Emma Slater got emotional when meeting Dancing With the Stars partner Reginald VelJohnson for the first time.
“I couldn’t help but cry a little bit when I saw him,” Slater, 35, exclusively told Us Weekly Wednesday, September 4, after the DWTS season 33 cast was announced. “Because I’m such a fan and I have watched Die Hard every year … honestly, [for] decades now.”
VelJohnson, 72, also had a sweet reaction after he was introduced to Slater.
“I just looked at her face, [and] fell in love,” the actor gushed to Us. “She’s wonderful.”
While VelJohnson admitted that joining the dancing competition show wasn’t something he initially thought of doing in his career, he’s having “a lot of fun,” calling it a “special” experience.
VelJohnson shared that when he decided to join the cast, he didn’t plan on getting any advice from friends like former Family Matters costar Jaleel White, who competed on season 14. Instead, VelJohnson wanted to go into the show with a fresh perspective.
“I haven’t talked to anybody. I didn’t want to talk to anybody. I wanna do my own thing,” he told Us. “If I fall, I fall. If I don’t, I don’t. And it’s on me, not anybody else.”
So far, the pair have had one rehearsal and Slater is impressed with her partner’s progress in the early phase of the competition.
“We are slowly getting into the steps,” she explained “And honestly, it’s more about, for Reggie, he has some feeling of some, like, good groove.”
VelJohnson teasingly interjected he “didn’t know” that Slater thought he had good rhythm. The professional dancer teased that what’s most important is for VelJohnson to remember the steps. To boost his confidence, Slater highlighted the actor’s past to remind him of his talent.
“I showed him some videos of Family Matters,” she said. “I was like, ‘This was you. Do you remember [doing] this?’ And he was like, ‘Oh yeah.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, do it again!”
The legendary sitcom, where VelJohnson played beloved TV dad Carl Winslow, is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. VelJohnson hinted that he and Slater might pay tribute to the series.
VelJohnson is one of 13 celebrities competing for the mirrorball in season 33. The cast also includes Stephen Nedoroscik, Ilona Maher, Tori Spelling, Anna Delvey, Joey Graziadei, Phaedra Parks, Chandler Kinney, Dwight Howard, Eric Roberts, Brooks Nader, Jenn Tran and Danny Amendola.
Dancing With the Stars premieres on ABC Tuesday, September 17, at 8 p.m. ET. Episodes will air live simultaneously on ABC and Disney+ and are available the next day on Hulu.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
