Valerie Harper and her pro partner Tristan MacManus were featured in a poignant training moment before the pair performed the Paso Doble last night on ‘Dancing with the Stars.’
Harper stumbled and fell to the floor while practicing her routine and chalked it up to a bum knee. Her partner seemed very anxious about it until she put it into perspective for him.
The former ‘Rhoda’ star said, “I’m not gonna let a little pain in my knee stop me. It has nothing to do with my illness.”
When MacManus suggested she rest the injury, the veteran sitcom actress was quick to set him straight, “This doesn’t matter. I’m 74 with terminal cancer. So let’s put anything you’ve got on it. Give me the horse thing that makes them run. I don’t care.”
In another particularly tender moment, Tristan sat on the floor and watched his partner simulating some graceful dance moves. He brushed away tears and told her, “You’re an amazing person, Valerie Harper — do you know that?”
Still struggling to keep his emotions in check, he acknowledged, “It makes me feel very proud to know that I’m the person who gets to help her through that.”
It seems pretty clear that Harper couldn’t have been paired with a more perfect partner. Go Team Harper!
Check out their video from last night – move the slider to the 40-second mark:
Photos: Facebook-Tristan MacManus Fan Page