong!!!! She's a dancer and [sic] Harry is a dancer too omggg this is wild!!!!"

The first wave of comments reacting to Dewan's casting makes one thing clear: her professional background is already shaping how some people view her chances before she has performed a single ballroom routine. Dewan, however, has a few words for those critics.

Jenna Dewan Responds: Ballroom Is 'Two Different Languages'

According to a report addressing the casting controversy, Dewan acknowledged that she has a dance background but argued that ballroom requires an entirely different skill set. "I do not know how to ballroom dance. Let's be clear. It's two different languages," Dewan told Entertainment Weekly.

She admitted that her previous experience offers some advantages, but said she will also have to unlearn certain habits. "It's a new technique, brand new technique," Dewan explained.

Despite spending years dancing professionally, she said ballroom still "feels really foreign" to her and explained that joining the series gives her an opportunity to challenge herself.

Still, her credentials are admittedly substantial. Dewan appeared in Janet Jackson's "Doesn't Really Matter" and "All For You" music videos before joining the singer as a backup dancer on the All For You World Tour from 2001 to 2002.

"I was a teenager. I was like, 'That's all I want.' When it happened, I just couldn't even believe it," Dewan recalled of achieving her dream of dancing for Jackson. She said the two remain "really good friends," and she hopes she may eventually get the chance to perform to one of Jackson's songs in the ballroom.

Dewan has also danced for Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliott, Mandy Moore, and Toni Braxton. Her Season 35 partner, Chmerkovskiy, is fully aware that those credentials bring "high expectations." "We're going to do our best. There's no guarantees [sic]," he said.

Chmerkovskiy also believes something other than Dewan's technical background could work in their favor. "No amount of dance experience can give you that. So I think that's our secret weapon. I think there's a real human connection here, between the two of us, that we're excited to share with the world," he told People.

Dewan Is Far from the First Trained Dancer to Compete

Dewan's defenders also have plenty of precedent on their side. Season 24 contestant Heather Morris had previously worked as a professional backup dancer for Beyoncé before becoming known as Brittany S. Pierce on "Glee." Despite that background, she ultimately finished eighth.

Former Broadway dancer and Radio City Rockette Amanda Kloots competed during Season 30 and finished fourth.

Nicole Scherzinger, meanwhile, entered Season 10 with extensive dance and performing-arts training and won the Mirrorball Trophy. Other past contestants who brought previous dance experience into the competition include Charli D'Amelio, Jordan Fisher, JoJo Siwa, Zendaya, Mel B, Lance Bass, and Normani.

And Dewan isn't even the only member of this season's cast who knows her way around choreography. Shum Jr. previously worked professionally as a backup dancer and starred in multiple dance-heavy projects, making the conversation around experience particularly interesting as Season 35 begins.

For now, the debate is unlikely to disappear before opening night. Some viewers already appear ready to root for Stiles, while others will undoubtedly be watching Dewan very closely to see whether her years of dance experience translate into ballroom dominance — or whether, as she insists, this really is an entirely different language.