The 1987 movie “Dirty Dancing” was an iconic 80s masterpiece; after all, who can forget that swoon-worthy scene of Patrick Swayze lifting Jennifer Grey over his head to the tune of “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” or that moment where he says, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner”? While you might associate this movie with romance or an idyllic summer vacation in the Catskills, there are also some dark moments, like an abortion subplot. Off-screen, the cast also had their share of dark secrets and struggles; some have even passed away. Here are all the tragedies these actors experienced behind the scenes.
Patrick Swayze passed away from pancreatic cancer
After playing Johnny Castle in “Dirty Dancing,” Swayze took on many impressive roles, including another romantic film called “Ghost.” Tragically, in 2008 he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. A year later, he told Barbara Walters that he was afraid of dying, adding, “You can bet that I’m going through hell.” He passed away later that year at 57.
Jennifer Grey was in a car crash with Matthew Broderick, killing two people
As the other lead who played against Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey was America’s sweetheart in the 80s, starring in other films like “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” It was on the Ferris Bueller set that she met and fell in love with Matthew Broderick. When they were dating, Grey was in the passenger seat when Broderick crashed a car and killed two women just days before the “Dirty Dancing” premiere.
Jerry Orbach died from prostate cancer
Orbach played Baby’s strict father in “Dirty Dancing,” which was a very different role from his portrayal of Lennie Briscoe on “Law & Order,” which he would go on to play after the romantic flick. In 2004, he passed away from prostate cancer, and he acted right up until the end. Swayze said that Orbach was a mentor on set, saying he very much respected Orbach and it was a “great loss” when he passed.
Kelly Bishop lost her husband and saw a psychic medium
Playing Marjorie Houseman, Baby’s mother, Bishop was hired for a smaller part but ended up playing her first mom role when she was offered the job. Today, you might know her for playing Emily Gilmore on “Gilmore Girls,” the show where her on-screen hubby Edward Hermmann sadly passed away. In 2018, Bishop’s real-life husband, Lee Leonard, passed away after 37 years of marriage. She admitted to People that she saw a medium to cope with her grief.
Cynthia Rhodes nearly gave up on dancing and retired from acting
Cynthia Rhodes, aka Penny, had one of the toughest roles in “Dirty Dancing,” playing the dance instructor who got pregnant and had a near-death experience during her abortion. She admitted that the movie was extremely difficult and required around 10 hours a day of rehearsals since she had to convince viewers that she was Swayze’s dancing partner for years. After the movie, she gave up acting, and a low-budget film in 1991 called “Curse of the Crystal Eye” was her last role.
Jack Weston died of lymphoma
Weston played the owner of the Catskills resort where “Dirty Dancing” took place. He also had roles in movies like “The Thomas Crown Affair” and “Wait Until Dark.” Sadly, in 1990, he was diagnosed with lymphoma. After battling the illness for six years, he passed away at 71 years old.
Jane Brucker has trouble keeping her career going
Although she played Baby’s stuck-up big sister, Brucker did have a surprising scene when she performed “Hula Hana” on the ukulele; fun fact, Brucker wrote it herself! Despite her onscreen talent, this wasn’t a breakout role for Brucker like it was for the other actors. She spoke to The Morning Show about how tough acting and auditioning were, saying, “I just didn’t have the heart to keep going out there into my middle age. It was tough and humbling.”
Max Cantor died from an overdose at the age of 32
Playing the waiter Robbie in “Dirty Dancing,” who impregnates Penny, this was Cantor’s first big role after a couple of made-for-TV movies. In 1989, he gave up acting after his final role, “Fear, Anxiety & Depression.“ He pivoted his career into journalism and went deep into a gory murder case where he investigated the death of Monika Beerle, a victim of a serial killer. The story was connected to dark people, and conspiracy theories popped up when Cantor was soon after found dead from a heroin overdose in his home, with a needle still stuck in his arm.
Wayne Knight dropped some pounds and lost his career
While Knight hadn’t quite yet skyrocketed to “Seinfeld” fame as Newman, he still landed a small part as Stan in “Dirty Dancing.” He dropped some weight, which resulted in a loss of notable acting gigs. Today, you can mostly find him doing voice-over work. On his weight loss, Knight told TMZ, “[It’s affecting my career] in a bad way. It takes time. It takes time for people to accept you as you are.”
Jennifer Gray got a nose job that ruined her career, and her marriage to Clark Gregg ended
After “Dirty Dancing,” Jennifer Grey got a rhinoplasty that made her almost unrecognizable, from the role she became famous for. She told The New York Times that “being misunderstood on a global stage was very painful.” Her longtime marriage also fell apart in 2020. No one is quite sure why, but Grey put out a statement on Instagram saying, “We separated in January, knowing we’d always be a family who loves, values and cares for each other. We recently made the difficult decision to divorce, but we remain close and are deeply grateful for the life we’ve shared and the wonderful daughter we’ve raised.”
