'Dirty Dancing' Cast: Where Are They Now?

Dirty Dancing' Cast: Where Are They Now?

We all have our fingers crossed that Baby and Johnny lived happily ever after (even if those lives aren't with each other). But what really happened to the cast of 'Dirty Dancing,' a sleeper hit that reportedly inspired producer Aaron Russo to groan, "Burn the negative, and collect the insurance."? Here's what the stars of the movie have been up to for the last (gulp) 22 years. -- By Liane Bonin

Jennifer Grey

Played: Frances "Baby" Houseman

Then: After making her debut in a Dr. Pepper commercial, the daughter of 'Cabaret' star Joel Grey went on to small roles in 'Red Dawn' (1984), 'The Cotton Club' (1984) and the pesty little sister in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' (1986). Even though she convincingly played a gawky teen in 'Dancing,' in reality the petite star was a very grown-up 26.

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Jennifer Grey

Now: In the early '90s, Grey got a nose job -- and emerged almost unrecognizable. Though she briefly considered starting over with a new stage name, she eventually made fun of her newfound anonymity (and her face-changing plastic surgery) in the 1999 sitcom 'It's Like, You Know ....' In 2001, she married Clark Gregg, the addled ex-husband on 'The New Adventures of Old Christine,' with whom she has a daughter. The couple co-starred in the 2006 Lifetime movie 'Road to Christmas.'

Matt Sayles, AP

Patrick Swayze

Played: Johnny Castle

Then: The son of a choreographer and a Joffrey Ballet-trained dancer, Swayze was the perfect choice for Johnny -- even though 'Titanic' star Billy Zane and Val Kilmer were first considered for the part. His star was on the rise thanks to roles in 'Red Dawn' and the miniseries 'North and South,' but his new co-star was not a fan. Grey had battled with Swayze on the set of 'Red Dawn,' and, despite an audition that screenwriter Bergstein described as "breathtaking", the two continued to have issues during the filming of 'Dancing.'

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Patrick Swayze

Now: Though Swayze followed 'Dancing' with flops like 'Roadhouse' and 'Next of Kin' (both of which garnered the actor Razzie Worst Actor nods), he hit pay dirt with 'Ghost' in 1990, following it up with 'Point Break' (1991) and 'To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar' (1995). Named "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine in 1991, Swayze was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer last year, choosing to battle the disease while working on the A&E television series 'The Beast' and writing a memoir with his wife, Lisa Niemi.

Barry Brecheisen, WireImage

Jerry Orbach

Played: Dr. Jake Houseman

Then: The son of a vaudevillian actor and a radio singer, Orbach was a Broadway vet who created the roles of El Gallo in 'The Fantasticks,' Julian Marsh in '42nd Street' and Billy Flynn in 'Chicago,' for which he received a Tony nomination. But his non-theatrical work during the '80s was limited to parts in TV series like 'Ryan's Hope' and films like 'F/X' and 'Prince of the City.'

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Jerry Orbach

Now: A recurring role on 'Murder She Wrote' led to Orbach's own short-lived TV series, 'The Law and Harry McGraw' in 1987. Though the program lasted just four episodes, greater success cuffing criminals was just around the corner. He landed the role of Det. Lennie Briscoe on 'Law & Order' in 1992, sticking with the hit series until his death from prostate cancer in 2004. But children of all ages will remember Orbach for a more family-friendly gig as the voice of the candelabra Lumiere in 1991's 'Beauty and the Beast.'

Dimitrios Kambouris, WireImage

Cynthia Rhodes

Played: Penny Johnson

Then: Before playing the dirty dancer whose botched abortion throws Johnny and Baby together (and later pulls them apart), Rhodes showed off her dancing skills in 1983's 'Flashdance' and 'Staying Alive' (for which she performed a not-so-memorable duet with Frank Stallone). However, she probably made more of an impact on audiences as the slithery sex object in the Toto video for 'Rosanna.'

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Cynthia Rhodes

Now: Rhodes' movie career came to a halt with 1993's 'Curse of the Crystal Eye,' when she decided to give up Hollywood for married life. In 1989 she had tied the knot with pop singer-producer Richard Marx, who still performs and won a Grammy for 2004's 'Dance With My Father' with Luther Vandross. Today the couple lives in Illinois with their three sons.

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Kelly Bishop

Played: Marjorie Houseman

Then: An original cast member of the Broadway classic 'A Chorus Line' (for which she won a Tony award), the Broadway hoofer worked sporadically in Hollywood prior to 'Dancing,' making her film debut in the Jill Clayburgh movie 'An Unmarried Woman' (1978).

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