ABCDancing With the Stars has always been filled with some well-known names, some "Oh yeah, him" stars and the "Who?" and season 21 is no different. This year, the ABC reality competition is filled with the likes of Gary Busey, Paula Deen, Bindi Irwin, and the series has also snagged a recent headline sensation—but those headlines didn't come from the tabloids. Alek Skarlatos, one of the three men who subdued Ayoub El Khazzani after he allegedly started firing a weapon on a Paris-bound train, will hit the dance floor this season. He was awarded the Legion of Honor, France's highest honor, after the events on the train.
Skarlatos, an Army National Guard Specialist, is just 22. He was in Europe with longtime pals Spencer Stone and Anthony Sadler after being deployed in Afghanistan. According to ABC, Skarlatos, a California native who resides in Oregon, is an avid painter and military history buff. He's studying at a local community college and has plans to enter the police force, but first he's going after the mirrorball trophy with professional partner Lindsay Arnold.
Skarlatos told The Oregonian he was looking forward to "relaxing" and "a little bit of normalcy," but that will have to wait as he gets into the swing of Dancing With the Stars training.
The rest of the Dancing With the Stars season 21 cast and their professional dancer partners are:
Andy Grammer and Allison Holker
Alexa Vega and Mark Ballas
Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough
Chaka Khan and Keo Motsepe
Paula Deen and Louis Van Amstel
Hayes Grier and Emma Slater
Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess
Carlos Pena and Witney Carson
Gary Busey and Anna Trebunskaya
Victor Espinoza and Karina Smirnoff
Tamar Braxton and Val Chermovskiy
Kim Zolciak and Tony Dovolani
Dancing With the Stars premieres Monday, Sept. 14, on ABC.