How old was patrick swayze when he filmed dirty dancing
See Their Ages When They Were Filming
We can always count on having the time of our lives when we watch Dirty Dancing (pun totally intended). After all, the cast is pretty relatable and they always make us wish that we were a part of the movie. But best of all, it's amazing to see that there was such strong chemistry between the actors, regardless of their different ages. Case in point? Take Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze!
“His fearlessness with my fearfulness — it was like a marriage where you have two opposites. He would do anything and I would be scared to do anything. [But] he was really strong and very protective of me,” Jennifer exclusively told us. Talk about adorable!
It's hard to believe that it's already been 29 years since the film came out. We recently got a look at the cast then and now, and sadly, a few of our favorites, including Patrick, have passed away. But in the spirit of the classic — which currently has a remake coming to ABC — we thought we'd take a look at the actors' ages when they filmed the classic!
Believe it or not, there wasn't a single cast member who was under 25 (we thought Jennifer was way younger), and it turns out that one of these actors made their big on-screen debut with this movie!
Curious to know more? Well, just wait until you find out the ages of these talented actors!
MUST SEE: See the Cast of 'Dirty Dancing' Then and Now!
Click through the gallery to see how old the cast was when they were on Dirty Dancing!
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Vestron Pictures
CommentJennifer Grey
The actress was actually 27 years old when she portrayed 17-year-old Frances "Baby" Houseman. Jennifer now plays Judy Myers in the Amazon Studios comedy, Red Oaks.
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Vestron Pictures
CommentPatrick Swayze
The smooth and suave Johnny Castle was supposed to be 25 years old, but like Jennifer Grey, Patrick was almost ten years older (34) than the character he played. Unfortunately, the actor passed away in 2009 after suffering from pancreatic cancer.
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Vestron Pictures
CommentJane Brucker
Her character was meant to be just a few years older than Baby, but Jane was actually 29 when she starred as Baby's older sister, Lisa Houseman. She's now married to a photographer and has two daughters.
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Vestron Pictures
CommentKelly Bishop
The actress was 43 when she took on the role of Baby's mom, Marjorie Houseman. She's best known for her role as Emily Gilmore in Gilmore Girls and she recently starred in the show's revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.
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Vestron Pictures
CommentCynthia Rhodes
She was 31 when she played Penny Johnson.
No one knows the exact age of her character, but since she played Johnny's dance partner, it's assumed that Penny was also supposed to be 25.
Cynthia married singer Richard Marx in 1989 and they have three sons together. However after 25 years together, the two divorced and she retired from acting so she could raise her children.
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Vestron Pictures
CommentJerry Orbach
When he played Dr. Jake Houseman, he was 52 years old. He sadly passed away at the age of 69 due to prostate cancer.
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Vestron Pictures
CommentWayne Knight
The actor was 32 when he played Stan. He's best known for his character Newman in the sitcom Seinfeld, but as of now, he's focusing on voice acting.
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Vestron Pictures
CommentJack Weston
Jack was 63 when he portrayed Max Kellerman in Dirty Dancing. He was married and he had a stepdaughter, but at the age of 71 he sadly died of lymphoma.
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Vestron Pictures
CommentNeal Jones
He was just 27 when he played Billy Kostecki, and believe it or not, this was his first ever on-screen role! He's now married and is a father.
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Vestron Pictures
CommentMiranda Garrison
The actress was 37 when she played the younger character, Vivian Pressman. She was also an assistant choreographer on the film.
She became a judge for the British reality competition series Dirty Dancing: The Time of Your Life in 2007 and 2008.
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Vestron Pictures
CommentLonny Price
Lonny was 29 years old when he played Neil Kellerman. He currently directs films and his most recent project, Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened, was released in 2016.
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Getty Images
CommentHow Old Baby & Johnny Are In Dirty Dancing
By Quinn Hough
Updated
Dirty Dancing features an iconic pairing in Patrick Swayze's Johnny and Jennifer Grey's Baby, but their characters are far from the same age.
Dirty Dancing features an iconic pairing in Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, but how old is Jennifer Grey, how big is their age gap, and does it make the movie problematic? Dirty Dancing is somewhat autobiographical for screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein, as it's based on her own teenage experiences.
This fact only brings the question of Baby and Johnny's age difference further into the light. While the movie doesn't explicitly state the two protagonists' ages, there's enough evidence to suggest that the years between them borders on creepy.
Johnny and Baby's ages in Dirty Dancing (of which Patrick Swayze hates the best line) come into question simply by looking at Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray. The two don't even look like they're in the same age group, and the movie takes no strides to explain any part of it. While this could be a product of the time it was made, Dirty Dancing might not hold up well under today's magnifying glass in terms of its more problematic areas. So, how old is Jennifer Grey? Here's exactly how old Baby and Johnny are in Dirty Dancing, and whether their age is far too wide.
Related: All HBO Max Original Shows & Movies Releasing In 2022
How Old Are Baby And Johnny
How old is Jennifer Grey? Well, clues in Dirty Dancing place Johnny's age at 25 years old and Baby’s age at 17.
At the beginning of Dirty Dancing on HBO, Baby's narration references the "summer of '63." Early dialogue reveals that she's planning to attend Mount Holyoke (an all-female private college in Massachusetts) to study the economics of underdeveloped countries. In the politically charged Dirty Dancing, Baby also states that she plans to join the Peace Corps shortly before laying eyes on Johnny for the first time. Some reports have suggested that Baby is supposed to be 18 or even 19 years old. However, based on iMDB's trivia notes and a 2017 interview with Grey (via Closer Weekly), it seems that Baby was presumably born in 1946 and is supposed to be 17 years old. The character doesn't actually reveal her age in Dirty Dancing, nor does Johnny ask on-camera. If Baby is indeed a minor, that would explain her father's confrontational attitude toward Mr. Castle throughout most of the film.
In Dirty Dancing, Johnny's 1938 birthdate makes him 25 years old.
The character initially questions why Baby gained access to a private dancing area, but then invites her to boogie and subsequently teaches her some moves. Johnny and Baby/Frances slowly become friends while dealing with Penny's medical procedures (Jake Houseman provides the appropriate assistance), and they eventually become romantic partners. Dirty Dancing on HBO never addresses the eight-year age difference between the two characters, which makes the film somewhat controversial – both then and now – because Baby is indeed a minor. In 1963 America, though, it wasn't uncommon for men and women to commit at a young age. The focal Dirty Dancing relationship may not be appropriate, but the age gap isn't enough to make Baby's father concerned during the climactic performance. In fact, Jake Houseman essentially apologizes to Johnny.
How Old Were Patrick Swayze And Jennifer Grey During Dirty Dancing?
The late Swayze was approximately seven years older than Grey in real life.
When Dirty Dancing premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1987, Roadhouse star Patrick Swayze was 34 years old and was best known for portraying Darrel "Darry" Curtis in The Outsiders and Jed Eckert in Red Dawn. As for Grey, she had just turned 27 and had previously portrayed Jeanie Bueller in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. She also appeared alongside Swayze in Red Dawn as Toni Mason. In 2010, Grey won Dancing with the Stars season 11, just over a year after her Dirty Dancing co-star, Swayze, passed away at age 57 from pancreatic cancer.
Johnny And Baby’s Age Gap In Dirty Dancing Is Questionable At Best
Johnny and Baby's ages in Dirty Dancing are certainly problematic. And worse still, if she was 17 years old, and he was 25, then New York state law would deem nothing wrong with their relationship. This is a problem, as the age gap is discomforting to think about, technically legal, and would definitely raise concerned discussions were a movie to feature it today.
Despite this, age gaps like in Patrick Swayze's Dirty Dancing are unfortunately too common. Movies like Licorice Pizza can get away with extensive lovers' age differences, and people seem to be forgiving of its inclusion. After all, Dirty Dancing is still a beloved and critically acclaimed movie when it comes down to it. The film is so prolific that it got a (pretty terrible) TV remake in 2017. Dirty Dancing remains popular, but when put up to today's standards, the age gap between Johnny and Baby wouldn't fly unquestioned were a script to include it today.
Related: Why Road House Is Patrick Swayze's Most Misunderstood Movie
Dirty Dancing's Problematic Age Gap Isn't Alone
While the age gap in Dirty Dancing is certainly creepy, it's not the only movie to feature a problematic age gap between the two leads. Whether it's the ages of the actors themselves or the characters they play, Hollywood has pumped out plenty of iconic films that showcase uncomfortable age differences between romantic partners.
Take, for example, any Woody Allen film. The romance between Colin Firth and Emma Stone in Allen's 2014 rom-com Magic in the Moonlight is a more modern example. The age gap between the two actors is 28 years, with Firth being 53 at the time and Stone being 25. While legal, the knowledge Firth was 28 when Stone was born made many viewers uncomfortable.
A more overt example of narrative enabling uncomfortable, and also illegal, age gaps is 90s classic American Beauty. American Beauty shows a 42-year-old Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey, then 39) falling in love with his teenage daughter's 16-year-old friend Angela (Mena Suvari, then 19). The 1980 Martin Scorsese drama Raging Bull shows an adult Robert de Niro fall for a 15-year-old character played by a 17-year-old actress. Finally, Entrapment, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery, showed sparks fly between the two characters, but did nothing to explain Sean Connery and Zeta-Jones' nearly 40-year age gap.
The age difference in Dirty Dancing may be problematic, but it doesn't exist in a vacuum. In the end, the movie isn't alone in its depiction, and it's far from the worst offender.
Next: What Happened To Dirty Dancing's Jennifer Grey
Patrick Swayze, Actor: photo, biography, filmography, news
American actor, three-time nominee for Golden Globe . Dancer, singer and songwriter. Patrick Swayze is best known for Dirty Dancing (Dirty Dancing, 1987), Ghost (Ghost, 1990) and Point Break (Point Break, 1991).
In 1991 he was named "Sexiest Man of the Year" by People .”
On September 14, 2009, Patrick Swayze died of pancreatic cancer.
Biography of Patrick Swayze / Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze was born on August 18, 1952 in Houston, Texas. The mother of the future actor was a very famous choreographer in America, the owner of her own ballet school.
No wonder that Patrick Swayze started dancing and music professionally from an early age. As a result, he graduated from two ballet schools at once: school " Harkness " and " Joffrey " school. In addition to dancing, Patrick Swayze has been involved in martial arts since childhood.
Patrick Swayze managed to become a very successful dancer, took part in the Broadway musical " Brilliantine " and even performed on the same stage with the great Mikhail Baryshnikov , but in 1978 he was forced to abandon the dream of a serious ballet career due to a number of serious injuries. For a long time he was tormented by a kneecap that had long been damaged during a school match, and after a difficult operation, Patrick Swayze was no longer able to return to the stage.
Swayze was very depressed, because, being a born dancer, he actually could not do anything else. His mother came to the rescue, reminding him that as a boy he had quite successfully played small roles in TV shows.
Patrick Swayze began taking acting lessons and made his debut in Skatetown in 1979.
Acting career Patrick Swayze / Patrick Swayze
In the early 80's, Patrick Swayze began to appear on the screen. At first there were small roles in not very successful films and TV shows, but after a while he got lucky. At 1985 Patrick Swayze got the lead role in the 12-episode project " North and South ". He played the young southerner Orry Maine, the only son of a slave planter. In 1986, the second part of the series was released, where Patrick Swayze again returned to this role.
Real success came to the actor in 1987, after the release of the film " Dirty Dancing ". Patrick Swayze, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for this work, immediately became one of the most popular actors in Hollywood, with crowds of fans and many awards at film festivals.
In 1990, he starred in the drama " Ghost " along with Demi Moore .
The picture became one of the most successful in the career of Patrick Swayze and brought him a second Golden Globe nomination. He later starred in the films Riding the Waves , to Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar ", " Donnie Draco ", " Last Dance " and many more.
Personal life of Patrick Swayze
The actor's only love was his wife Lisa Niemi . They met at a ballet school when Patrick Swayze was 18, and Lisa was only 15. After 3 years, the lovers got married, and after graduating from the ballet school, they went to conquer New York together, where they successfully performed in the Broadway musical "Brilliantine". Lisa always supported her husband, helped him cope with addiction to alcohol. They lived together for over 30 years, until the death of the actor in 2009. Patrick Swayze and his wife Lisa have no children.
Illness and death of Patrick Swayze
March 5, 2008 Patrick Swayze's doctor officially announced that the actor was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer - one of the most aggressive and difficult to treat types of cancer.
Despite the disease, he decided not to change his usual way of life - he continued to work, appeared in public and did not even give up smoking. Doctors believed that Patrick Swayze would live no more than six months, but the actor continued to fight the disease for more than a year and a half and hoped to win until the last.
September 14, 2009 Patrick Swayze passed away. He died at the age of 57 surrounded by family.
Filmography of Patrick Swayze / Patrick Swayze
2009 The Beast / The Beast (TV series)
2008 Oxide / Powder Blue (video)
2007 Million for Christmas / Christmas in Wonderland
2007 Jump / Jump!
2005 Be quiet in a rag / Keeping Mum
2005 Icon / Icon
2004 Retrosexual: 80s / Retrosexual: The 80's (mini-series)
2004 King Solomon's Mines
2004 Dragon Ring / George and the Dragon
2004 Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights / Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
2003 - 2004 Whoopi / Whoopi (TV series)
2003 11:14
2003 Last dance / One Last Dance
2001 Waking Up in Reno
2001 Green Dragon / Green Dragon
2001 Donnie Darko / Donnie Darko
2000 Fellow travelers / Forever Lulu
1998 Letters from a Killer
1998 Black Dog / Black Dog
1995 Three Wishes / Three Wishes
1995 Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar / To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar
1995 Legends of the Wild West / Tall Tale
1993 Desperate dad / Father Hood
1992 City of Joy
1991 On the crest of a wave / Point Break
1990 Ghost / Ghost
1989 Next of Kin
1989Roadhouse / Road House
1988 Warsow, nicknamed the Tiger / Tiger Warsaw
1987 Steel dawn / Steel Dawn
1987 Dirty Dancing
1986 North and South 2 / North and South, Book II (mini-series)
1986 Youngblood
1985 North and South / North and South (mini-series)
1985 - 1987 Amazing Stories / Amazing Stories (TV series)
1984 Red Dawn / Red Dawn
1984 Grandview, USA / Grandview, U.
S.A.
1984 Pigs vs. Freaks Freaks
1983 Uncommon Valor
1983 The Outsiders
1983 The Renegades / The Renegades (TV series)
1982 Renegades / The Renegades
1981 Return of the Rebels / Return of the Rebels
1980 The Prodigal Son / The Comeback Kid
1979 Skatetown, USA / Skatetown, U.S.A.
1972 - 1983 Devil's Service at Mash Hospital / M * A * S * H (TV series)
Patrick Swayze - photo, biography, personal life, cause of death, films
Biography
Patrick Swayze is an American actor and dancer who became famous for his leading roles in the cult Hollywood films Dirty Dancing and Ghost. These films still hold pride of place in the list of the best films to watch on Valentine's Day today. Thanks to his talent, attractive appearance and charisma, Patrick long held the palm as a sex symbol of the early 90s.
Childhood and youth
Patrick Wayne Swayze was born on August 1952 years in Texas, in the city of Houston.
At the time of his appearance, the daughter of Vicki Lynn was already growing up in the family. Later, younger brothers Don and Sean Kyle were born. Parents adopted the younger sister Bora. The ancestors of the Swayze family were the Irish, the British and even the Apaches.
Patrick's father Jesse Wayne Swayze worked as an engineer, and his mother was a famous choreographer in the USA. Over time, she established her own ballet school, where Patrick also studied. The boy was also fond of swimming and football. He repeatedly brought sports prizes and awards, while studying well. All these circumstances did not guarantee him good relations with peers.
Patrick Swayze was considered his mother's son and often offended. At first, the boy resorted to his mother in tears, but when he grew up, the woman realized that the problem needed to be solved radically. She took the child to a martial arts school, where after a while he received a black belt in kung fu. Now no one dared to offend young Swayze.
In addition to the black belt in one of the types of martial arts, Patrick had two completed ballet schools behind his back.
Patrick Swayze made his debut as a dancer in a Broadway musical called Brilliantine. He performed on the same stage with Mikhail Baryshnikov. His physical fitness, with a height of 178 cm and a weight of 75-80 kg, made it possible to perform complex tricks. Patella injury at 1978 put an end to the career of a dancer. This happened when Swayze reached notable heights in his career - he was the lead dancer of the troupe.
The operation made it impossible for him to return to ballet. Mother saved her son from depression. She reminded Patrick that he made his film debut as a child, playing a couple of small roles on TV shows. Returning to the set is a good option to realize ambitious intentions. After moving to Los Angeles, I had to start all over again. At first, the dancer took on any job. Patrick worked at a factory, in a shop as a salesman and even as a carpenter.
Funds were needed for acting classes and the maintenance of a young wife.
Movies
In a new place, the former dancer began to study acting. A cinematic biography of Patrick began in 1979. This year he appeared on the screen in an episode of the film "Skytown". This was followed by roles in the series "Renegades" and "MESH". The series "North and South" was successful for the novice actor.
Patrick Swayze (frame from the film "Outcasts")In the early 1980s, Swayze appeared in feature films. In 1983 - in "Outcasts", a year later - in the anti-Soviet film "Red Dawn". The tape "Young Blood" was also successful.
The film Dirty Dancing, released in 1987, brought international popularity to the actor. Patrick woke up famous. The tape immediately became a cult and collected $ 213 million at the box office. And Swayze felt that the work brings not only satisfaction, but also fame and a lot of money. For his work in Dirty Dancing, where he starred with Jennifer Grey, the actor received $ 200 thousand and a nomination for the Golden Globe Award.
Due to the small budget of the film, the director tried to shoot every scene in one take. Having injured his knee during the performance of the final dance, Patrick continued to dance with a nagging pain in the joint, so as not to let the choreographer down. The love scene in the water was also difficult for the leading actors. The actors had to be filmed in October, while the rest of the film crew wrapped themselves in outerwear.
After Dirty Dancing, offers from famous directors hit Patrick in huge numbers. Now he chose the scenarios of those projects in which he wanted to participate. Every year a new film was released, or even several films, where Swayze starred. At 19On the 87th, the film "Steel Dawn" was released, a year later - "Warsaw, nicknamed the Tiger." Then there were "Road House" and "Closest Relative".
Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore (frame from the film "Ghost") In 1990, Patrick played another star role, starring in the dramatic film "Ghost" along with the young Demi Moore.
For his work in this drama, the performer received a nomination for the Saturn Award. The director of the picture initially did not plan to shoot Swayze in the title role, it was supposed to involve Demi's wife, Bruce Willis. But the Die Hard star turned down the melodrama job, assuming the film wouldn't work.
Several candidates were considered for the role of Molly, including Nicole Kidman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kim Basinger and even Madonna. Interestingly, Whoopi Goldberg appeared in the film thanks to the request of Swayze, who was a longtime fan of the comedian. When choosing music for the soundtrack, the director chose the song Unchained Melody, which has been known since 1955. Her cover versions were performed by Elvis Presley, U2, Leanne Rimes and other musicians.
Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody In the early 1990s, Patrick starred in Hollywood projects Pleasure City and Desperate Dad.
Together with Keanu Reeves, he appeared in the film "Point Break". Patrick transforms into a free-living surfer who becomes the leader of a gang of robbers.
While participating in the filming of the film, Swayze, as in previous films, performed many stunt elements on his own, including parachuting. The end of the 90s was marked by the release of the brilliant hits of the film industry "Black Dog" and "Letters of a Killer".
Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves (still from the movie "Point Break")In his film work, Patrick, a professional dancer and black belt in kung fu, never used the services of understudies. Once such careless courage turned into disaster. Swayze fell off his horse while filming and broke both of his legs. The recovery was long, but perseverance brought success: Patrick was again able to walk on his own and even dance. It is interesting that the tragic incident and severe injuries gave birth to an insane passion for horses in the artist.
He soon started breeding them on his California ranch.
Later, Patrick Swayze took part in the horse racing competition, which took place in the desert of the United Arab Emirates. Moreover, the desperate American overcame the entire distance and was the only one of his compatriots who managed to get to the finish line.
In the early 2000s, Patrick starred in the sequel to "Dirty Dancing" - the film "Dirty Dancing - 2: Havana Nights." And although he played a cameo role, his fee was $ 5 million.
The last bright projects in Swayze's filmography were "King Solomon's Mines", "Keep Quiet" and the TV series "The Beast". During his film career, the performer was nominated three times for the Golden Globe.
Personal life
At the age of 18, Patrick fell in love with 15-year-old ballerina Lisa Niemi, with whom he studied at the ballet school. After 3 years, Patrick and Lisa got married. Together they went to New York, where they performed in a Broadway musical. Swayze's personal life was happy, though not easy.
The only thing that overshadowed her was the absence of children.
Lisa Niemi helped her husband overcome his alcohol addiction, which he developed at a young age. Often, the wife thought about a divorce - Patrick frightened her with his brawls, which he arranged during stormy parties. Thanks to the rehabilitation course, which his wife insisted on, Swayze managed to overcome the disease.
Later, after learning about his illness, his wife turned into a real guardian angel of Patrick. The couple lived in love and harmony for 34 years, until the death of the artist at the age of 57. The last time they lived at Swayze's favorite ranch in New Mexico, which was called "Happy Days".
Illness and death
In March 2008, with the permission of Patrick Swayze, his doctor informed him that the actor had cancer. This was done because of the numerous rumors spread by the yellow press, which turned out to be a lot of lies.
In addition, the photos of the actor, which were distributed by the paparazzi, frightened his fans.
At the beginning of the summer of the same year, Patrick reported that he was feeling better, the growth of the tumor in the pancreas had stopped. Swayze believed that the cyber-knife radiosurgery he was operated on at the Stanford University Center in California was effective in fighting cancer. In addition, he resorted to the methods of oriental medicine. During the treatment, the artist lost weight, as he was forced to sit on a liquid diet.
Embed from Getty ImagesPatrick Swayze's Star on the Walk of Fame on the Anniversary of's Death In late 2008, Swayze revealed plans to sit down to write his memoir next year. But in January 2009, the actor was hospitalized with pneumonia. In April, doctors reported the progression of oncology.
Patrick Swayze died in mid-September 2009. It was caused by numerous metastases in the liver. Part of the funds for the funeral of the actor was allocated by Mikhail Baryshnikov.
