Jennifer Grey admitted she turned down a role in ABC’s Dirty Dancing television remake, citing that it didn’t feel appropriate. The actress starred in the original 1987 flick alongside the late Patrick Swayze.
She revealed to The Hollywood Reporter: “I was asked to do something on that show and I was flattered because I always want to be asked because it’s nice to want to be included. But for me, it would be sacrosanct for me to do it because it didn’t feel appropriate to me. It feels like if you’re going to do your own thing, do your own thing. I wouldn’t say [what role was offered] but I will tell you, it wasn’t Baby!”
20-year-old Abigail Breslin will take the role of Baby in the new movie, and Grey says she looks forward to seeing how this new version turns out.
“I am always interested in any iteration of something where they feel there’s more to be gotten and I would love to see what it is that they come up with.
I think they’ve got wonderful actors in it. I’m going to be watching it and I’m excited. My only advice is to own it for yourself because we all just do our interpretation and I’m only flattered and excited for people who are excited enough to put their stamp on it and see what they make of it and how they make it their own,” Grey stated.
The actress also took the time to acknowledge her late co-star, who died in 2009 at the age of 57.
She added: “He was really strong and he was very protective and his heart was very much in it. He was a great dancer and he was fearless. His fearlessness with my fearfulness – like his lack of Jewishness and my super Jewishness – together was like a marriage where you have two opposites. He’d do anything and I’d be scared to do anything.”