Dirty Dancing took the world by storm, and 30 years on it is still considered one of the biggest classics of all time. However, while we were mesmerized by the lift Patrick Swayze achieved when dancing with Jennifer Grey, the storyline could have taken an entirely different turn from the one we know and love.
Butting Against Each Other
Despite the chemistry that Jennifer Gray and Patrick Swayze displayed as Baby and Johnny, they didn’t really get along that well behind the scenes. Swayze once said, “We did have a few moments of friction when we were tired or after a long day of shooting. She seemed particularly emotional, sometimes bursting into tears if someone criticized her. Other times, she slipped into silly moods, forcing us to do scenes over and over again when she’d start laughing.”
Time To Prove Yourself
Patrick Swayze may have wanted Jennifer Grey to play Baby in the film, but she certainly had to prove herself for the part. Since she was ten years older than her character at the time, she was given just five minutes in her audition to show she could pull off acting younger than her years. It seems like five minutes was enough time to prove herself and land one of the most significant roles she would ever have in her career.
Val Kilmer As Johnny
Val Kilmer was actually offered the role of Johnny, but he decided to decline the offer. Having just starred in the hit film Top Gun, Kilmer had made a name for himself, and it is no surprise he was considered for the role. While the film did exceptionally well, and he may regret his decision, Kilmer says he originally turned down the part for fear of being type-cast as a hunk. Turns out he played the hunk role in Willow (1988), and it was a massive movie flop!
