Jennifer Grey was born March 26, 1960, in New York, New York. Her parents, both involved in show business, were Joel Grey and Jo Wilder. She is also the granddaughter of musician Mickey Katz. Attending The Dalton School, a prestigious Manhattan private school, Grey began her studies in both acting and dancing.
Grey made her onscreen debut in a Dr. Pepper commercial at the age of nineteen, but it wasn’t until 1984 that she transitioned into film. It was in this year she took a part in the drama Reckless, starring Aidan Quinn, Daryl Hannah, and Adam Baldwin. Next, she took a small role in the drama Red Dawn that dealt with a Soviet attack on the United States and the dawn of World War III. The film starred Patrick Swayze, Lea Thompson, and Charlie Sheen.
Her first highly public role was as the sister of conspicuously truant Ferris Bueller in the comedy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. She starred beside Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Charlie Sheen, Jeffrey Jones, and Ben Stein.
Capitalizing on this film’s popularity, Grey auditioned for and won the role of her lifetime—Frances "Baby" Houseman in Dirty Dancing. Playing the doe-eyed innocent that falls for her dance instructor, Grey starred opposite Red Dawn lead Swayze as well as Jerry Orbach and Kelly Bishop. With the film’s popular reception and accolades, including one Oscar, Grey was made into an overnight celebrity.
With her life suddenly thrown into the limelight and under constant media scrutiny, Grey underwent plastic surgery to conform to Hollywood standards of beauty. She received rhinoplasty (known colloquially as a nose job) in the early 90s. The surgery, however, was so severely mishandled that Grey required an additional surgery just to repair the damage. Her appearance was subsequently so changed that many, not even close family and friends, recognized her appearance. "I went in the operating theatre a celebrity - and come out anonymous," Grey said. "It was like being in a witness protection program or being invisible." With her altered appearance, Grey briefly flirted with the idea of changing her stage name as well. Ultimately, she stayed with Jennifer Grey.
Roles, however, continued to be slow and hard to come by. In 1995, Grey landed a one-episode appearance on Friends, as well as a part in the made-for-TV film The West Side Waltz with Shirley MacLaine, Liza Minnelli, and Kathy Bates.
In 1999, Grey’s career received a temporary boost with her television series It’s Like, You Know… with co-star Evan Handler and Ernie Grunwald. The show only ran for two seasons, but many enjoyed seeing Grey poke fun at herself, playing a struggling actress named "Jennifer Grey."
In 2000, Gray took a supporting role in the romantic film Bounce, opposite Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Affleck, and Natasha Henstridge. Most recently, Grey could be seen in the 2006 made-for-TV film Road to Christmas, with real-life husband Clark Gregg.
Grey and Gregg married July 21, 2001. They have one daughter, Stella, and are currently still together. Previously, Grey was engaged to, though never married, both Matthew Broderick and Johnny Depp.
YUDDY
