Decades later, at the age of 62, Jennifer Grey finally opened up about the harrowing period in her life that left an indelible mark…
In spite of lacking prominent actors, an established director, and a modest budget, when Dirty Dancing graced the silver screen in August 1987, both the producers and cast were acutely aware that they had achieved something monumental.
Patrick Swayze, who played the male lead, experienced instant success, ascending to the status of a teen heartthrob and sex symbol. He went on to secure roles in major films such as Ghost and Donnie Darko.
However, Jennifer Grey, his co-star, found herself in a precarious state when the movie premiered, and she soon faded from the limelight. Amidst all the commotion and celebrations, Jennifer Grey disappeared as swiftly as she had emerged.
For an extended period, the actress remained absent from the public eye. But in recent years, during an interview with People Magazine, she unveiled the full story of the accident that forever altered her life.
But before delving into that tragic incident in the summer of 1987, let’s take a closer look at Jennifer Grey’s life up to that point.
Born in 1960 in New York, Jennifer Grey began her dance training at a young age, likely influenced by her father, Joel Grey, who was a multi-talented figure in the entertainment industry—actor, singer, dancer, director, and photographer.
Jennifer attended the Dalton School, focusing on dance and acting. After graduating in 1978, she embarked on a journey to find acting opportunities and also enrolled in the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater. Yet, her life was far from a walk in the park, as she had to work as a waitress to make ends meet.
Despite the challenges, Jennifer managed to secure several roles in television commercials, including one for Dr. Pepper. Her breakthrough in the film industry came in 1984 with her role in «Reckless.» A few years later, her career soared with «Dirty Dancing,» in which she portrayed Frances «Baby» Houseman.
This iconic film, inspired by screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein’s own upbringing, catapulted Jennifer to stardom overnight and earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.
Regrettably, Jennifer’s ability to savor the film’s monumental success was undermined.
Shortly before the film’s premiere in August 1987, Grey was residing in Ireland with her then-boyfriend, Matthew Broderick. Their lives were forever altered by a tragic car accident when Broderick, driving on the wrong side of the road, collided with another vehicle, resulting in the instant deaths of a mother and her daughter. Broderick faced charges of dangerous driving, later reduced to careless driving. Jennifer Grey, on the other hand, emerged with only minor physical injuries but carried profound emotional scars.
The premiere of «Dirty Dancing» was just days away, but despite the film’s success, Jennifer Grey couldn’t find joy in it.
«The stark contrast of deep sorrow, survivor’s guilt, and being celebrated as the new sensation just didn’t harmonize. It didn’t feel right to be the toast of the town,» Grey expressed, as reported by the Daily Mirror.
The actress would never fully recover from the trauma inflicted by the accident.
«My mind was forever changed, and my ambition never fully returned,» she disclosed to People.
Jennifer grappled with survivor’s guilt and vanished from the public eye for a couple of years in the early ’90s before resurfacing with an appearance in a 1995 episode of Friends.
By then, she had undergone plastic surgery, substantially altering her appearance.
«I entered the operating room as a recognizable celebrity and left as an anonymous individual. It was akin to entering a witness protection program or becoming invisible. It was the nightmarish nose job. I will always be that once-famous actress who no one recognizes because of a nose job,» she lamented in 2012.
Jennifer’s career in Hollywood thereafter experienced its ups and downs.
By 2010, she managed to stage a comeback. She won the TV show «Dancing with the Stars» and regained her status as a beloved figure among fans. To her, this was a pivotal achievement.
«It’s as if I’ve been starving myself due to concerns about people’s opinions. This is like savoring a delicious steak after a 23-year diet,» the star shared with People.
In 2018, Grey took another stride toward rekindling the limelight she had left behind. She was set to appear in «Untogether» and a new comedy titled «Red Oaks.»