Guillermo Rodriguez Joins Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars
guillermo rodriguez is joining Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars, adding a familiar late-night face to the ballroom lineup. Jimmy Kimmel announced the move on Wednesday, and the casting lands after Rodriguez has spent over 23 years on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! to ballroom
Rodriguez has been part of the ABC late-night program for over 23 years, a run that started after he was discovered in the parking lot while working as a security guard on the ABC lot. His on-air pranks and sketches have gone viral several times, which gives this casting a built-in familiarity that few reality competition contestants arrive with.
That long run on one show is the most notable part of the move. Rodriguez is not coming in as a blank slate; he arrives with a recognizable public role, and that changes how viewers will read his performances from the first rehearsal onward.
Season 35 cast keeps growing
Ciara Miller and Maura Higgins were announced in April, and Jackson Olson joined the cast in May. Rodriguez now becomes another early name in a season that is still building toward a full celebrity roster and professional dancer pairings.
The rollout has been steady, not sudden. By spacing out the reveals across April, May, and Wednesday, the show has kept attention on the cast list while holding back the complete partner lineup until Wednesday, Sept. 2.
ABC and Disney+ schedule
Season 35 will simulcast live this fall across ABC and Disney+ on Tuesdays at 8 p.m., with episodes streaming the next day on Hulu. That gives the series a broadcast slot and a streaming afterlife, the kind of distribution that keeps a cast announcement in circulation longer than a single-night premiere window would.
Season 34 set records with the show’s best finale in 10 years and nearly half a billion votes overall, so Season 35 is entering on a stronger ratings story than a typical cast reveal can create on its own. Rodriguez’s addition fits that momentum: a recognizable TV personality, a staggered rollout, and one more reason for casual viewers to sample the season when the full cast is unveiled on Wednesday, Sept. 2.
