Jennifer Grey is best known for her iconic role as Frances “Baby” Houseman in the movie Dirty Dancing. The hit film was released in theaters over 30 years ago, and since that time the actress hasn’t made a huge impression on Hollywood. This has prompted some fans to wonder if she’s still acting and what she’s doing with her life. We’ve got the answers for you.
Her Career Came To A Shocking Halt
In 1987, just nine days before the premiere of Dirty Dancing, Grey was involved in a head-on collision while vacationing in Ireland with her then-boyfriend, Matthew Broderick. Both Grey and Broderick were lucky to have survived, as the car accident killed two other people. However, Grey was left with whiplash and continued to experience severe neck pain and headaches for years after the accident.
“I had been suffering for so long and didn’t fully realize how pain had taken control of my life,” she told Brain & Life. “I stopped doing so many things that I loved, including dancing, because I didn’t want to make the pain worse.”
Grey’s career was also derailed by a plastic surgery procedure. In 1989, she got a nose job that left her face completely unrecognizable from the one she had in Ferris Bueller‘s Day Off and Dirty Dancing. “I went into the operating room a celebrity and came out anonymous,” she said in a 2012 interview. “It was the nose job from hell. I’ll always be this once-famous actress nobody recognizes because of a nose job.”
She’s Still Acting Today
While she never went on to become a Julia Roberts-level movie star, Grey did continue her acting career. She received critical acclaim for playing herself in the late ‘90s sitcom It’s Like, You Know, and has appeared on a number of other TV shows throughout the years, including Friends (she was Rachel’s former BFF, Mindy), The New Adventures of Old Christine, House, Grey’s Anatomy, and The Conners. In 2010—despite being in pain from multiple neck injuries and a ruptured disc— she appeared on Dancing With the Stars and became the show’s 11th season winner.
Most recently, Grey added author to her resume and published a memoir entitled Out of the Corner.
You May See Her Again Soon In A ‘Dirty Dancing’ Sequel
In November 2022, Grey drove her fans wild with anticipation when she confirmed that a Dirty Dancing sequel is in the works. She will be reprising her iconic role as “Baby” Houseman, and the film will again be set at the fictional resort Kellerman’s.
While few details about the project are available to date, we can confirm that Jonathan Levine co-wrote the screenplay and will be directing the film. It is projected to be released in 2024.
She Has Overcome Several Different Health Issues
Jennifer Grey has faced a number of health issues over the years, including thyroid cancer (which she beat) and multiple neck surgeries to repair the long-term damage she sustained as a result of her car accident. Fortunately, the surgeries were successful, and Grey says she’s grateful she finally decided to have the procedures done. “Living with chronic pain can really wear you down,” Grey told Brain & Life. “I finally got to the point where I wanted my life back. Everyone deserves to enjoy a life without pain.”
Her Famous Father Came Out In 2015
Jennifer Grey isn’t the only celebrity in her family. She’s the daughter of Joel Grey, an Academy and Tony award-winning actor, dancer, and singer who’s well-known for his theater and film work. In 2015, at the age of 82, Joel Grey came out to the public with the full support of his daughter.
“I feel very happy for my dad that he has come to a point in his life where he feels safe and/or comfortable enough to declare himself in a public way as a gay man,” Grey told People in a 2015 interview. “Mostly because the more people are free to own their true nature, and can hopefully come closer to love and accept themselves as they really are, no matter what age, no matter how long it takes, to finally be free of the lies or half-truths, it is freedom.”
She Divorced Actor/Director Clark Gregg In 2021
While Grey has enjoyed relationships with a number of high-profile men, her only marriage was with Clark Gregg, an actor and director best known for his role as Agent Phil Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They married in 2001 at Martha’s Vineyard and share a daughter, Stella. They even co-starred in Lifetime movie The Road to Christmas.
Sadly, the marriage came to an end after just under 20 years. They announced their separation in July 2020, and their divorce was finalized in February 2021. The split was reportedly amicable; in a statement to People, they declared they’d “always be a family who loves, values and cares for each other.” While we’re sure it’s not the outcome either of them wanted, it’s nice to see a couple supporting each other and prioritizing their family no matter what.