“From Ballet Dreams to Hollywood Shock: The Untold Ups and Downs of Jennifer Grey’s Iconic Journey”
The film’s success didn’t end there: When Dirty Dancing hit VHS, it became the first film ever to sell a million copies on video. In addition to that, when the film was re-released for its tenth anniversary in 1997, videos were still selling at the rate of over 40,000 per month.
More than three decades later, Dirty Dancing is still considered something of a classic, and it appeared in the number one spot on a Sky Movies list of ‘women’s most-watched films’; the 1987 film was adapted into a jukebox musical that toured as recently as 2020.
People couldn’t recognise Grey after plastic surgery
Credit: Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives/Nick Elgar/ImageDirect/Getty Images
Unfortunately, 1987 and Dirty Dancing would prove to be the peak of Grey’s career, with a group of flop films like Bloodhounds of Broadway and Wind following and sinking virtually without a trace. Then came arguably Grey’s biggest career mistake: beginning in 1989, Grey had two ill-advised rhinoplasties (or ‘nose jobs’, to put it bluntly), which caused even close friends to fail to recognise her.
Grey has since claimed that she regrets having plastic surgery, as it took away her uniqueness. The transformation had a negative effect on her career: “I went in the operating room a celebrity and came out anonymous. It was like being in a witness protection program or being invisible.” Grey later said that she briefly considered changing her name just so she could start a brand new career.
