logo
Getty images
Getty images

Jennifer Grey and Cast of 'Dirty Dancing' 32 Years after the Movie Was Released

Pedro Marrero
Dec 06, 2019
12:06 P.M.

More than three decades since the romantic drama dance film premiered, it remains one of the most rewatchable Hollywood films of all time. But time has certainly passed, and this is what has become of its cast.

Advertisement

Two of the main stars of 1987’s “Dirty Dancing” have already left us, but not before leading remarkable careers way beyond their roles in this contemporary classic. Let’s revisit what has gone on in the careers of this special group of performers.

Advertisement

The filmmakers gave all their trust to the then-mostly-unknown ensemble cast, and they didn’t disappoint, turning the small budget film into a cultural phenomenon and a box office sensation. Let’s check up on them 32 years after.

JENNIFER GREY

The 59-year-old actress played Frances “Baby” Houseman the 17-year-old daughter of a wealthy doctor, who spends the summer of 1963 at Kellerman’s country resort, falling in love with a dance instructor.

Jennifer Grey. I Image: Getty Images.

Jennifer Grey. I Image: Getty Images.

Advertisement

While the role turned her into an instant superstar, Grey never quite knew how to capitalize on it. Nevertheless, she continued leading a prolific career as an actress, mostly on TV, starring and appearing in several series.

She voiced different characters in “Phineas and Ferb” (2008-2014), starred in “Red Oaks” (2014-2017), “Grey’s Anatomy” (2019). Her last film role to date was in 2019’s “Bittersweet Symphony.”

PATRICK SWAYZE

The late actor played Johnny Castle, a working-class man that works as a dance instructor at Kellerman’s and steals Baby’s heart with his free spirit and passion for music.

Advertisement
Patrick Swayze. I Image: Getty Images.

Patrick Swayze. I Image: Getty Images.

Swayze came out of the film a household name in Hollywood, and he continued leading a satisfying acting career. In 1990, he landed his second most famous role as Sam Wheat in “Ghost,” opposing Demi More and Whoopie Goldberg.

Advertisement

He went on to star in the movies “Point Break” (1991), “To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar” (1995), “Donnie Darko” (2001), and in the series “The Beast” (2009) before passing away from pancreatic cancer in 2009, aged 57.

CYNTHIA RHODES

The 63-year-old actress played Penny Johnson, also a dancer and one of Johnny’s workmates in the entertainment staff, who has an unwanted pregnancy and nearly loses her life in an illegal abortion, prompting Baby to ask her father for help.

Advertisement

The role in the film was one of the last she ever played. Apart from appearing in singer Richard Marx’s video for his song “Don’t Mean Nothing” (1987) she returned to the big screen only once in “Curse of the Crystal Eye” (1991).

In 1989, she married Marx, and the two went on to share three sons named Lucas, Jesse, and Brandon, before divorcing in 2014. Rhodes decided to retire from acting when she became a mother and has no regrets about it.

JANE BRUCKER

The 61-year-old actress played Lisa Houseman, Baby’s ungraceful older sister, who nearly falls under the spell of the careless womanizer that had gotten Penny pregnant in the first place.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Bruckner continued working as an actress after “Dirty Dancing,” appearing in films like “Stealing Home” (1988) starring Mark Harmon and Jodie Foster, “Bloodhounds of Broadway” (1989) and “Dishdogz” (2005).

In the small screen, she was cast in “Doctor Doctor” (1989) and guest-starred in “Ellen” (1998) following a long hiatus. Her last role to date was in 2011 when she guest-starred in the series “Second City This Week.”

JERRY ORBACH

The late actor played Dr. Jake Houseman, Baby and Lisa’s a supportive but very old-fashioned father, who ends up learning a lesson about love, trust, and class prejudice at the end of the film.

Advertisement
Jerry Orbach. I Image: Getty Images.

Jerry Orbach. I Image: Getty Images.

Already an experienced actor when he was cast in “Dirty Dancing,” Orbach became most known for playing detective Lennie Briscoe for 12 years in “Law & Order” (1991-2004). He also brilliantly voiced Lumiere in “Beaty and the Beast” (1991).

Advertisement

Orbach passed away in 2004 after a ten-year battle with prostate cancer. He was 69 years old.

KELLY BISHOP

The 75-year-old actress played Marjorie Houseman, Baby and Lisa’s mother, and Jake’s wife.

Kelly Bishop. I Image: Getty Images.

Kelly Bishop. I Image: Getty Images.

Advertisement

Bishop continued performing mostly on TV, but was also cast in a few movies including “Six Degrees of Separation” (1993), “Private Parts” (1997), and “Wonder Boys” (2000).

In the small screen, the actress appeared in “The Thorns” (1988), “My Wildest Dreams” (1995), and became especially known for her role as Emily Gilmore in “Gilmore Girls” (2000-2007), a role she reprised in 2016 for the return season.

LONNY PRICE

The 60-year-old actor played Neil Kellerman, the spoiled and obnoxious son of the owner of the Kellerman’s resort. He is the kind of guy that her parents expect Baby to date, but she is definitely not into him, falling for “bad boy” Johnny instead.

Advertisement
Lonny Price. I Image: Getty Images.

Lonny Price. I Image: Getty Images.

Price has made some occasional appearances as an actor, like in “2 Broke Girls” (2013) and “Flodder in Amerika!” (1992), but has been mostly working as a director.

He directed the film “Company” (2011), and episodes of the TV series “Desperate Housewives” (2010-2011), and “2 Broke Girls” (2012-2016).

Sadly, his career was cut short when he died under tragic circumstances in 1991 at the age of 32.

Advertisement
info
Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories!
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy
Advertisement
Related posts

Meet 'Law & Order's' Jerry Orbach's Son Chris Who Looks Like His Late Star Dad & Is Father of Two

March 09, 2022

Hollywood Stars Including William Shatner Share Tributes to M*A*S*H Actor Sally Kellerman Who Died at 84

February 25, 2022

Jerry Orbach's 'Extraordinary' 25 Year Marriage Saw Him Declare His Love with Poems Every Day

March 29, 2022

Sandra Oh's Partner Is a Doting Father Yet the Actress Decided She Will Remain Childless

February 27, 2022

Sissy Spacek & Jack Fisk Are Married for 48 Years Although They ‘Never Expected a Lifelong Relationship’

February 16, 2022

'M*A*S*H's Sally Kellerman Lost Husband & Daughter in 3 Months & Still 'Put on a Brave Front' Amid Grief

February 25, 2022

'Law & Order's' Camryn Manheim Turns 61 - Meet Her Son Milo Who Is All Grown-up & Is Also an Actor

March 08, 2022

Meet Jean Smart’s 2 Kids with Husband of 34 Years Who Was Kissing Another Woman When They Met

January 30, 2022

‘Webster’s Susan Clark & Alex Karras’ 32-Year Marriage after Susan Made Alex an Ultimatum about His Wife

March 30, 2022

Robin Williams Wanted His Children to Be Proud of Him — Meet His 3 Kids Who He Cherished

March 09, 2022

Val Kilmer Had a Prophetic Dream about Meeting His Future Wife Joanne Whalley - Marriage Lasted near 8 Years

March 21, 2022

Annette Funicello Was Unable to Eat, Drink & Talk during Her Last Years — Her Husband Never Gave up Hope

March 02, 2022

Inside Patrick Swayze & Widow Lisa Niemi’s 7,261-Acre 'Dream Ranch' They Owned for 23 Years

January 31, 2022

Dennis Farina Never Revealed His Diagnosis — In His Last Days, He Could Not Breathe

February 18, 2022