David Krumholtz did not take part in the "10 Things I Hate About You" cast reunion that aired on "Dancing With the Stars" this week, and the reason, according to people familiar with the situation, is scheduling rather than any falling-out among the film's former co-stars. The actor, who played the scene-stealing Michael Eckman in the 1999 teen comedy, was the only major holdout from a gathering that brought several of the movie's key players back together on national television.

The reunion delighted fans of the film, which remains one of the most quoted and rewatched comedies of the late 1990s. Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Larisa Oleynik were among those who appeared, revisiting the high school romance that first paired them on screen more than a quarter-century ago. Their presence turned what might have been a routine reality-show segment into a genuine nostalgia event, with clips from the movie and affectionate banter among the returning cast members.

Krumholtz's absence was noticed almost immediately by viewers, many of whom took to social media to ask why the actor had not joined his former colleagues. His character, a fast-talking classmate who befriends Cameron and helps him navigate the film's romantic scheming, is central to much of the movie's comic energy, and his no-show left a visible gap in the lineup.

Why Krumholtz Missed the Segment

People close to the production indicated that Krumholtz was tied up with a prior professional commitment and could not rearrange his calendar for the taping. The reunion was assembled on a compressed timeline, leaving little room for cast members with conflicting obligations to shuffle their schedules. There was no indication of any dispute or bad feeling connected to his decision to skip the event.

Representatives for the actor did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication. Neither the network nor the producers of "Dancing With the Stars" have publicly addressed the reasons behind his absence, and the segment itself made no mention of it on air.

For a performer whose career has spanned independent film, prestige television and character work across a range of genres, a single missed appearance is unlikely to carry much weight. Still, the reaction online underlined how closely audiences associate Krumholtz with the movie that helped define a generation of teen cinema.

A Film That Refuses to Fade

"10 Things I Hate About You" arrived in theaters on March 30, 1999, directed by Gil Junger and running a brisk 97 minutes. The story follows Cameron, a new student who falls hard for Bianca, only to discover that her strict family rules bar her from dating until her prickly older sister Kat does. His solution: recruit Patrick Verona, a brooding outsider with a formidable reputation, to win Kat over and unlock the whole arrangement.

The cast has become something of a time capsule of 1990s Hollywood. Heath Ledger played Patrick opposite Julia Stiles as Kat, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cameron and Larisa Oleynik as Bianca. David Krumholtz appeared as Michael Eckman, Andrew Keegan as Joey Donner, Susan May Pratt as Mandella and Gabrielle Union as Chastity. The film blended comedy, romance and drama, and it holds a 7.601 out of 10 rating on TMDb, a figure that has held steady as new generations discover it on streaming.

Ledger's death in 2008 gave the movie an added poignancy for many fans, and reunions of its surviving cast tend to draw outsized attention. That emotional pull helps explain why Krumholtz's absence became a talking point rather than a footnote.

What the Reunion Means for Fans

Cast get-togethers tied to beloved films have become a reliable staple of television and social media, offering studios and networks an easy way to tap into nostalgia. The "Dancing With the Stars" segment fit that pattern, pairing a familiar tune or clip with faces viewers had not seen together in years.

Whether Krumholtz might join a future gathering remains unclear. He has spoken warmly about the film in past interviews, and nothing in this week's events suggests a permanent estrangement from his former colleagues. For now, fans have the reunion as it aired, a near-complete picture of a movie that still looms large in the romantic-comedy canon, missing one wisecracking presence but otherwise intact.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter