Few teen dance films from the 2000s have remained as beloved as this one, which continues to attract a dedicated cult following.
Released in 2001, Save the Last Dance became a box-office success, earning more than $130 million (£98 million) around the world and turning its star, Julia Stiles, into a household name.
The coming-of-age drama centres on Sara Johnson, a talented ballerina played by Stiles, who relocates to Chicago after a devastating loss. At her new school, she develops a romance with classmate Derek Reynolds, portrayed by Sean Patrick Thomas.
As their relationship grows, Sara and Derek combine classical ballet with hip-hop, helping her regain her self-belief and prepare for an audition at the prestigious Juilliard performing arts school.
The film also featured Kerry Washington, who would later establish herself as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, alongside Stiles and Thomas.
While several members of the cast went on to enjoy major Hollywood careers, others pursued paths far removed from the spotlight.
Save the Last Dance: Where are the cast now? Exploring the dramatically different journeys of the stars from the 2001 hit
Julia Stiles recently sent millennials into a nostalgic frenzy on Dancing With The Stars by revisiting her unforgettable dance routine
The routine delivered another surprise when Ezra Sosa stepped aside halfway through, giving Julia the spotlight before the camera revealed her professional partner beside Sean Patrick Thomas
Julia Stiles recently sparked a wave of nostalgia among millennials when she recreated her signature Save the Last Dance performance on Dancing With The Stars.
The actress teamed up with Ezra Sosa, her professional partner on the US dance competition, for a hip-hop and jazz-inspired performance of Jennifer Lopez’s Jenny From the Block during the show’s Super Bowl Night.
The routine recreated the movie’s climactic Juilliard audition, opening with Julia seated in a chair before moving through a combination of hip-hop choreography and ballet, echoing Sara Johnson’s defining performance.
A surprise tribute followed halfway through the number, when Ezra moved out of the way to give Julia her own moment. The camera then turned to reveal her dance partner standing alongside Sean Patrick Thomas.
The Save the Last Dance star smiled and nodded in approval, recreating one of the movie’s most recognisable visual moments.
After the performance, Julia became emotional as she described the experience as a “full circle” moment and admitted that she had “the best time.”
“Oh my god. I seriously have been wanting a do-over on that movie for 25 years, and I never knew that I would get it on my favourite TV show on the planet!” she told Entertainment Tonight. “I loved every minute of it.”
With fans celebrating the emotional reunion, here’s a look at where the cast of Save the Last Dance are today.
Julia Stiles (Sara Johnson)
Julia later appeared in the Bourne film franchise and starred in Silver Linings Playbook alongside Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper (pictured left recently and right in the film)
Now 45, Julia Stiles portrayed Sara, an aspiring ballet dancer determined to turn her passion into a professional career.
The role won her two MTV awards for Best Kiss and Best Female Performance and a Teen Choice Award for Best Fight Scene for her battle with Bianca Lawson.
After the movie, she went on to star in the Bourne series of films and also played a role in Silver Linings Playbook featuring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper.
Most recently, she starred in Sky Original’s Riviera and released her first feature film as a director, Wish You Were Here.
In 2017, she tied the knot with Preston J Cook, and welcomed son Strummer later that year.
In 2022, she gave birth to the couple’s second child, Arlo.
Sean Patrick Thomas (Derek Reynolds)
Sean landed various TV roles in the likes of Vixen, General V, and Reaper and enjoyed a stint on The Good Fight playing Geoffrey (pictued left recently and right in the movie)
Sean, now 55, took on the role of Derek, Sara’s dance teacher and love interest.
Since the film, he landed various TV roles in the likes of Vixen, General V, and Reaper and enjoyed a stint on The Good Fight playing Geoffrey.
The Delaware native also starred in Barbershop, reprising the character in both 2004 and 2016 sequels.
He received high praise for his portrayal of Gene Mobley in the acclaimed 2022 drama movie Till.
More recently, he portrayed Professor Chadwick in a TV adaptation of Cruel Intentions.
Sean married actress Aonika Laurent in 2006, and they have two children together.
Kerry Washington (Chenille Reynolds)
Kerry has gone from supporting star to leading woman, starring as Olivia Pope in Scandal (pictured left recently and right in th movie)
Kerry, now 49, played the role of Sara’s best friend, Chenille, in Save the Last Dance.
Since then, she’s gone from supporting star to leading woman, starring as Olivia Pope in Scandal.
The performance earned her two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and one Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Television Drama.
Her acclaimed credits include Django Unchained, American Son and Little Fires Everywhere.
She starred opposite Ben Affleck in the Netflix thriller Animals and hosts the popular podcast series Street You Grew Up On.
In 2016, she launched her own production company, Simpson Street, with its first project being the critically acclaimed HBO movie Confirmation.
Beyond her own productions, she has directed episodes of acclaimed shows like Insecure and SMILF.
Away from the box, Kerry has been very open about her mental health crisis and struggles with an eating disorder.
She first disclosed her battle with binge eating in a 2020 interview with Essence. She later detailed the ‘toxic’ disorder in her 2023 memoir, Thicker Than Water.
Appearing on a Call Her Daddy podcast earlier this year, she recalled that it wasn’t her relationship with food itself that forced her to seek treatment.
‘I was in a real mental health crisis. The thing that actually got me to get help with my eating disorder wasn’t the food itself, wasn’t the behaviour with the food,’ she said. ‘It was the suicidal ideation.’
She explained that at the time, she was ‘trying to escape life’.
But she eventually realised she needed ‘to figure out how to be in life because I was terrified that I was being so mean to myself. That I was in so much pain that it was like inflicting more pain was the only way out of my pain.’
Now, Kerry is happily married to former NFL player Nnamdi Asomugha in 2013, and they share a daughter and son.
She is also a stepmother to Asomugha’s daughter from a previous relationship.
Bianca Lawson (Nikki)
Bianca went on to carve out a massive niche in supernatural and teen TV (pictured left recently and right in the movie)
Bianca, now 47, played Derek’s jealous ex, Nikki, in Save the Last Dance.
Following the movie, the actress went on to carve out a massive niche in supernatural and teen TV.
She famously played Emily Bennett in The Vampire Diaries and Darla Sutton in Ava DuVernay’s critically acclaimed drama series Queen Sugar.
Her credits also include Teen Wolf, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Rogue and Good Behaviour.
The actress, who is Tina Knowles’ stepdaughter, played teenage roles well into adulthood, having been 33 years old when she wrapped on Pretty Little Liars as Maya St. Germain.
Bianca revealed that one of the major reasons for her youthful, wrinkle-free skin was the fact that she stuck to the same skincare products and never tried the newest trends.
‘I don’t really have a routine or regimen, and I think that’ s the secret – the simpler, the better,’ she told Vibe. ‘I’ve been using the same products since high school. I feel like the more you leave yourself alone, the better.’
Terry Kinney (Roy Johnson)
Terry continued to have a successful career both as an actor and theatre director (pictured left recently and right in the movie)
Terry, now 72, played Sara’s jazz-musician father Roy in the film.
Following the film, he continued to have a successful career both as an actor and theatre director.
He remained widely known for playing Tim McManus on HBO’s acclaimed prison drama Oz.
In more recent years, he played the fix-it man Hall on Showtime’s hit series Billions and starred in Netflix’s high-profile mini-series Inventing Anna and Ryan Murphy’s mystery thriller The Watcher.
Terry is a legendary figure in Chicago and Broadway theatre, famously co-founding the world-renowned Steppenwolf Theatre Company alongside Gary Sinise and Jeff Perry.
He has directed major productions for Steppenwolf, including Another Marriage, and has the world premiere of The Night Fawn
Fredro Starr (Malakai)
After Save the Last Dance, Fredo landed one of his most recognisable roles as Barksdale enforcer Marquis in the HBO drama The Wire (pictured left recently and right in the movie)
Fredo, now 55, famously played Malakai, Derek’s close but troubled childhood friend.
After Save the Last Dance, the actor landed one of his most recognisable roles as Barksdale enforcer Marquis in the HBO drama The Wire.
He stepped into hosting and co-presenting Dance 360.
His other credits include Torque, My Brother, Equal Standard and The Tunnel.
Right after Save the Last Dance debuted, Fredro released his solo rap album, Firestarr.
He also continued to perform and release music with his legendary, hardcore hip-hop group Onyx.
Beyond performing the Save the Last Dance theme song Shining Through, he contributed to other major soundtracks – notably writing the song Last Dayz used in Eminem’s 2002 film 8 Mile.
Fredo married model Korina Longin in 2007, and they share two sons.
