6 Things You Never Knew About ‘Dirty Dancing’ Star Jennifer Grey
Jennifer Grey, born on March 26, 1960, has a career that’s as multifaceted as it is iconic. Most of us know her as the unforgettable Frances “Baby” Houseman from Dirty Dancing (1987), but her story stretches far beyond that. From the spirited teen in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) to the fearless fighter in Red Dawn (1984), Grey’s talent has always shone brightly and continues to in recent projects such as a mother in Wish You Were Here. Now, as she celebrates turning 65, here are a few things about Grey that you might not know.
1 Dancing before acting
Artisan Entertainment/Everett Collection
Before Grey became a household name, she was already honing her skills as a dancer — she began her career as a dancer in a Dr. Pepper TV commercial when she was just 19 years old. Not long after, she got breakout roles in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Red Dawn and Dirty Dancing in the mid ’80s.
2 Plastic surgery regrets
Vestron Pictures/Everett Collection
Grey has publicly discussed one of the most significant regrets of her life: the decision to undergo plastic surgery to alter her nose. In a candid interview with The New York Times, she revealed that it was the “worst mistake” she ever made. The surgery changed her appearance so drastically that she became less recognizable, even to those familiar with her from Dirty Dancing. Since she was no longer seen the same way, it affected her ability to get roles going forward, and a decision that she thought would help her career actually hindered it.
3 Famous car crash led to ongoing pain
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In 1987, Grey and her then-boyfriend Matthew Broderick were involved in a tragic car crash in Ireland. While the collision tragically claimed the lives of two people in the other car, Grey and Broderick survived — but the incident left Grey with significant injuries, including whiplash and damage to her vertebrae. Despite undergoing numerous treatments over the years, she has dealt with chronic pain ever since, which she continues to manage through a combination of medical help and exercise.
4 Interesting connection to Chicago
TriStar Pictures/Everett Collection
Talent sure runs in the family. Her father, Joel Grey, is a Tony Award-winning actor and singer who is most famous for his work in the film Cabaret. But its his 1976 performance of the iconic “Razzle-Dazzle” from Chicago on The Muppet Show that had an interesting connection to Grey’s future: Her character’s father in Dirty Dancing was portrayed by Jerry Orbach, who originated the role of Billy Flynn in Chicago on Broadway.
5 She wore Jamie Lee Curtis‘ wig from Halloween
Lifetime Television/Everett Collection
When Grey was cast as Gwen Shamblin in the Lifetime movie Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation, she called up her good friend Jamie Lee Curtis. Immediately, Curtis encouraged her to call wigmaker Rob Pickens to create her wig for the film. She spoke to him before she closed the deal and told him that if it didn’t work out, she would still pay him for his work on the wigs. To keep the prices down for her, he grabbed Curtis’ old wig from Halloween and repurposed it into the hairpiece Grey wore for the Lifetime film.
6 Grey and Patrick Swayze didn’t always get along
Artisan Entertainment/ Everett Collection
In an interview on The Adam Carolla Show, C. Thomas Howell spoke about how Grey and Patrick Swayze did not get along while filming Red Dawn (Howell starred in the film as well). A few years later, Grey was cast in Dirty Dancing. When Swayze was cast as her love interest, the producers thought she would be happy to work with an old costar but they were met with tense stares instead. Grey has also been open about their feud during the filming of Red Dawn. She said, according to Collider, “Patrick was playing pranks on me and everybody. … It was just, like, macho, and I just couldn’t take it. I was just like, ‘Please, this guy, that’s enough with him.'”
However, Swayze apologized to Grey and asked her to work with him again for Dirty Dancing. It was clear that they had chemistry to make the romance believable, so they worked things out in order to move forward. Good thing they did, as the movie became a classic!
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March 2023
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