Jump directly to the content

IF like us you've seen the movie Dirty Dancing a million times, you might think that you know everything there is to know about the film.

But we've dug deep into the show's history to bring you some fun facts about the iconic 1987 love story.

Dirty Dancing was released in 1987 and starred Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey
3
Dirty Dancing was released in 1987 and starred Patrick Swayze and Jennifer GreyCredit: Alamy

How old are Baby and Johnny in Dirty Dancing?

The movie is set in 1963, and Baby is 18, while Jonny is 24.

In real life Jennifer Grey was 26 when she was cast as Baby, a character that was intended to be fresh out of high school.

When Patrick Swayze was cast to play the role of Johnny in the film, he was 34.

He is a staggering ten years older than his character in the movie.

The film is an iconic love story between Jonny and Baby
3
The film is an iconic love story between Jonny and BabyCredit: Alamy

How much were Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze paid for Dirty Dancing?

The exact amount each actor was paid has never been revealed, but it won't have been as much as what they could command after the success of the movie.

When the film became a hit, studios wanted to cash in on a sequel immediately.

We do know that Patrick was offered £5M to return for the sequel as Johnny - which was a big money deal in the 80s.

Unfortunately, the late star wasn’t a fan of doing sequels and turned the offer down.

Jennifer and Patrick doing the famous 'lift' scene
3
Jennifer and Patrick doing the famous 'lift' sceneCredit: Alamy

Did Jennifer Grey do all of her own dancing in Dirty Dancing?

Jennifer DID do all the dancing herself, even the famous lift - however, she wasn't confident about doing it.

The movie was shot in just three months which didn't leave much rehearsal time.

Jennifer was scared of the lift and refused to practice beforehand.

When the time came to actually film the moment, her and Patrick nailed it in one take.

That was also the first and last time Jennifer has ever done the lift as she refuses to repeat the move even to this day.

What is Baby's real name?

Baby is just a nickname in the film.

The character's real name is Francis Houseman.

She is given the nickname by her father, as she is the "baby" of the family.

Topics