ABC Announces Celebrity Cast for New Season of “Dancing With the Stars”

A dynamic lineup of stars – including a U.S. veteran, an NBA champion, a film and TV star, a TV host and journalist, a Grammy-nominated singer, a supermodel, a reality TV star, a showbiz legacy and activist, and a World Cup star — will take the stage for the two-hour season premiere of “Dancing with the Stars,” MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

All 12 couples will dance for the first time on live national television on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, either performing the Cha Cha Cha or The Viennese Waltz. Airing on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET.), a live, one-hour special, “Dancing with the Stars: Meet the Cast,” will feature the most exciting moments from Monday night’s performances, with commentary from the judges and never-before-seen footage from the teams’ first weeks of training. Then, on the season premiere of “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show,” TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER, 20 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET), the couple with the lowest combined judges’ scores and public votes for their performance will be sent home in the season’s first elimination.

The 12 celebrities heading to the dance floor this season, as announced tonight on ABC’s “Bachelor Pad” by “Dancing with the Stars” hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke in a live press conference sponsored by the September 16 film release, “I Don’t Know How She Does It,” are:

DAVID ARQUETTE — David Arquette is an actor, writer, director, producer and soon to be dancer. In 1997 Arquette was discovered at Sundance for his role in “Johns.” Since that time, he has acted in dozens of feature films, including the “Scream” films, “Hamlet 2,” “The Grey Zone,” “Dream with the Fishes,” “Never Die Alone” and “The Darwin Awards.” This year he reprised his role as Deputy “Dewey” Riley in the much anticipated fourth installment of the “Scream” films. He has also joined the cast of the Disney Television interactive series, “Jake and the Never Land Pirates,” where he lends his voice as Scully, a lookout pirate parrot who helps Jake and his crew of kid pirates. In January 2003, Arquette formed a production company, Coquette Productions, with Courteney Cox. Through their company, he wrote and produced his directorial debut, “The Tripper,” as well as “The Butler’s in Love,” which he executive-produced and directed. Also under the Coquette banner he produced the F/X drama “Dirt” and ABC’s “Cougar Town,” with Bill Lawrence, which Arquette executive produces along with Cox, who stars. Up next, he will direct the 3D psychological thriller “Glutton” for Remember Dreaming Productions, executive-producing through Coquette.