What Happened to “Dirty Dancing” Star Jennifer Grey?

When she starred in Dirty Dancing alongside Patrick Swayze in 1987, newby actress Jennifer Grey became a household name overnight. This film went on to live in the hearts and minds of Americans for decades to come, and is still a cult classic to this day. Dirty Dancing catapulted Jennifer Grey into super stardom. But didn’t translate into the career starter that many would have assumed. Unlike Patrick Swayze, whose career only improved after Dirty Dancing, Jennifer Grey’s future seemed to be stalled after the hit film. So what has Jennifer Grey been up to since the release of Dirty Dancing? Find out more about what happened to the Dirty Dancing star below.

Set in the year 1963 at a summer retreat in the Catskills, Dirty Dancing was the perfect film for Jennifer Grey to become America’s next sweetheart. Grey played Frances “Baby” Housean, is vacationing with her family for the summer. She eventually stumbles into a budding romance with Johnny Castle (played by Patrick Swayze), and happens onto a hot and heavy underground dance scene with the local residents and staff of her family’s Catskills resort. The film soundtrack and amazing choreography, as well as the intense sparks on screen sparks flying between Grey and Swayze, made this film an instant success. The film grossed $170 million worldwide, one of the best blockbuster hits of that year. Grey even took home a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Baby.

So why didn’t Jennifer Grey’s career skyrocket like the world expected?