All You Must Know About Jennifer Grey, Her Net Worth, Husband and Plastic Surgery

Quick Facts

Jennifer Grey is an actress whose biggest film till date is her appearance in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing. After that success, it was expected that her career would take a definite surge upwards, but that never happened as it nosedived and never rose to that same height again. We may not want to ask what happened as that is already an open secret.

The actress has expressed her regrets and admitted that she would make different choices if the same scenarios were to play out today so that she could get different outcomes. I know someone is itching to know what could have gone so wrong that cut Jennifer Grey’s burgeoning career down in its prime. It’s all here…just tag along for the juicy details.

Jennifer Grey’s Bio

Grey is the oldest daughter of Joel Grey and Jo Wilder Brower who was born to them on March 26, 1960, in Manhattan, New York. Becoming an actress was not a career path that was unexpected for young Jenny as the family seemed to be webbed in the entertainment industry. Her father, Joel, who was an Academy Award-winning actor, performed both on stage and on-screen while her mother, Jo, was an actress and a singer in her day. Going back Further, her paternal grandfather, Mickey Katz, was himself a musician and a comedian.

The odd man out in the family happens to be her brother, James Katz, who opted to be a chef and is doing really well for himself. Jennifer Grey attended a private school in Manhattan – Dalton School – before enrolling at Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre to train as an actress when she graduated from Dalton in 1978. She left Neighborhood Playhouse in 1980.

Career and Net Worth

Jennifer Grey’s showbiz career began with her appearance in Dr Pepper’s commercial while she was still at the Neighborhood Playhouse School in 1979. Her film debut will come five years later when she was featured in Reckless (1984) in a small role portraying the character of Cathy Bennario.

Another feature followed in the same year with The Cotton Club and war film, Red Dawn as she continued to build her momentum. Her first big role came in the 1986 comedy-drama Ferris Bueller’s Day Off where she would feature alongside Matthew Broderick as his jealous sister, Jeanie Bueller.

Now a star to watch, Grey landed another hit role the following year in Dirty Dancing (1987) where she interpreted the character of Frances Houseman mostly referred to as Baby, the love interest of Johnny (), a dance instructor. The film became a massive hit as it raked in over $10 million in its first ten days and earned her a first award nomination – Golden Globe – in the Best Actress category.

She went on to feature in several movies afterward, including Murder in Mississippi (1990), Wind (1992), A Case for Murder (1993), Portraits of a Killer (1996), Red Meat (1997), Ritual (2002), The Road to Christmas (2006), In Your Eyes (2014), Red Oaks (2014-), etc.

In all, none of her roles has given her the recognition that her role in Dirty Dancing offered her which is because of a plastic surgery (Rhinoplasty) she underwent on her nose in the 1990s. That became for Jennifer Grey, a career-altering decision.

She forced her way back to the spotlight, albeit through an unconventional route. Grey participated in the 11th season of the American dance series Dancing With the Stars (DWTS) and was paired with Derek Hough, a professional ballroom dancer. The pair won the competition despite the injuries and stress the show afflicted on Jennifer Grey. Her net worth cannot be ascertained at the moment as we have several figures online. Some put her worth at $6 million, while others put it at between $10 – $13 million.

Jennifer Grey’s Family – Husband

The actress is married to , an actor/director whom she starred with in the 2006 TV movie The Road to Christmas. They got married on July 21, 2001, and have a daughter together who was born later that same year – on December 3, 2001. The name of their daughter is Stella Gregg.

Before she married her husband, Gregg, the Dirty Dancing actress had been involved in relationships with other actors in the industry. She was engaged to Matthew Broderick between 1987 to 1988 but the couple didn’t make it to the altar. Before Broderick was in 1986. Others are William Baldwin between 1988 to 1991,  in 1989, and George Stephanopoulos in 1992.

Did She Have A Plastic Surgery?

Yes, Jennifer Grey did have a plastic surgery that really went bad. No, not physically as the sexy actress still looked great after the surgery. But her original look and appeal – that prominent nose – which made films like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) and Dirty Dancing (1987) a massive success was gone and it took with it her opportunity to become one of Hollywood’s finest actresses.

While riding on the fame she had garnered from her back-to-back hits in 1986 and 1987, Grey made the worst decision that went on to alter her career progression. She had a nose surgery (rhinoplasty) which made her unrecognizable, literally. It was a double surgery as she went ubder the knife a second time to correct what she felt was wrong with the first operation but her original face was gone.

She was not ugly or looking like a monster afterward, in fact, she looked adorable in her new look but her innocence was sacrificed and so was her career. The face that had appealed to millions around the world had disappeared without a trace and so producers could not find the selling point – that defining/distinguishing feature.

Grey considered taking up a new identity entirely as those close to her could barely recognize her. When she talked about the experience she said “I went in the operating room a celebrity—and came out anonymous.”

Other Facts About Jennifer Grey

Jennifer Grey had worked as a waitress to support herself while she was taking up her acting classes.

She was involved in an accident on August 5, 1987, in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, where the vehicle she was in swerved off the road unto another lane and collided with an oncoming Volvo on the other lane. The occupants of the Volvo – a mother and her daughter – lost their lives while Grey escaped, alongside her then-boyfriend, Matthew Broderick, who was driving the rented BMW.

During an examination 13 years after the accident, her doctor found a cancerous nodule which was removed immediately, thus, saving her from the disease.

Her height is measured at 5 feet 3 inches (160 cm) and her weight is 59 kg. Her other body measurements are; 34-24-32 inches for her breasts-waist-hip. Her bra size is 34B, her dress and shoe sizes (US) are 4 and 7 respectively while her hair and eyes are both dark brown.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.