It was a low-budget movie from the beginning. It didn’t have any big stars or a well-known director. And yet, as soon as Dirty Dancing came out in August 1987, the people who made it and the people who were in it knew they had done something huge.
The crowd just showed up out of nowhere. People rushed to see the new movie, and it was the first VHS video to sell more than 1 million copies. Even the song “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” from the movie’s soundtrack won both the Oscar and the Golden Globe for Best Original Song.
For Patrick Swayze, who played the male lead, the movie was an instant hit. He became a teen idol and a sex symbol, and then he got parts in big movies like Ghost and Donnie Darko.
Even Jennifer Grey, who played “Baby” in the movie, was expected to have a big career boost. But it wasn’t meant to be. Grey has now talked about the terrible accident that changed her life and made her leave the movie business for good.
By the end of the 1980s, Dirty Dancing was everywhere. The passionate love story of Frances “Baby” Houseman and dance teacher Johnny Castle took the world by storm, and the movie became one of the most popular of the decade.
But in the middle of all the noise and partying, Jennifer Grey was gone as quickly as she had come.
Grey was out of the public eye for a very, very long time. She has now told everyone what happened in the accident that changed her life.
Grey was living in Ireland with her then-boyfriend Matthew Broderick just before the film’s premiere in August 1987.
But they were in a terrible car accident when Broderick crashed into another car while driving on the wrong side of the road. In the other car were a mother and her daughter. Both of them died right away.
Broderick was charged with driving dangerously, but the charge was later changed to driving carelessly. Jennifer Grey, on the other hand, only got bruises and minor physical injuries, but she still had mental scars.
“That deep sadness, the survivor’s guilt, and then being praised as the next big thing didn’t go together. Grey said, “It didn’t feel good to be the talk of the town.”
The accident caused the actress so much pain that she would never get over it. She left the spotlight when she was only 27 years old.
“My mind was never the same, and neither was my drive,” she said.
Over the next few years, Grey was in a few TV shows, but nothing else.
She also had surgery on her nose, but much like the other one, it didn’t work.
Because of the surgery, she looked different, which made it hard for her to get big roles because people no longer knew who she was.
But by 2010, Jennifer had forced her way back into the news. She became a fan favorite again after she won the TV show “Dancing with the Stars.” She said that was something she thought was important.
“It’s like I haven’t eaten because I’m afraid of what people might think of me. This is like going on a diet for 23 years and then eating a delicious steak.
Grey took another step back into the spotlight in 2018. She will be in both “Untogether” and the new comedy “Red Oaks.”
Jennifer, we’re so glad you’ve found your passion and joy again!
Now, who else wants to go back to 1987 because they miss it so much? See below for a scene from Dirty Dancing that everyone will remember. What great things to remember!
Here’s a sweet throwback video:
