Jennifer Grey
Biography
Jennifer Grey, born March 26, 1960 in New York City, is an American actress. She made her film debut in Reckless (1984) and gained early attention in Red Dawn (1984) and The Cotton Club (1984). Her breakthrough came with the teen comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). Grey achieved worldwide fame portraying Frances “Baby” Houseman in the romantic drama Dirty Dancing (1987), a performance that earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination. Subsequent feature films include Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989), Bounce (2000), Redbelt (2008), The Wind Rises (2013), In Your Eyes (2014), Bittersweet Symphony (2019) and A Real Pain (2024). Early television work features the made‑for‑TV movies Murder in Mississippi (1990) and Criminal Justice.
Career overview
Jennifer Grey was born on March 26, 1960, in New York City, New York, United States. She began her screen career with her acting debut in the 1984 film Reckless. The same year she appeared in the war drama Red Dawn and the musical drama The Cotton Club, establishing herself as a working actress in the mid‑1980s. Grey’s first major public recognition came with her supporting role in the teen comedy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). The following year she achieved worldwide fame portraying Frances “Baby” Houseman in the romantic drama Dirty Dancing (1987), a performance that earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe Award.
After the success of Dirty Dancing, Grey continued to work in both film and television. Her subsequent feature credits include Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989), the romantic drama Bounce (2000), the martial‑arts drama Redbelt (2008), the animated feature The Wind Rises (2013), the science‑fiction romance In Your Eyes (2014), the drama Bittersweet Symphony (2019), and the 2024 release A Real Pain. In television, Grey’s early work comprised made‑for‑TV movies such as Murder in Mississippi (1990) and an appearance in the series Criminal Justice. Throughout her career, she has amassed more than seventy credited roles across film and television.
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Career timeline
Full filmography
- Wish You Were Here (2025) as Mom
- A Real Pain (2024) as Marcia
- Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match (2023) as Jennifer Grey / Sareena (voice)
- Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation (2023) as Gwen Shamblin
- Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation (2023) Executive Producer
- Stars in the House (2020) as Self - Special Guest
- Reunited Apart (2020) as Self
- Tamron Hall (2019) as Self - Guest
- Dollface (2019) as Sharon
- The Movies That Made Us (2019) as Self (archive footage)
- I Am Patrick Swayze (2019) as Self
- Untogether (2019) as Josie
- Bittersweet Symphony (2019) as Eleanor Roberts
- The Conners (2018) as Janelle
- Duck Duck Goose (2018) as Edna (voice)
- Lip Sync Battle (2015) as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014) as Self
- Red Oaks (2014) as Judy
- In Your Eyes (2014) as Diane
- Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen (2012) as (archive footage)
- The Bling Ring (2011) as Iris Garvey
- Inside Story: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (2011) as Self
- Who Do You Think You Are? (2010) as Self
- Redbelt (2008) as Lucy Weiss
- Keith (2008) as Caroline
- Phineas and Ferb (2007) as Additional Voices (voice)
- Phineas and Ferb (2007) as Mrs. Pierpoint (voice)
- Phineas and Ferb (2007) as Dr. Gevaarlijk (voice)
- John from Cincinnati (2007) as Daphne, Meyer's Fiancée
- The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006) as Tracey
- The Road to Christmas (2006) as Claire Jameson
- Who Is Ferris Bueller? (2006) as Self
- The Making of Ferris Bueller's Day Off: Production Stories (2006) as Self
- Grey's Anatomy (2005) as Carol Dickinson
- American Dad! (2005) as Baby Houseman (voice)
- American Dad! (2005) as Diane (voice)
- Dancing with the Stars (2005) as Self - Contestant
- House (2004) as Abbey
- Ritual (2002) as Dr. Alice Dodgson
- Bounce (2000) as Janice Guerrero
- It's Like, You Know... (1999) as Jennifer Grey
- Since You've Been Gone (1998) as Patty Reed
- Outrage (1998) as Sally Casey
- The View (1997) as Self - Guest
- Red Meat (1997) as Candice
- Portraits of a Killer (1996) as Elaine Taylor
- Lover's Knot (1996) as Megan Forrester
- The West Side Waltz (1995) as Robin Ouiseau
- Friends (1994) as Mindy
- Fallen Angels (1993) as Ginger Allen
- A Case for Murder (1993) as Kate Weldon
- Wind (1992) as Kate Bass
- Eyes of a Witness (1991) as Christine Baxter
- If the Shoe Fits (1990) as Kelly Carter / Prudence
- Murder in Mississippi (1990) as Rita Schwerner
- Criminal Justice (1990) as Liz Carter
- Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989) as Lovey Lou
- Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre (1989) as Self (voice)
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark (1988) as Self - Guest
- Dirty Dancing (1987) as Frances "Baby" Houseman
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) as Jeanie Bueller
- The Equalizer (1985) as Valerie Jacobs
- American Flyers (1985) as Leslie
- Cindy Eller: A Modern Fairy Tale (1985) as Laura Eller
- Red Dawn (1984) as Toni
- The Cotton Club (1984) as Patsy Dwyer
- Reckless (1984) as Cathy Bennario
- American Playhouse (1982) as Louise / 'Lovey Lou'
- Fashion (1979)
- ABC Afterschool Special (1972) as Carol Schwartz
- ABC Afterschool Special (1972) as Laura Eller
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Presenter
- Soapbox
- Untitled Dirty Dancing Sequel as Frances 'Baby' Houseman
- Untitled Dirty Dancing Sequel Executive Producer
- Grief Night Club as Dr. J (voice)