35 Years After “Dirty Dancing,” Jennifer Grey Is Finally Thriving Again After Making Peace With the Mistake That Ruined Her Career

For decades now, people have been choosing to meet beauty standards by going under the knife. However, sometimes the obtained results are not exactly as expected, and actress Jennifer Grey knows what this means firsthand. Today, the 62-year-old is opening up about the one procedure ’’from hell’’ that had an ever-lasting impact on her career. But she’s also sharing how time taught her to carry on and look at the bright side of things.

Her mom told her to get a nose job.

Having an Oscar-winning actor for a dad and a famous singer and actress for a mom, Jennifer Grey wasn’t a stranger to the movie industry and wanted to follow in her parents’ footsteps as she grew up. But the aspiring actress’s mother, Jo Wilder, suggested she undergo rhinoplasty if she wanted to make a career out of being under the spotlight.

Grey recalls her mama’s advice: “It’s too hard to cast you. Make it easier for them.” And even though at the time the young woman was upset by her mom’s words, she now admits, “She loves me, loved me, always has, and she was pragmatic.”

After all, both her mom and her dad had nose jobs, and they knew what it would take to make it in Hollywood. However, young Grey resisted the idea of getting the procedure and explained, “I was completely anti-rhinoplasty.”

Mega-fame, then deception

Little did she know back then, fame was waiting for her just around the corner, and her life was about to be completely transformed. In fact, at the age of 27, Grey was catapulted to worldwide fame after being cast as one of the 2 main characters in the coming-of-age 1987 movie, Dirty Dancing. She starred as “Baby” Houseman, a young woman who falls in love with her dance instructor, played by Patrick Swayze.

And although Grey became the biggest star in Hollywood for a while thanks to the colossal success of the movie, her career, however, didn’t explode as some expected.

Becoming unrecognizable

This is when Grey finally gave in to the idea of going under the knife. She had her first nose job shorty after Dirty Dancing, followed by a second rhinoplasty a little while later. But she explained that this decision has had a transformative impact on her.

She revealed that her face had changed so much after the second procedure, that actor Michael Douglas didn’t even recognize her during a movie premiere. Grey realized the irreversible effect this transformation would have on her future. She admitted, “And it became the thing, the idea of being completely invisible from one day to the next. In the world’s eyes, I was no longer me.”

Her career was also affected.

For a long time after the surgery, the actress regretted her decision, which she calls “the nose job from hell.” She believes that losing her trademark nose adversely affected her career and prevented her from becoming a more successful actress. She opened up, saying, “I went into the ­operating room a celebrity and came out anonymous.”

She later had small guest spots in shows, such as Friends and House, as well as TV movies, like A Case for Murder and Eyes of a Witness. In 2010, success finally came knocking at her door again when she won Dancing with the Stars.

She’s now fulfilled and thriving.

Today, at 62, the actress is more comfortable in her skin than ever before. She notes, “I’ve never felt what I’m feeling these days.” She positively exclaims, “I believe in my heart that the second half of a woman’s life is the best half.” As a matter of fact, these days, Grey is busy and thriving. She has written her memoir and is even working on a Dirty Dancing sequel, 35 years after the first one made her famous.

Moreover, she has now reached inner peace after having reflected on her past decisions and the reason why she was kept away from Hollywood. She says, “I spent so much energy trying to figure out what I did wrong, why I was banished from the kingdom.” She adds, “That’s a lie. I banished myself.”

What do you think of Jennifer Grey’s story? Have you ever had plastic surgery, and what was your experience afterward?