The Journey Of Jennifer Grey: From 'Dirty Dancing' To Dancing With The Stars

Jennifer Grey is an actress who has captivated audiences with her talented performances and unique charm. Born on March 26, 1960, in New York City, she is best known for her iconic role as Frances "Baby" Houseman in the beloved film Dirty Dancing. This film not only catapulted her to fame but also left a lasting impact on pop culture. Over the years, Grey's journey has been filled with ups and downs, including personal challenges and career revivals, making her story truly inspiring!

Who Is Jennifer Grey?

Jennifer Grey's role as “Baby” in the film Dirty Dancing (1987) with Patrick Swayze catapulted her to fame. Grey also appeared in the teen cult classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). After a lull in her career, she made a comeback in the reality show Dancing With the Stars (2010), where she was crowned the winner.

Early Career Highlights

Jennifer Elise Grey was born on March 26, 1960, in New York, New York. The daughter of actor-dancer Joel Grey and singer Jo Wilder, she grew up surrounded by show business. She first appeared on screen in 1984 with three films: Reckless, The Cotton Club, and Red Dawn, which marked the first time she worked with Swayze. Two years later, she played the sharp, jealous sister in Ferris Bueller's Day Off with Matthew Broderick. While she gave a strong comedic performance in that film, her next project made her a star.

'Dirty Dancing'

In Dirty Dancing (1987), Grey played Frances "Baby" Houseman, a teenager on a family vacation at a resort in New York's Catskill Mountains. At the age of 27, she did a very convincing job of portraying an adolescent who falls for a dance instructor at the resort played by Patrick Swayze. Set in the 1960s, the movie scored big at the box office, as did its retro soundtrack.

Plastic Surgery and Career Revival

Shortly before Dirty Dancing was released, Grey was involved in a serious accident. She and then-boyfriend, actor Matthew Broderick, were in a car crash in Ireland. Broderick, who was driving, suffered a broken leg, while the two passengers in the other car were killed.

Despite earning strong reviews for Dirty Dancing, Grey's film career began to stall soon after its release. In the early 1990s, she made a career-altering decision to have plastic surgery on her nose. She wanted a minor change, but the results were much more dramatic, rendering her nearly unrecognizable.

Grey decided to poke fun at herself, her career, and her nose job on It’s Like, You Know ..., a 1999 television series that lasted for two seasons. Around that time, Grey also appeared in Bounce, the 2000 film starring Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow. In 2010, Grey participated in the eleventh season of Dancing with the Stars. Despite various physical setbacks, she was crowned the champion of the show.

Personal Life

After being romantically linked to actors such as Broderick, Billy Baldwin, and Johnny Depp, Grey married actor Clark Gregg in 2001. Later that year, the couple's daughter, Stella, was born. In August 2020, Gregg filed for divorce, marking another chapter in Grey's life.