Jennifer Grey’s Best Movies — From ‘Ferris Bueller’ to ‘Dirty Dancing’
She's more than just 'Baby'
We know and love her as “Baby,” but when it comes to Jennifer Grey movies, the list of classics goes far beyond Dirty Dancing. Born in 1960 to Oscar-winning actor Joel Grey and actress Jo Wilder, there was no doubt that the 64-year-old-actress was destined for the screen.
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Her screen debut came in an advertisement for Dr. Pepper, and was followed by an appearance in the film Reckless (1984), followed by Red Dawn (1984), in which she starred alongside her future Dirty Dancing co-star, the late Patrick Swayze.
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She became a familiar face when she appeared in the 1986 John Hughes classic, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but it was her lead role in Dirty Dancing that made her an icon.
Here, take a look at the top 10 Jennifer Grey movies of her career — Where do your favorites fall on the list?
Jennifer Grey movies list
10. If the Shoe Fits (1990)
This Cinderella re-telling stars two of the eighties most famous faces: Jennifer Grey and Rob Lowe.
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Jennifer Grey stars as an aspiring shoe designer in Paris who meets famed designer Francesco Salvitore (Rob Lowe). When she fumbles the opportunity the grab his attention, she gets help in a surprising form: that of a fairy godmother.
With a magic pair of shoes to aid in her efforts, she just might catch Francesco’s eye — and not just his eye for fashion.
9. Bounce (2000)
When Buddy (Ben Affleck) swaps his plane ticket with a fellow traveler, he is distraught when he learns the plane crashed and the man was ultimately killed.
Buddy seeks out the man’s widow (Gwyneth Paltrow) after dealing with extreme guilt over the situation, hoping to help her out. What he doesn’t expect is to fall in love with her.
Jennifer Grey plays Janice, Buddy’s friend who works for the airline that allowed the two men to swap tickets.
8. Portraits of Innocence (1996)
In this TV movie, Jennifer Grey stars as an attorney representing her client, a photographer who has been accused of killing several women.
However, the client-attorney line starts to blur as she starts to fall for him in the midst of her defense.
7. Keith (2008)
A high school student named Natalie is focused heavily on her studies, is an accomplished tennis player and has concrete plans for her future.
When she’s paired with a boy named Keith in chemistry class, she is surprised by his easy-going approach and view on life.
As the two spend more time together, she learns more about the mysterious and care-free student — but soon discovers he’s hiding a secret. Although acting in only a supporting role, the film still makes the Jennifer Grey best movies list.
6. A Case for Murder (1993)
When a partner at his firm is murdered, a lawyer named Jack is hired to defend the man’s wife, who was charged for the crime.
Kate (Jennifer Grey) is the new lawyer helping him out with the case, but as time goes on, they learn there may be more to the case — and Kate questions Jack’s role in it all. Another television movie, Jennifer Grey shines in this gripping film.
5. Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989)
Jennifer Grey stars in this 1989 movie alongside faces like Madonna and Matt Dillon, that follows four separate stories that take place on New Year’s Eve of 1928.
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4. Wind (1992) Jennifer Grey movies list
Matthew Modine and Jennifer Grey star alongside one another in the 1992 film Wind, in which Modine plays a young yacht sailor who partakes in the America’s Cup yachting race against Australia.
Grey plays Modine’s love interest, Kate, in this romantic sports drama.
3. Red Dawn (1984) Jennifer Grey movies list
In her first film alongside heartthrob Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey plays the role of Toni.
When Soviet forces attack a Colorado town, a group of teenagers flee to the mountains to escape the terror that’s come upon them. It isn’t long before they find themselves fighting back against these looming threats.
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Ironically, Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze did not hit it off when they worked together on this film — so much so that she was hesitant to work opposite him in Dirty Dancing. However, Swayze luckily convinced her otherwise.
“Patrick was playing pranks on me and everybody,” she said on a 2022 appearance on The View. “It was just, like, macho, and I just couldn’t take it. I was just like, ‘Please, this guy, that’s enough with him.'”
During this screen test, however, he offered a heartfelt apology.
“He pulled me down the hall and said to me, ‘I love you, I love you, and I’m so sorry. And I know you don’t want me to do the movie.'”
Although she didn’t buy it at first, she soon realized he was the one for the part, saying there was “no competition.”
2. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) Jennifer Grey movies list
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off takes us through one of the most iconic instances of cutting class in all of history. Alongside his pals Cameron and Sloane, Ferris is committed to having the best skip day possible, despite the powers that be doing everything they can to catch him in a lie.
Jennifer Grey stars as Ferris’ sister Jeanie.
1. Dirty Dancing (1986) Jennifer Grey movies list
It’s no question what Jennifer Grey’s most iconic movie role is: Dirty Dancing takes the cake each and every time.
Frances “Baby” Houseman joins her affluent family for a summer vacation at a Catskills resort before heading off to college in the fall.
What seems like a boring family trip soon turns into the summer of a lifetime when she meets Johnny, the hunky, older dance instructor working at the resort. When he enlists her help to act as his dance partner, the two grow closer, and feelings start coming to the surface, despite coming from different worlds.
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