Elaine Hendrix is buzzing over plans for her Parent Trap costar Lisa Ann Walter to be her special guest on Dancing With the Stars’ Dedication Night.
“A big thing is my best friend Lisa Ann Walter is going to be joining us,” Hendrix, 54, told Us Weekly during an exclusive interview following the new DTWS live show on Tuesday, October 7. “And when they said that we’re doing a Dedication Week, she was the only person I thought of. She had to do it.”
Next week’s DWTS theme will incorporate guests who have made a meaningful impact on the celebrity contestants’ lives. Hendrix confirmed that Walter, 62, was able to “make it work” even with her busy schedule on ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary. (Walter has played second-grade teacher Melissa Schemmenti on Abbott Elementary since 2021.)
The longtime pals’ friendship dates back nearly 30 years to when they worked together on the 1998 family comedy The Parent Trap.
Since filming The Parent Trap in 1998, Lisa Ann Walter and Elaine Hendrix have always been close – and today they’ve discovered that their bond runs even deeper. Taking a page from The Parent Trap plot of unexpected familial revelations, the two uncovered that their great-grandparents lived near each other in New York City. Walter, […]
“Part of [the fun] is the fans of Parent Trap and the fans who have grown up with us and who have been with us for over 30 years, sharing our friendship,” Hendrix told Us. “So much of it is for them and what our love represents for them. I just feel like the world right today just needs some love, needs some tears, needs some joy and that’s what we are going to bring.”
Hendrix offered more tidbits on what Dancing With the Stars fans can expect from her Dedication Night foxtrot during an appearance on Tori Spelling’s “Misspelling” podcast on Wednesday, October 8. Asked by Spelling, 52, whether Walter was “nervous” for her DWTS cameo, Hendrix pointed out that her BFF has previous dance experience from shooting the 2004 film Shall We Dance? with Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere.
“She was actually in a ballroom movie,” Hendrix pointed out. “That was several years ago!”
Spelling admitted she’d be “freaked out” if a friend asked her to be part of a Dancing With the Stars routine, before quizzing Hendrix on if any ballroom mistakes could mean the “end [her] relationship” with Walter.
“Absolutely not,” Hendrix insisted. “Thankfully, Lisa is like me … she’s been in front of the lens so at least we’ve got that part down!”
Alan Bernsten and Elaine Hendrix on ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ Disney/Frank Micelotta
Dancing With the Stars viewers can expect plenty of surprises and nostalgia from Dedication Night, as Danielle Fishel has already confirmed her former Boy Meets World costar William Daniels will be her special guest for a musical homage to the classic sitcom.
Meanwhile, Hendrix and her professional partner Alan Bersten’s scores have steadily improved through DWTS season 34, going from a 12 for their cha-cha-cha on premiere night to a 24 for their quickstep set to the theme from Disneyland attraction “Space Mountain” on Disney Night. However, Hendrix has faced criticism from judge Carrie Ann Inaba for being “too independent” during her routines in the past.
“She’s not wrong. I learned the tango in five days,” Hendrix exclusively admitted to Us following the September 30 live show. “It’s an incredibly intricate dance, and that’s not an excuse. It’s just that there’s so much to think about, and I feel like at any given moment, I’m with him, and then I got to think about my heel, and then I got to think about my shoulder. It’s juggling a lot.”
Bersten, 31, confirmed to Us that, while the judges’ feedback can sting, he has tried his best to incorporate their guidance each week.
Dancing With the Stars alum Ilona Maher is still cheering for her former partner, Alan Bersten, as he takes on the competition with Elaine Hendrix on season 34. “We FaceTimed a little bit last week,” Bersten, 31, exclusively told Us Weekly following their performance on the Tuesday, September 23, episode of the ABC anthem. “She’s […]
“Honestly, we’re gonna take the notes of the judges and make sure to work on that connection, because we do have such a great connection,” he told Us.
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET, with new episodes streaming the next day on Hulu.
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