Jennifer Grey, famous for playing ‘Baby’ in the classic movie Dirty Dancing, was thought to have a bright future in acting.
However, things took a turn for the worse. A tragic incident changed her life completely and led her to choose to step away from the film industry for good.
Years later, Jennifer Grey has opened up about the awful experience that left a lasting impact on her life.
When Dirty Dancing hit theaters in August 1987, the cast and crew quickly realized the impact of their work.
Patrick Swayze, who played the main character, became an instant sensation. He became known as a sex symbol and a favorite among teens, landing major roles in movies like Ghost and Donnie Darko.
On the other hand, Jennifer Grey, who starred alongside him, wasn’t in a great spot when the film came out, and she soon disappeared from the spotlight. Amid all the excitement, Jennifer Grey seemed to vanish just as quickly as she had arrived.
After that, she went a really long time without being seen in the media.
She has recently shared her thoughts about the accident that changed her life during an interview.
Before we dive into that, let’s take a look at Jennifer Grey’s life before the tragic event in the summer of 1987.
Jennifer Grey started taking dance lessons when she was really young. Born in New York in 1960, her dad might have inspired her to get into the entertainment world. Joel Grey, her father, was a filmmaker, photographer, dancer, singer, and actor.
While she was at Dalton School, Jennifer focused on acting and choreography. After graduating in 1978, she began searching for acting roles and also signed up at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater. However, her journey wasn’t all smooth sailing. To make ends meet, Jennifer had to work as a waitress.
Even though it was tough, she managed to land some parts in TV commercials, one of which was for Dr. Pepper. Her first acting role was in the 1984 movie “Reckless.” A couple of years later, she hit it big with the film “Dirty Dancing,” where she played the character Frances “Baby” Houseman.
The story of this popular movie was actually based on the childhood of writer Eleanor Bergstein. Jennifer became a star almost instantly and even got nominated for Best Actress at the Golden Globes.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t fully enjoy the amazing success that came her way.
Jennifer Grey and her boyfriend Matthew Broderick were living in Ireland right before the movie came out in August 1987.
Things took a terrible turn when Broderick accidentally crashed into another car while driving on the wrong side of the road. Sadly, the other car had a woman and her daughter inside, and they both lost their lives instantly.
At first, Broderick was charged with dangerous driving, but that was later changed to careless driving. Jennifer Grey only got some minor injuries like bruises, but the emotional impact stayed with her for a long time.
Just a few days later, Dirty Dancing premiered, but even though the film became a huge hit, Grey found it hard to enjoy it.
The huge difference between feeling deep pain, dealing with survivor’s guilt, and then suddenly being celebrated as a superstar just didn’t add up. Grey mentioned that being the center of attention didn’t feel good at all.
The actress will never fully heal from the trauma of the accident.
She confessed, “my mind was never the same, my drive was never the same.”
A terrible nose job
She struggled with survivor’s guilt, disappeared for a few years in the early 1990s, and then showed up in one episode of Friends in 1995.
By then, she had plastic surgery, and her face looked completely different.
It was like being invisible, almost like I was in a secret program for witnesses. The nose job I got was the absolute worst. I’ll always be that once-famous actress whose nose nobody recognizes anymore.
After that, Jennifer’s Hollywood career was on and off.
By 2010, Jennifer fought her way back into the spotlight. She became a fan favorite again after winning the TV show “Dancing with the Stars,” which she said meant a lot to her.
“I felt like I was starving myself because I was scared of what people would think of me. It’s like finally getting to eat a delicious steak after being on a diet for 23 years,” the star shared.
In 2018, Grey steps back into the limelight again. She will be in the movie ‘Untogether’ and also in the upcoming comedy ‘Red Oaks.’
Jennifer, it’s awesome to see you so happy and excited again!
And who else is ready to take a trip down memory lane to 1987? Check out the famous scene from Dirty Dancing below. Such great memories!
