What the Hell Happened to Jennifer Grey?

In the mid-to-late 80’s, Jennifer Grey was a rising star.  She had worked with top-tier directors like Francis Ford Coppola and John Hughes.  After just three years in movies, Grey was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress.  And then she vanished.  Grey’s career went from hot to cold so fast she says she actually considered changing her name and starting over!

What the hell happened?

Jennifer Grey (far left) with her brother James, father Joel Grey and mother Jo Wilder
Jennifer Grey (far left) with her brother James, father Joel Grey and mother Jo Wilder

Jennifer Grey’s father is of course the Academy Award-winning actor, Joel Grey.  Her mother was singer and actress, Jo Wilder.  Her paternal grandfather was comedian and musician Mickey Katz.  So it’s safe to say that Grey came from a show biz family.  Grey attended the Dalton School, a private school in Manhattan.  She studied dance and acting and became best friends with her classmate, Tracy Pollan.

After graduation, Grey took on another two years of training at Manhattan’s Neighborhood Playhouse.  During that time she supported herself by waiting tables.  At the age of 19, Grey got her first job dancing in a Dr. Pepper commercial.

Jennifer Grey - Reckless - 1984
Jennifer Grey – Reckless – 1984

Grey made her big screen debut in the romantic drama, Reckless.

Aidan Quinn starred as a teenage rebel who falls for a cheerleader played by Daryl Hannah.  Hannah’s character comes from a well-to-do family and has a steady boyfriend played by Adam Baldwin.  But she’s drawn to the broody bad boy.  Grey appeared as one of their classmates.

Critics compared the movie unfavorably to teen rebel movies like The Wild One and Rebel Without a Cause.  It opened in third place at the box office behind Silkwood which had been in theaters for 8 weeks.

Jennfier Grey - ABC Afterschool Specials: The Great Love Experiment - 1984
Jennfier Grey – ABC Afterschool Specials: The Great Love Experiment – 1984

While Reckless was in theaters, Grey appeared in an ABC After School Special.  Her best friend, Tracy Pollan, starred in The Great Love Experiment.  Pollan played a popular girl who participates in an experiment to boost the social profile of a shy classmate.  Grey’s part was minor.  She played one of the cheerleaders on Pollan’s squad.

Jennifer Grey and Lea Thompson – Red Dawn – 1983
Jennifer Grey and Lea Thompson – Red Dawn – 1984

Later that year, Grey appeared in John Milius’ Cold War action movie, Red Dawn.

Red Dawn is based on the totally plausible idea *snicker*snicker* that the Soviet Union could successfully invade the United States.  Naturally, a group of high school students led by Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen are America’s last line of defense against foreign occupation.  When the teen militia goes to an old man for help, he asks them to watch over his granddaughters played by Lea Thompson and Grey.  Because entrusting your granddaughters to Charlie Sheen makes about as much sense as anything in Red Dawn.

How crazy is Red Dawn?  It opens with a high school teacher lecturing on Genghis Kahn.  The teacher has a drawing of the Mongolian emperor which is actually a caricature of writer/director Milius.  The infamous director was a big fan of the conqueror.  The class is interrupted by the sight of Russian paratroopers landing right outside their classroom.  Naturally, the invaders immediately open fire on the teacher and his students because the Colorado high school is of great strategic importance to their Communist plan.

To really understand Red Dawn, you have to understand Milius.  He was a larger than life figure who prided himself on ruffling the feathers of liberal Hollywood studio execs.  There are stories of Milius bringing his gun collection to studio meetings and brandishing his firearms as the execs were giving him notes.  The original screenplay for Red Dawn was written by Kevin Reynolds (who was infamous for writing and directing Waterworld).  The original script focused on the fractures within the group of teens as the pressures of war broke them apart.  But Milius was more interested in the story of a militia saving America from a foreign power.  You know, the “gun nut” fantasy.

Jennifer Grey - Red Dawn - 1984
Jennifer Grey – Red Dawn – 1984

Red Dawn was Sheen’s movie debut.  The cast also included Swayze’s The Outsiders co-star, C. Thomas Howell.  Harry Dean Stanton and Powers Boothe had supporting roles.

It’s easy to dismiss Red Dawn as a dumb 80’s action movie.  But at the height of the Cold War, it was met with controversy.  It was the first movie ever released with a PG-13 rating.  And according to the Guinness Book of World Records, it held the record for the most acts of violence in a single movie at the time with a rate of 134 acts of violence per hour, or 2.23 per minute.

Despite mixed reviews and controversy, Red Dawn was a hit at the box office.  It opened at #1 and grossed nearly $40 million dollars which was a good return on the film’s modest budget.  In 2012, in what has to be one of the worst decisions ever, Red Dawn was remade with the Chinese as the 21st century villain.  The original movie looked like a documentary by comparison.

Nicolas Cage and Jennifer Grey - The Cotton Club - 1984
Nicolas Cage and Jennifer Grey – The Cotton Club – 1984

Next, Grey had a supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola’s period drama, The Cotton Club.

The movie was set at the famous Harlem night club in the 1930’s.  Richard Gere starred as a talented musician who gets involved with the mob in order to advance his career.  He ends up romantically involved the with an aspiring film star played by Diane Lane.  She also happens to be the girlfriend of real life gangster Dutch Schultz played here by James Remar.  Nicolas Cage played Gere’s brother, a gangster rising up the ranks of the mob.  Grey appeared as his disapproving wife.  Gregory Hines and Bob Hoskins co-starred.

The production was already in trouble before producer Robert Evans hired Coppola to direct.  Evans, who had also produced The Godfather, had a script by Mario Puzo.  The Cotton Club reunited the writer, director and producer of the first two Godfather films on another period drama.  Expectations were understandably set high.

Coppola insisted on rewriting Puzo’s screenplay and brought in his own crew.  The already high budget escalated to nearly 60 million which was very high for the time.  When The Cotton Club was released, it got mixed to positive reviews.  But it grossed less than half of its budget.

Jennifer Grey - American Flyers - 1985
Jennifer Grey – American Flyers – 1985

Grey appeared briefly in the 1985 sports drama, American Flyers.  Kevin Costner and David Marshall Grant starred as two competitive brothers who have unresolved issues after the death of their father.  When Costner’s character returns home for a visit, he tries to set his brother up with Grey.  But the dinner doesn’t go well.  Grey winds up leaving in tears as she unexpectedly finds herself in the middle of a sibling rivalry.  Costner and Grant end up healing their relationship by training together for a bicycle race across the Rocky Mountains.  Rae Dawn Chong and Alexandra Paul co-starred.

Jennifer Grey - ABC Afterschool Special: Cindy Eller: A Modern Fairy Tale - 1985
Jennifer Grey – ABC Afterschool Special: Cindy Eller: A Modern Fairy Tale – 1985

Later that year, Grey appeared in her second ABC Afterschool Special.  Cindy Eller: A Modern Fairy Tale was an 80’s retelling of the Cinderella story with a young Kyra Sedgwick starring as a teen who doesn’t get along with her new step-family.  Grey and Kelly Wolf played her catty step-sisters and Grant Show played her handsome crush.  Pearl Bailey played the pivotal of the fairy godmother, only in this version she is an encouraging homeless woman with a metal pan for a hat.

Jennifer Grey - Ferris Bueller's Day Off - 1986
Jennifer Grey – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – 1986

In 1986, Grey had a small role in a big movie.  She played Matthew Broderick’s jealous little sister in John Hughes’ comedy, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Broderick played a brilliant, charming high school student who used his gifts to skip class with his friends.  Jeffrey Jones played his nemesis, the school principal who is determined to bring Ferris down whatever it takes.  Grey’s character was insanely jealous of her older brother and wanted to see him get caught until she is set straight by a seemingly strung-out delinquent played by Charlie Sheen.

Sheen owes his involvement in the classic comedy to his former Red Dawn co-star.  Grey recommended Sheen for the part after having worked with him on Red Dawn.  Sheen was filming Lucas at the time so his entire part in Ferris Bueller was filmed during one of his day’s off from Lucas.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off got positive reviews and was a hit at the box office.  You probably think it took first place at the box office when it opened.  Admit it.  You thought Ferris Bueller was a big movie that opened at #1.  Not so.  It finished in second place behind Back to School.  In fact, Ferris Bueller never held the top spot.  But, it probably went on to out-gross Back to School, right?  Nope.  The Rodney Dangerfield comedy went on to gross over $90 million dollars whereas Ferris Bueller grossed about $70 million.

However, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off accomplished something relative few movies do.  It saturated pop culture which is why the odds are you think it was a bigger hit than it actually was.  While other movies, like Back to School, were more popular at the time, Ferris Bueller has stood the test of time.

For years afterwards, Hughes and Broderick talked about making a Ferris Bueller sequel.  But it never came to pass.  In 1990, the film was adapted into a short-lived TV show starring Charlie Schlatter as Ferris and Jennifer Aniston as in Grey’s role.  But the humor of the movie didn’t translate to the small screen and the show was cancelled after one season.

Despite playing siblings in the movie, Broderick and Grey began secretly seeing each other.

Jennifer Grey - The Equalizer - 1986
Jennifer Grey – The Equalizer – 1986

Later that year, Grey appeared in an episode of the TV drama, The Equalizer.  Edward Woodward starred as a retired intelligence agent turned private detective.  In this episode, he offers to protect Grey from would-be killers.  Grey’s mother has just been killed and Woodward believes that she was not the killer’s intended victim.

Jennifer Grey - Dirty Dancing - 1987
Jennifer Grey – Dirty Dancing – 1987

Then, in 1987, Dirty Dancing happened.  The little movie about a girl who has the time of her life on vacation in the Catskills made Grey a household name.

Grey played Baby, the youngest of two daughters in an affluent Jewish family.  In the summer of 1963, her family goes on vacation at Kellerman’s where she meets a working-class dance instructor played by Patrick Swayze.  They come from different worlds, but through the power of dance and a best-selling soundtrack, they find love while practicing for the talent show.

Don’t act like you haven’t seen it because I know you have.

Director Emile Ardolino wanted to cast dancers in the leading roles so he wouldn’t have to rely on stand-ins.  He cast Grey because she had a background in dancing as well as acting.  Billy Zane was strongly considered for the part of the dance instructor.  But the dancing tests with Zane and Grey were disappointing.  Val Kilmer was offered the lead, but he wasn’t interested.

Their next choice was Patrick Swayze whom Grey had co-starred with in Red Dawn.  Grey initially objected to the casting of Swayze as her co-star because they she didn’t like him after they fought while making Red Dawn.  Ardolino tested Swayze dancing with Grey and noticed their chemistry immediately.  Screen-writer and producer, Eleanor Bergstein, described the test footage as “breathtaking”.

Jennifer Grey - Dirty Dancing - 1987
Jennifer Grey – Dirty Dancing – 1987

Following their successful screen-test, Grey and Swayze managed to bury the hatchet temporarily.  But before long, they were back to squabbling on the set.  The fighting grew so intense that there was concern that it would ruin the movie’s love scenes.  In order to remind their stars of how great they could be together, Ardolino and Bergstein had them rewatch their initial screen-test.  That got Grey and Swayze back on the same team long enough to finish the movie.

If the actors weren’t in the best mood, that might have had something to do with the weather.  When filming started in September, the weather alternated between sweltering heat and pouring rain.  It was so hot that dancers were passing out and elderly actress Paula Trueman had to be taken to the hospital to be treated for dehydration.

There were delays which pushed shooting into autumn.  In order to maintain the illusion of summer, the production crew had to spray paint the changing leaves green.  The temperature which had previously been over 100 degrees for much of the time, came plummeting down to near 40 degrees as Grey and Swayze filmed the famous scene in the lake.  While the crew was bundled up in coats and gloves, the actors stripped down to their summer clothes and waded out into the frigid water for take after take.

grey - dirty dancing

Ardolino encouraged Grey and Swayze to improvise as much as possible.  The scene in which Swayze lifts Grey’s arm and she cracks up was one such improvisation.  Grey said she found the gesture ticklish and Swayze’s annoyance with her laughter was genuine.  Another improvisation was the scene in which Grey and Swayze crawl towards one another.  That was originally just a warm-up before shooting a scripted scene.

The executives at Vestron were convinced they had a flop on their hands.  After watching the film’s original cut, producer Aaron Russo commented that they should “Burn the negative and collect the insurance.” At one point, the marketers of Clearasil were interested in a sponsorship deal to promote the movie.  But when they learned about the abortion scene, they requested to have it removed.  When the producers refused to drop that subplot, Clearasil backed out.

Dirty Dancing originally received an R-rating.  Scenes were trimmed from the original cut to obtain a more desirable PG-13. Vestron, convinced that no one would like the movie, planned to give it a limited release in theaters and then dump it to video where they hoped they could make some money back.  Producer Linda Gottlieb said that at the time, “I would have only been grateful, if when it was released, people didn’t yell at me.”

Reviews were mixed to positive.  One notable critic of Dirty Dancing was Roger Ebert who gave the movie a thumbs-down.  Ebert found the movie to be clichéd and objected to the subplot involving an abortion.  Ebert’s objection wasn’t based on the controversial subject matter but rather the use of what Ebert called an “idiot plot” in which characters have to avoid saying anything that would solve their problems.

So, what do you think?  Did Dirty Dancing open in first place?  No.  Of course it didn’t.  You learned from the Ferris Bueller thing.  It probably opened in second place though, right?  Nope.  The Cheech Marin movie Born in East L.A. took second place at the box office that weekend.  Third place?  Nu-uh.  Third place went to Can’t Buy Me Love which was in its second week in theaters.  Dirty Dancing opened in fourth place.

That’s not an auspicious opening.  But back then, opening weekends weren’t everything.  It turned out, Dirty Dancing had legs.  In its second weekend, it climbed into third place behind No Way Out.  And the weekend after that, Dirty Dancing took the second place spot behind Stakeout.  It topped out at second place, but managed to stay on the top ten for eleven weeks in a row.  Even after it dropped out of the top ten, it climbed back on for an additional four weeks.  By the end of its initial run, Dirty Dancing had grossed over $50 million dollars on a budget of just $6 million.

But much like Ferris Bueller, the success of Dirty Dancing can’t be measured by its box office performance.  Dirty Dancing turned into a cultural phenomenon.  The soundtrack was arguably an even bigger hit than the movie.  It was so big that the following year it spawned a follow-up album titled More Dirty Dancing.  There was also a tour dedicated to the movie.  Dirty Dancing: Live in Concert featured Bill Medley and Eric Carmen crooning hits from the soundtrack in 90 cities.  In 1988, CBS also launched a Dirty Dancing TV series.  Although without Swayze and Grey, the TV show was cancelled after just a few episodes.

For a movie no one was supposed to like, Dirty Dancing also got a surprising amount of attention during awards season.  At the Golden Globes, Dirty Dancing was nominated for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy.  Swayze and Grey were also nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress respectively.  Swayze lost to Robin Williams for Good Morning, Vietnam and Grey lost to Cher for Moonstruck.

At both the Globes and the Oscars, Dirty Dancing was nominated for and won Best Original Song for the hit (I’ve Had) the Time of My Life.  The song beat out the likes of Bob Seger, Starship, Night Ranger and Madonna.  I’m thinking the parenthesis gave it an edge.  Not enough songs have parenthesis.

In the 80’s audiences loved Dirty Dancing unironically.  And then something happened.  Much like a summer fling, the infatuation faded and became something else.  There was no escaping the movie’s cheese factor.  In the nineties, a lot of people started to love Dirty Dancing for a different reason.  A reason that can be summed up with one line from Patrick Swayze.

“Nobody puts baby in a corner.” Never before has anyone objected to a seating arrangement with such a mixture of chivalry, rebelliousness and indignation!  Swayze said he hated the line and did everything in his power to get it cut.  But in 2005, the cheesetastic line was picked by AFI for their 100 greatest movie quotes.

Late night talk show host Conan O’Brien made that line famous during his ongoing campaign to get Dirty Dancing rereleased in theaters for its tenth anniversary in 19987.  Over 80,000 viewers called in to Live Entertainment in an effort to bring the 10-year-old dance movie back to the big screen.  And amazingly enough, they were successful.

O’Brien later joked that he really didn’t like the movie all the much.  But it doesn’t end there.  In 2004, Dirty Dancing was adapted to a stage musical with the unwieldy title Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage.  The show received mixed reviews, but it was commercially successful in Europe and later toured the United States as well.

That same year, a quasi-prequel was released.  Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights had a similar storyline of an American teen discovering true love through dance, but it was set in Cuba in 1959.  Patrick Swayze was paid $5 million dollars to appear in a cameo as a dance instructor.  But since he was 17 years older and the movie was set before the first one, Swayze was not reprising his role from the first one.  The sequel/prequel/reboot/whatever was not well-received and has largely been forgotten.

Since then, there have been rumors of remakes or possibly a TV mini-series.  For now, the future of Dirty Dancing remains uncertain.  The only thing we can know for sure is that nobody puts baby in a corner.

You would think that in 1987 as her career was taking off like no one could have ever imagined that Grey would be having the time of her life.  But you would be wrong.  Unfortunately, Grey was recovering from a personal tragedy just as she was becoming a star.

Matthew Broderick and Jennifer Grey - 1987
Matthew Broderick and Jennifer Grey – 1987

At the time, Grey was dating her Ferris Bueller co-star, Matthew Broderick. The couple went on vacation in Ireland when Broderick had a bad car accident.  He crossed over into the wrong lane instantly killing a local mother and her daughter.  Broderick suffered a fractured leg, fractured ribs, a concussion, and a collapsed lung.  He spent four weeks in the hospital.  Grey’s injuries were less severe, but the incident scarred her for life:

The impact was emotional and physical.  My body was never the same, my head was never the same, my ambition was never the same.

The full extent of Grey’s injuries was not immediately apparent.  Over time, ligaments which had been ripped in the accident degenerated leaving her with chronic pain.  According to Grey, she avoided taking prescription pain medication out of fear of addiction.  She said she had lived the wild life in her youth but wanted to remain sober as an adult.

The timing of the accident completely overshadowed Grey’s career success:

I became America’s sweetheart within five days of the accident.  The juxtaposition of that deep sorrow, the survivor’s guilt … and then being celebrated as the new big thing just didn’t jibe. It didn’t feel good to be the toast of the town.

Gandahar/Light Years - 1988
Gandahar/Light Years – 1988

Following the accident, Grey said she pulled back from her career.  In 1988 she followed up her star-making role in Dirty Dancing with voice work in the English dub of the French animated science fiction movie, Gandahar or Light Years as it was called in the US.  Grey played a beautiful young alien girl who falls for the hero and because this is French sci-fi, she never wears a shirt.

Bridget Fonda, Glenn Close and Christopher Plummer were also featured on the English language version.

dillon - bloodhounds of broadway
Matt Dillon and Jennifer Grey – Bloodhounds of Broadway – 1989

In 1989, Grey appeared in the musical comedy Bloodhounds of Broadway opposite Matt Dillon, Rutger Hauer, Randy Quaid and Madonna.

The movie is based on four short stories  by Damon Runyon.  Dillon played a gambler who has only ever won one bet.  Grey appeared as a showgirl who loves him anyway.

Bloodhounds of Broadway only played in five theaters before it was released to video.  According to studio head Mike Medavoy in his autobiography You’re Only as Good as Your Next One, the movie shipped to theaters with a reel missing and no one noticed.

Jennifer Grey before and after rhinoplasty
Jennifer Grey before and after rhinoplasty

In 1989, Grey made a decision that forever changed both her appearance and her career.  She underwent two rhinoplasty procedures.  The first one was botched which necessitated the second.  The procedure rendered Grey unrecognizable to her fans.  According to Grey:

I went in the operating theater a celebrity – and come out anonymous. It was like being in a witness protection program or being invisible.

Grey said even her friends didn’t recognize her with her new nose:

I remember going to a restaurant where I had been going for years. I ran into people I knew and would say, ‘Hey.’ Nothing.

In retrospect, Grey acknowledges that her decision backfired:

I’ll always be this once-famous actress nobody recognizes… because of a nose job.

In a 1999 interview with Newsweek, Grey confessed that she briefly considered changing her name to Wanda West and starting over:

I’ve got to tell you, I think it could have worked.  This town is so built on who’s the new face, and no one would have ever known it was me.

Jennifer Grey - Criminal Justice - 1990
Jennifer Grey – Criminal Justice – 1990

By 1990, just three years after her breakout performance in Dirty Dancing, Grey was relegated to TV movies.  She played Tom Hulce’s wife in the civil rights drama, Murder in Mississippi.  That movie costarred Blair Underwood and a then-unknown Josh Charles.  Then she had a supporting role in Criminal Justice (pictured) which starred Forest Whitaker, Anthony LaPaglia and Rosie Perez.  Grey played a prosecuting attorney trying to put Whitaker behind bars when Perez identifies him as her assailant.

Jennifer Grey - If the Shoe Fits - 1990
Jennifer Grey – If the Shoe Fits – 1990

Grey co-starred opposite Rob Lowe in the romantic comedy, If the Shoe Fits.  This TV movie was another retelling of the Cinderella story.  This time, Grey was the lead rather than a wicked step-sister.  She played a shoe designer who works as a seamstress for a self-important fashion Parisian fashion designer played by Lowe.  Lowe is looking for a new model and holds a party to find her.  Grey puts on a pair of magic shoes which change her into a stunning beauty who immediately captures Lowe’s heart.

Jennifer Grey - Eyes of a Witness - 1991
Jennifer Grey – Eyes of a Witness – 1991

The TV movies continued in 1991 when Grey starred in Eyes of a Witness.  Grey played a doctor working in Kenya.  Her father, played by Daniel J. Travanti, is worried about her safety and flies to Africa to try to convince her to return home.  When the village Grey is working at is attacked by raiders, Grey’s father becomes a suspect in a murder trial.  The only witness is a boy in the village who worries that if he testifies the raiders will attack his village again.  Carl Lumbly and Eriq La Salle co-starred.

Jennifer Grey - Wind - 1992
Jennifer Grey – Wind – 1992

Grey returned to the big screen opposite Matthew Modine in the yachting drama, Wind.

Wind is based on events from the 1987 America’s Cup competition.  Modine stars as a sailor who loses the 1984 World Cup to Australia.  Determined to take home a victory, Modine puts his own team together which includes someone who kind of resembles Baby from Dirty Dancing with a less ethnic looking nose.

Director Carroll Ballard went to great lengths to present a realistic depiction of the sports.  His efforts were not wasted on the many yachting fans in Australia.  Critics also appreciated the film.  Roger Ebert called Wind “exhilarating”.  (Wikipedia lists the critical reaction as “mixed” no doubt based on the movie’s current 55% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but if you go back and read the top critics of the day, the reviews were mostly positive.)  But American audiences couldn’t give a flip about boating or for that matter movies that star Matthew Modine.

Wind opened in sixth place at the box office behind Single White Female which had been in theaters for five weeks.  In fairness, Single White Female was playing on nearly twice as many screens despite being fairly deep into its run.  On the other hand, Hellraiser III opened on fewer screens than Wind and it managed a third place opening.  All totaled, Wind grossed under $6 million dollars in the US on a budget over nearly $30 million.

Jennifer Grey - A Case For Murder - 1993
Jennifer Grey – A Case For Murder – 1993

1993 saw Grey return to TV movies with A Case For Murder.  Peter Berg starred as a hot-shot defense attorney with a track record of winning cases that most consider to be unwinnable.  When one of the lawyers in his firm is murdered, Berg takes on the case of defending the primary suspect, the deceased lawyer’s wife.  Grey played an attorney who is new to the firm who helps Berg with his investigation.  But as inconsistencies come to light, Grey begins to suspect that Berg might be the real killer.

Jennifer Grey - Twilight of the Golds - 1993
Jennifer Grey – Twilight of the Golds – 1993

Later that year, Grey made her Broadway debut in the dramedy, The Twilight of the Golds.  Grey played an expectant mother who discovers through genetic testing that her unborn son is destined to be gay.  She makes the decision to abort the baby rather than raise a gay son much to the dismay of her gay brother.  The play was well-received during preview performances in California.  But when it moved to Broadway, it got clobbered.  The show only lasted 29 performances on the Great White Way.

A few years later, the play was adapted into a TV movie starring Jennifer Beals, Brendan Fraser, Gary Marshall, Faye Dunaway and Rosie O’Donnell.  The TV movie version was given a different ending than the stage play.

Jennifer Grey - Friends - 1995
Jennifer Grey – Friends – 1995

Here we are just a few years after Dirty Dancing and Grey’s career is already DOA.  She took a little time off from acting.  When she returned in 1995, she tested the sitcom waters with a guest spot on Friends.  She played Mindy, one of Jennifer Aniston’s friends who is now engaged to Barry, Aniston’s ex.  When the two of them compare notes, they each discover that Barry has been unfaithful to them with the other friend.

I don’t know how many times I have seen that episode without realizing that was Grey playing Mindy.  Here she was doing a guest-spot on a top-rated sitcom and you would never know it was her.

Jennifers Aniston and Grey both played Jeanie Bueller and co-starred on an episode of Friends
Jennifers Aniston and Grey both played Jeanie Bueller and co-starred on an episode of Friends

Incidentally, Aniston and Grey have both played Ferris Bueller’s sister, Jeanie.  Grey obviously played the part in the movie, but Aniston assumed the role in the short-lived TV adaptation.

Jennifer Grey - Fallen Angels - 1995
Jennifer Grey – Fallen Angels – 1995

Later that year, Grey appeared in an episode of the Showtime anthology series, Fallen Angels.  The series consisted of neo noir detective stories.  Grey’s episode was titled A Dime a Dance and was directed by Peter Bogdanovich.  Eric Stoltz co-starred as a detective who is investigating the murder of a nightclub dancer.  Grey played a dancer who knew the victim.

Jennifer Grey - The West Side Waltz - 1995
Jennifer Grey – The West Side Waltz – 1995

Grey capped of 1995 with a supporting role opposite Shirley MacLaine and Liza Minnelli in the TV movie, The West Side Waltz.  MacLaine starred as a reclusive piano player who maintains a relationship with her neighbor, a violinist played by Minnelli.  The two of them play music together, but that is the extent of their relationship.  Due to her arthritis, MacLaine hires a housemaid played by Grey.  Her youthful exuberance awakens something in MacClaine and she begins making new friends.

Jennifer Grey - Portraits of a Killer - 1996
Jennifer Grey – Portraits of a Killer – 1996

In 1996, Grey shifted into direct-to-video-thriller mode with Portraits of a Killer.  She played a  defense attorney representing a charming murder suspect.  Her client, played by Costas Mandylor, is a photographer.  When several of the models he has worked with are found murdered following a photo shoot, Mandylor becomes the prime suspect.  That doesn’t prevent Grey from falling for him.  Michael Ironside co-starred.

Jennifer Grey - Lover's Knot - 1996
Jennifer Grey – Lover’s Knot – 1996

Next, Grey starred opposite Billy Campbell and Tim Curry in the romantic comedy, Lover’s Knot.  Grey and Campbell played a mismatched couple who are meant to be together.  But over several lifetimes, they have never worked out their relationship.  This time, to seal the deal, Cupid sends a case worker played by Curry to make sure they stay together.  But complications arise in the form of Grey’s ex played by Adam Baldwin and a tempting co-ed played by Kristen Minter.  If this sounds like a movie that went direct to video, that’s because it is.

Jennifer Grey - Red Meat - 1997
Jennifer Grey – Red Meat – 1997

In 1997, Grey appeared in the drama, Red Meat.  Stephen Mailer and John Slattery (whose hair was still dark) played a couple of guys who invite James Frain to join them for their guys’ night where they dine on steak and discuss their sexual conquests.  Grey played a model in an unhealthy relationship with Slattery.  Lara Flynn Boyle co-starred.

Later that year, Grey co-starred in a pilot for a TV show based on Robert Altman’s 1992 show-biz comedy, The Player.  Patrick Dempsey stepped in to the role originated by Tim Robbins and Grey played his boss’ daughter.  The show was not picked up to series.

Jennifer Grey - Outage - 1998
Jennifer Grey – Outage – 1998

In 1998, Grey starred opposite Rob Lowe in the TV movie, Outrage.  When Lowe witnesses a couple of young guys breaking into cars, he reports them to the police.  But because they are minors, the boys are released with a slap on the wrist.  They decide to get revenge by targeting Lowe and his wife played by Grey.  When the law fails to protect them, Lowe decides to fight back against the pack of brats.  A brat pack if you will.

Jennifer Grey - Since You've Been Gone - 1998
Jennifer Grey – Since You’ve Been Gone – 1998

Later that year, Grey had a cameo role in the high school reunion dramedy, Since You’ve Been Gone.  The TV movie told the story of the 10 year reunion of a group of high school students.  Since You’ve Been Gone marked the directorial debut of Friends star David Schwimmer.

The film starred Schwimmer, Philip Rayburn Smith, Joy E. Gregory, Joey Slotnick, Teri Hatcher, Jon Stewart, Rachel Griffiths, and Lara Flynn Boyle.  Liev Schreiber, Molly Ringwald, Marisa Tomei and Jerry Springer all made appearances.

Jennifer Grey - It's Like, You Know...- 1999-2001
Jennifer Grey – It’s Like, You Know…- 1999-2000

From 1999-2001, Grey played herself on the ABC sitcom, It’s Like You Know…  Chris Eigeman starred as a New York writer who moves to LA to write a book about how much he hates the city for its superficiality and its idle rich.  The cast also included Evan Handler who would later appear in the similarly themed series, Californication.

The show poked fun at Grey and her infamous nose job.  According to Grey:

I decided to make fun of this, to make my fiasco become my reality. After all, it’s not cancer, and it’s absurd that just a nose job could wreak such havoc.

She went on to explain how the TV version of herself was different from how she is in real life:

She’s different from me because her priorities are different from mine for the sake of the comedy. Like many L.A. people she’s driven by fame, the desire for it, the need for affirmation. There’s a desperation there and no real sense of self in someone who is so self-obsessed. It’s great to play, though it would be miserable to live!

Jennifer Grey - It's Like, You Know - 1999-2001
Jennifer Grey – It’s Like, You Know – 1999-2000

It’s Like, You Know… was created by former Seinfeld writer, Peter Mehlman.  According to Melman, he made a terrible mistake by allowing his show to air on ABC.  It’s Like You Know was produced by DreamWorks Television which was run by Jeffrey Katzenberg who had once been the protege of Disney CEO Michael Eisner.  Eisner and Katzenberg hated each other and Melman believes ABC treated the show poorly as a result.

Melman explained how Grey came to be involved:

I just loved the idea of having a real character that everybody knew. A real history. And Jennifer Grey, I was friends with, and she had a juicy enough past considering who she had dated, Dirty Dancing, and the nose job, and she was totally game to go along with it all. So she was kind of perfect. I told her if anything bothers you at all, just tell me and we’ll take it out. I didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable about anything, but she was totally game for everything.

Unfortunately, the show didn’t last long at ABC.  It started as a midseason replacement much to Melman’s chagrin.  Although it got picked up for a second season, ABC pulled the plug on It’s Like, You Know… with 6 episodes from season 2 unaired.  At the time, ABC was enjoying success with the reality show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire so they weren’t interested in a low-rated sitcom.  Melman believes if he had taken the show to Fox instead, it would have had a long and successful run.

Jennifer Grey - Bounce - 2000
Jennifer Grey – Bounce – 2000

After It’s Like, You Know… was cancelled, Grey had a supporting role in the big screen drama, Bounce.

Ben Affleck starred as an ad exec whose return flight is delayed by a snowstorm.  At the airport, he meets a writer played by Tony Goldwyn who is trying to get home to his family.  Affleck being the sweet guy he is (I think he may be Batman), offers Goldwyn his seat on the plane.  Grey appeared as Affleck’s friend who happened to work for the airline.  Tragically, the flight Affleck was supposed to be on crashes.  Gwyneth Paltrow costarred as Goldwyn’s widow.  Wracked with guilt, Affleck feels he must make amends.

Bounce received mixed reviews from critics.  It opened in fifth place at the box office behind The 6th Day.  Both films opened behind Charlie’s Angels which was in its third week in theaters.  Ultimately, Bounce grossed roughly $36 million dollars in the US which was about what it cost to make.

Jennifer Grey - Tales From the Crypt - Ritual - 2002
Jennifer Grey – Tales From the Crypt – Ritual – 2002

In 2002, Grey starred opposite Craig Sheffer and Tim Curry in the horror flick, Ritual.

Grey played a doctor who has recently had her medical license revoked.  With few job prospects, she travels to Jamaica to care for a young man who suffers from encephalitis.  Naturally she begins to develop feelings for her patient as all good doctors do.  Eventually, she begins to suspect that she and her patient are being targeted by a voodoo cult.

Originally, Ritual was intended to be the third installment in the Tales From the Crypt movie series.  But when the second movie, Bordello of Blood, bombed at the box office, plans for the third film were scrapped at Universal.  Miramax later purchased the rights to the movie from Universal and released it without the Tales From the Crypt name.

It turns out that the name wasn’t the problem.  Ritual was panned by the few critics who bothered reviewing it.  It was released in theaters in some foreign countries, but never received a theatrical release in the US.  When it was finally released on video, the Tales From the Crypt brand was restored.

Jennifer Grey and Clark Gregg - 2001
Jennifer Grey and Clark Gregg – 2001

After that, Grey took a substantial break from work.  In 2001, she married actor Clark Gregg, aka Agent Coulson from the Marvel movies and Agents of SHIELD TV show.  They tied the knot in July and welcomed a baby girl into their family in December.  So Grey took a few years to focus on her family.

Jennifer Grey - The Road to Christmas - 2006
Jennifer Grey – The Road to Christmas – 2006

Grey returned to acting in the 2006 Lifetime movie, The Road to Christmas.  Grey starred as a fashion photographer who gets stranded on her way to her holiday wedding in Aspen.  She ends up hitching a ride from a teacher played by her real life hubby, Clark Gregg.  It’s a Lifetime Christmas movie so I probably don’t have to draw you a picture.  It turns out Gregg is a serial killer and Grey has to fight for her life over the holidays.  No, wait.  That’s not right.

Jennifer Grey - John From Cincinnati - 2007
Jennifer Grey – John From Cincinnati – 2007

In 2007, Grey appeared in three episodes of the HBO series, John From Cincinnati.  The show focused on a family of surfers which is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious young man who hails from the ‘Nati.  The show starred Bruce Greenwood, Rebecca De Mornay, Brian Van Holt, Ed O’Neill, Luke Perry and Luis Guzman.  Grey appeared as the fiancee of a lawyer played by Willie Garson.

Jennifer Grey - Redbelt - 2008
Jennifer Grey – Redbelt – 2008

In 2008, Grey had a brief appearance in David Mamet’s martial arts drama, Redbelt.  Chiwetel Ejiofor starred as an honorable martial artist who needs some money to fix his studio’s broken window.  But he believes it is dishonorable to enter a competition to fight for prize money.  He comes across an action movie star played by Tim Allen.  When Ejiofor protects him from assailants, Allen takes an interest in his situation.  Joe Mantagna played Allen’s business associate and Grey played Mantagna’s wife.

Jennifer Grey - Keith - 2008
Jennifer Grey – Keith – 2008

Later that year, she had a supporting role in the coming-of-age drama, Keith.  Elisabeth Harnois starred as a high school student with the world wrapped around her finger.  Then she meets a strange kid played by pop singer, Jesse McCartney.  She tries to keep him at arm’s length, but you know how it is with pop stars.  He keeps pushing her to challenge her status quo.  Grey played Harnois’ mother.

Jennifer Grey - The New Adventures of Old Christine - 2009
Jennifer Grey – The New Adventures of Old Christine – 2009

In 2009, Grey appeared Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ sitcom, The New Adventures of Old Christine.  Grey’s real-life husband, Clark Gregg, played Louis-Dreyfus’ ex-husband on the show.  In this episode, Louis-Drefus sets up Gregg with a woman she met at the gym played by Grey.

Jennifer Grey - Dancing With the Stars - 2010
Jennifer Grey – Dancing With the Stars – 2010

In 2010, Grey competed in the reality TV show, Dancing With the Stars. The show’s eleventh season (good lord how is that possible?!?) included David Hasselhoff, Michael Bolton, Margaret Cho, Florence Henderson, Brandy and Bristol Palin.  Not surprisingly, Grey was the winner.  But believe it or not, Grey was scared to appear on the dance competition:

I was an actress playing someone who had never danced before, but I became this iconic dance person.  I was so afraid of what people would think, I wouldn’t even dance at weddings with my husband.

Grey took the opportunity to pay tribute to the late Patrick Swayze during her run on the show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCxQMa_2djw

Grey said she took inspiration from Swayze’s courage as he fought against the cancer that ultimately took his life.  She was also encouraged by some famous friends like Michael J. Fox and Jamie Lee Curtis.  Once she made the decision to do the show, she went in for a check-up,  She did not receive a clean bill of health.  According to Dr. Robert S. Bray Jr., a neurological spine surgeon in L.A, Grey’s spine was in bad shape after her car accident in 1987:

One slip, one fall, one minor rear-end-that’s how close she was to paralysis.

The doctor had Grey undergo spinal surgery before she could participate in Dancing With the Stars.  During the course of two procedures, they grew worried about a lump on Grey’s throat.  What had previously been diagnosed as a benign thyroid nodule was now thyroid cancer.  Grey underwent two more surgeries to have her thyroid removed.  Dr. Bray said they got lucky:

If that tumor had broken out of the capsule of the thyroid, that’s a very bad cancer. She caught it in time.

So not only did Grey win the big prize, she came away from the show a lot healthier than she was before she agreed to compete.

Jennifer Grey - House - 2010
Jennifer Grey – House – 2010

Later that year, Grey appeared on an episode of the medical drama, House M.D.  She played a mother whose grown daughter is jealous when she gives birth to an infant and exhibits better parenting skills the second time around.

Jennifer Grey - The Bling Ring - 2011
Jennifer Grey – The Bling Ring – 2011

In 2011, Grey appeared in the Lifetime movie, The Bling Ring.  The movie was about a group of LA teens who break into the houses of celebrities and steal their bling.  Grey played the mother of one of the teens.  The movie was based on a true story which also inspired the Sofia Coppola movie of the same name in 2013.

Jennifer Grey - In Your Eyes - 2014
Jennifer Grey – In Your Eyes – 2014

In 2014, Grey appeared in the paranormal romance, In Your Eyes.  The script was originally written by Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon in the early 90’s.  Whedon rewrote the script several times over the course of two decades.  It’s about two young people who have never met, but share a unique bond where they share each other’s experiences.  The movie premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival and was self-distributed on-line.

Jennifer Grey - Red Oaks - 2014-2015
Jennifer Grey – Red Oaks – 2014-2015

Grey also co-starred in the pilot for Amazon’s new comedy series, Red Oaks.  The series is described as “A coming-of-age comedy set in the “go-go” 80s about a college student enjoying a last hurrah before summer comes to an end–and the future begins.”  Director Steven Soderbergh serves as one of the show’s executive producers.  Reviews for the pilot were very positive leading Amazon to commit to a full season of the show.  Season one of Red Oaks begins streaming on Amazon in the Fall of 2015.

Jennifer Grey and her father, Joel Grey - 2015
Jennifer Grey and her father, Joel Grey – 2015

In 2015, Grey was in the headlines when her famous father, Joel Grey, came out publicly as homosexual.  Least surprising coming out of all times?  Maybe.  But Jennifer was there with her dad showing her support for his decision:

I feel very happy for my dad that he has come to a point in his life where he feels safe and/or comfortable enough to declare himself in a public way as a gay man.

So, what the hell happened?

Well, first of all, Grey was never really that big of a movie star to begin with.  Prior to Dirty Dancing, her biggest claim to fame was a relatively small role in Ferris Bueller.  Dirty Dancing could have made Grey into a big star, but for reasons that are perfectly understandable, Grey backed away from her career to recover from the trauma of a lethal car crash.  As regular readers know, one of the first rules in the movie star playbook is to strike while the iron is hot.  If you want to get on the A-list and stay there, you have to capitalize on your hits.

Obviously, Grey failed to do that.  But even if she hadn’t taken some time off, it’s questionable whether or not the success of Dirty Dancing would have translated to her career.  Look at her co-star Patrick Swayze who continued working steadily after Dirty Dancing.  He struggled to capitalize on that success as well.  Three years later, he seemed to have missed his opportunity until Ghost rejuvenated his career.  And even that was a temporary shot in the arm.

Obviously, things could have been different for Grey than they were for Swayze.  But all things being equal, actresses have a harder time in Hollywood than their male counterparts.  And Grey didn’t have the typical Hollywood look.  Which brings us to the next point.  In a case of being damned if you do and damned if you don’t Grey had her look changed and became unrecognizable as a result.  Whatever fame she had built up virtually vanished.  Time out of the spotlight plus a new nose put her back at square one.

Eventually, Grey started a family and that became her primary focus.  But she has continued to work as an actress to this day.  And with a prominent role in a promising new TV series, Grey’s profile may be on the rise.

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Carl
Carl
8 years ago

I think the most surprising thing to me is that she’s married to Clark Gregg. I had no idea! I kept expecting the update that they divorced or something, so I’m happy to see they are still together. As for her career, she probably is just about the only person in Hollywood history to become arguably better looking after plastic surgery but have their career hurt by it. Anyway, I’m glad to see she is still working. While it is a lot of lower profile projects, it is good to see that she hasn’t sunk to doing nothing but a… Read more »

RB
RB
8 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Not a big fan of Dirty Dancing or how crazy popular it was then. On board with Ebert’s review. 🙂 And even though I eat up every fluff romcom out there, never viewed the whole movie from start to finish. It was just too cheesy even for RB. Decent soundtrack, though, in fact better than a similar style soundtrack/hit song from Flashdance, the movie from which I’m convinced DD was inspired by. (She’s A) Maniac….. would the parens have gotten a Grammy? Still, after some life threatening setbacks, agreed totally that regained health is infinitely more important than trying to… Read more »

jeffthewildman
8 years ago
Reply to  RB

My mom loved Dirty Dancing. Partly because of the fact that Patrick Swayze was one of her celeb crushes. Partly because she was a fan of chick flicky stuff. So I watched it with her a lot of times when I was 10-12. My cousin also loved it and I remember dancing to the soundtrack to it at her house around Christmas 1988. DD is far from great cinema. But I prefer it over stuff like High School Musical or a lot of the bubblegum stuff that’s out there these days. A lot of those 80s pop movies (DD, Flashdance,… Read more »

Jestak
Editor
8 years ago
Reply to  RB

“Dirty Dancing was lightning in a bottle. You can’t recreate it.”
A point that could be made about any number of successful films that have spawned cycles of increasingly lousy sequels.

jeffthewildman
8 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Yeah it was lightning in a bottle. I’d much rather come up with something original. But if I were in the position where the only movie I could make was the Dirty Dancing remake that’s how I would do it. At the same time, I would argue that the failure of the Fame and Footloose remakes should show why remaking 80s movies isn’t that successful. Most people who go to movies have at least some familiarity with the originals. They aren’t in a foreign language or in black and white. In actuality I do have an idea for a dance… Read more »

jeffthewildman
8 years ago
Reply to  jeffthewildman

And I found out the planned Dirty dancing remake has been cancelled. Hallelujah for now although I’m sure it will come back at some point. If I were naive I’d say maybe the money that would’ve gone to it can go to something original. But I’m not naive about Hollywood.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

15 Actors Who Live In The Shadows Of Their Parents http://screenrant.com/actors-who-live-in-shadows-of-their-parents/ JOEL GREY AND JENNIFER GREY In the 1980s, Jennifer Grey was one of the biggest up-and-coming stars on the planet. She shot onto the scene with roles in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Red Dawn, but it wasn’t until 1987 when the actress rose to super stardom alongside Patrick Swayze in 1987’s Dirty Dancing, a film that became one of the biggest hits of the decade. However, Jennifer’s star began to fade shortly after Dirty Dancing. While the actress has worked steadily since then, she’s never fully been able… Read more »

Zella
Zella
8 years ago

Another great article! “Don’t act like you haven’t seen it because I know you have.” I’m in my mid 20s and literally just watched this movie for the first time a couple of days ago because a coworker was giving me crap about not having seen it. It’s not really my type of movie, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, though I doubt I’ll be rewatching it. I wasn’t really familiar with Jennifer Grey before reading this article. I knew Broderick caused a fatal car crash in Ireland and his passenger was an actress, but I… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

This blog just got a shout-out elsewhere:
http://forums.previously.tv/topic/16734-plastic-surgery-run-amok-or-renee-zellweger-what-were-you-thinking/page-2#entry1658173
This in-depth look at her career really seems to say that while the nosejob didn’t make it easier, Jennifer Grey was basically a one-hit wonder who didn’t really capitalize on her breakthrough, for a myriad of reasons.

brokencandy
brokencandy
8 years ago
Reply to  Zella

I found her more attractive with her natural nose as well. I like strong, unique features, and while the surgically altered one doesn’t look bad per se, it doesn’t really seem to fit her face. Her natural nose also set her apart; without it, she’s just kind of generically attractive in a bland sort of way, good looking but not enough to compete with more striking contemporaries. Different looks can work in an actress’s favor when she has the confidence to embrace them and the talent to back them up. In general, dramatically changing your appearance once you’re already known… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  brokencandy

40 Stars Who Vanished Without a Trace From Hollywood
http://newravel.com/20-stars-who-vanished-without-a-trace-from-hollywood/39/
Jennifer Grey
Jennifer Grey blames her “nose job from hell” for ruining her career after Dirty Dancing. In 2012 she told the Mirror, “I went into the operating room a celebrity and came out anonymous.” She did win Dancing with the Stars in 2010, though.

daffystardust
Editor
8 years ago

I can’t actually claim to have seen Dirty Dancing. It would be more accurate to say that it was on in the room while I was busy with something else. HEY-Yo!! “(I had) The Time of My Life” was one of those 80s songs that was initially kind of fun and catchy, but quickly wore out its welcome with me. I can remember constantly being forced to change the radio station because it was getting played yet again. Grey’s nose job was not something I was aware of until she was playing herself in a TV sitcom. I will register… Read more »

Jestak
Editor
8 years ago

And lebeau wins Best Double Entendre for September with the following:
“Dirty Dancing had legs.”
🙂
Good article, as always.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thecinefiles/permalink/10153454206470795/?comment_id=10153455275315795&offset=0&total_comments=1&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D
I think part of her appeal to both audiences and Hollywood alike in the mid to late 80s was the fact she looked like a younger, cuter and, ultimately, sexier version of Barbara Streisand. Once she lost that nose, that subconscious familiarity disappeared as well.

gcreptile
8 years ago

Hello,
she seems like a nice person, I think that persona has also kept her, not on the A-List, but always in fame’s orbit. Like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, she might eventually find a future in sit-coms. And I also agree that she would probably never have become as a big a star as she might have hoped. But maybe she could have been someone like Jamie Lee-Curtis.

RB
RB
8 years ago
Reply to  gcreptile

Julia L-D is a good example. She is a comedy standout with a unique screen presence, and it’s worked exceptionally well on TV. Hell she was great on SNL before that.

Craig Hansen
Craig Hansen
8 years ago

I too doubt how much Grey could have capitalized on her sudden fame post-Dirty Dancing even without the accident and nose job. Keep in mind that despite being 27 when she filmed Dirty Dancing she had to that point spent her career portraying teenage girls. Fast approaching 30 by that point she simply could not have continued playing teens for much longer, and her youthful cuteness may have prevented her from being accepted in more adult, mature roles in films anyway. Grey’s prospects may have been limited regardless, but again we will never know for sure, she could have surprised… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

ICYMI: @JenniferGrey is high on more than just life in this exclusive preview of #RedOaks http://yhoo.it/1R1FJTn

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Jennifer Grey just revealed a major Dirty Dancing secret: http://eonli.ne/1ZDXBd2

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

ABC is poised to remake Dirty Dancing, starring Abigail Breslin
http://tvline.com/2015/12/08/dirty-dancing-remake-abc-abigail-breslin-cast-baby/
ABC is close to greenlighting a three-hour TV movie based on the 1987 classic Patrick Swayze-Jennifer Grey film. Scream Queens vet Breslin is set to play Baby, but the project is contingent on the casting of the male lead.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

No talent killed Jennifer Grey’s career. Anyody could have played the bitchy sister in “Ferris Bueller” and people went to see “Dirty Dancing” because Patrick Swayze was at the height of his hotness.
I bet in 20 years Jennifer writes a book about how Emile Ardolino tried to cut her out of the movie.
—Anonymous
reply 214 Last Thursday at 8:17 PM

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

What celebrity’s career never recovered after a controversial incident?
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/3nbtfr/what_celebritys_career_never_recovered_after_a/cvmslxi
Yeah, I think people wanted to cast Jennifer Grey, and she changed her face so drastically that she wasn’t even recognizable anymore. She was so famous after “Dirty Dancing” and her look was so distinctive that after the surgery, she may as well have been a different person. It’s kind of sad, because I did think she was a good actress, and she was beautiful (IMO) either way.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/3nbtfr/what_celebritys_career_never_recovered_after_a/cvn46mf
Jennifer Grey – after her huge success in Dirty Dancing she decided to “fix her nose” which she had “always hated.” Well it turns out her nose was one of her only really defining characteristics, and no one recognized her with the new nose.
She has been in some stuff since, but nothing near the rocket ship her career would have been if she had just kept her original nose.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Which celebrities killed their careers in a matter of seconds?
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/4c75vw/which_celebrities_killed_their_careers_in_a/d1fo5ga
Easily Jennifer Grey. She had a diverse resume of acting and was unconventionally pretty. Went and had plastic surgery and voilà career killed.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

DWTS Comeback: 11 Stars Who Regained Popularity After The Show http://www.fame10.com/entertainment/dwts-comeback-11-stars-who-regained-popularity-after-the-show/ Jennifer Grey No matter what has happened in her career since, Jennifer Grey will always be defined by her role as Frances “Baby” Houseman in 1987’s Dirty Dancing. After undergoing two plastic surgeries on her nose, the change negatively affected her career and aside from small roles on different television shows it wasn’t until season eleven of Dancing With the Stars was she buzzed about again. It may have been her smartest career move yet, because of course it realigned her with her Dirty Dancing glory days. Fans of… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Save Jeanie: On ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’s’ 30th Anniversary, A Tribute To The Misunderstood, Mistreated Jeanie Bueller
http://uproxx.com/movies/save-jeanie-on-ferris-buellers-day-offs-30th-anniversary-a-tribute-to-the-misunderstood-mistreated-jeanie-bueller/

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Cast Of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: How Much Are They Worth Now?
http://www.fame10.com/entertainment/cast-of-ferris-buellers-day-off-how-much-are-they-worth-now/3/
Jennifer Grey
Estimated Net Worth: $5 Million. No matter what she does now, Jennifer Grey will forever be remembered as Baby from Dirty Dancing. She has of course had other roles including as Toni in 1984’s Red Dawn, and Jeanie Bueller in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Thanks to the huge popularity of those films and many other roles in both TV and movies, Jennifer Grey is still doing very well for herself with an estimated net worth of $5 million.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Five Once Popular Actresses Who Faded Away http://nostalgiarush.blogspot.com/2015/08/five-popular-actors-who-faded-away.html Jennifer Grey Ah yes, she could be the poster child for actor’s who had it all and then watched it fade away. The worst part is why her career fizzled. She was a huge name when she appeared in Dirty Dancing and Ferris Bueller. She was awesome in both movies! Then she had plastic surgery. To be fair, she did kind of have a big nose. And it is true that she needed the surgery, it wasn’t just cosmetic. However, the surgery made her unrecognizable. I mean literally, she just didn’t look… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

‘How could they not even know her name?’ Dirty Dancing’s Jennifer Grey breaks down into tears as she learns of tragic ancestry on Who Do You Think You Are?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4321624/Jennifer-Grey-cries-Think-trailer.html

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Nobody puts (the original) Baby in a corner! As ABC gets ready to premiere its controversial Dirty Dancing remake, FEMAIL reveals what happened to the cast of the 1987 movie http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4534538/Where-stars-Dirty-Dancing-now.html Baby Houseman – Jennifer Grey A year after playing the frustrated older sister in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off alongside her then-boyfriend Matthew Broderick, Jennifer starred in her most iconic role: 17-year-old Baby Houseman. She’d actually acted with Patrick once before, in 1984’s Red Dawn, though this film was a bigger success, earning Golden Globe nominations for both of them. Then, in 1989, Jennifer did something many actresses had done… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

ABC ruined Dirty Dancing with a terrible remake. Twitter had the time of its life.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/c4d27a06-0862-3011-8bb4-70057cce3d0c/abc-ruined-dirty-dancing-with.html
Thus it was that ABC’s remake of Dirty Dancing was the No. 1 worldwide Twitter trend Wednesday evening, as fans of the 1987 classic starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey came together to indulge in several hours of ridicule while the remake aired in the US. The remake of ‘Dirty Dancing’ is the most traumatizing thing I have witnessed since Election Night ’16.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

http://forums.previously.tv/topic/56272-dirty-dancing-2017-another-day-another-remake/?do=findComment&comment=3315518
Jennifer Grey’s dancing wasn’t professional level but she was good; exactly like a girl taking lessons all summer with Johnny and Penny. And the professionals didn’t have to hold back with Jennifer like they did with Abigail.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

ABC’s Very Special Dirty Dancing Remake http://www.agonybooth.com/a-very-special-dirty-dancing-remake-56062 So let’s try to be constructive in our criticism, because god knows this is some low-hanging fruit and the Twitterverse has already done its job. The one good thing this mess did was make it clearer than ever why Dirty Dancing (1987) was a breakout hit, even if the remake did this by systematically destroying everything that made it work. Hereafter, I will refer to the real movie as Dirty Dancing and the “remake” as TV Impostor ’17. Let’s examine what went wrong. Dirty Dancing tells a specific story. It hit on universal… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Why Dirty Dancing would never be made today
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/31/dirty-dancing-never-made-today-abortion-religion-class-hollywood
30 years ago the film addressed abortion, religion and class in a way that 21st-century Hollywood would never dare.

robthem
robthem
6 years ago

She lost the spotlight because she got a nose job and no one recognized her anymore. She looked very average after the nose job. Not sure why you needed to write a novel and then not focus on the main reason she went into obscurity.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

There’s also the tragic car accident that Jennifer Grey was involved in with Matthew Broderick in Ireland that lead to two people getting killed. There’s no question that an incident like that would’ve negatively impacted her career on its own.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  robthem

Re: Artists Who RUINED Their Careers In a Matter Of Seconds
http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php/1186372-Artists-Who-RUINED-Their-Careers-In-a-Matter-Of-Seconds?p=31227398&viewfull=1#post31227398
Jennifer Grey getting a nose job after her success in Dirty Dancing. She was unrecognizable to me.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

15 Actors Who Are Only Famous Because Of One Role http://screenrant.com/actors-only-famous-because-one-role/ JENNIFER GREY (BABY HOUSEMEN) We all had the time of our lives with Jennifer Grey when we watched her performance that made her career as Baby Housemen in Dirty Dancing, but since her dancing days, she hasn’t been able to land many roles in the television or movie industry. Despite earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture for her Dirty Dancing performance, Grey hasn’t been cast in many movies or TV series that could differentiate herself from her character as Baby.… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  robthem

http://screenrant.com/actors-who-regret-getting-plastic-surgery/ Jennifer Grey was incredibly recognizable in the ’80s. She portrayed Baby in Dirty Dancing, Jeanie Bueller in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Toni in Red Dawn. She also won Dancing with the Stars. In 1989, Grey decided to have her nose done. She felt that her nose was very different from most other peoples’ noses and she wanted it to be less noticeable and make less of a statement. However, she realized soon after that her nose was what made her special and unique. “It was the nose job from hell,” she claimed. “I’ll always be this once-famous actress… Read more »

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