15 Things You Probably Didn't Know About 'Dirty Dancing'

If you can believe it, it's almost been 30 years since the widely popular film Dirty Dancing first entered our lives. That's right, 30 years have passed since Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey danced their way into our hearts and made all of us want to take up professional dancing. What? Just me? REGARDLESS, we all know that the film is among the most culturally recognized of it's genre, but how much do you know about what went on BEHIND the scenes? Get ready, here are 15 things you most likely didn't know about Dirty Dancing. 




SHAREif you still love Dirty Dancing. 

1. Patrick Swayze had to convince Jennifer Grey to be in it.

Apparently Jennifer Grey wasn't too fond of working with Swayze after they co-starred in Red Dawn together. 

2. The most iconic scene was an accident.

Remember that magical scene where Baby and Johnny crawl towards each other on the floor? As it turns out, the actors didn't even know they were being filmed. They were fooling around before the scene, but the director liked it so much it was put in the movie. 

3. The entire movie wasn't filmed in Virginia.

While most of it was filmed in Virginia, the famous lake scene was filmed in North Carolina during the autumn. The actors were so cold that their lips were actually blue!

4. Jennifer Grey landed the part in just five minutes.

Being 27 years of age when the film was being made, Grey was ten years older than her character. The filmmakers gave her just five minutes to prove to them that she could play a teenager. 

5. The trees in the woods were all spray painted.

Though the movie was meant to take place during the summer, it was filmed during the autumn. Therefore the filmmakers had to spray paint all of the trees green so that the autumn leaves didn't ruin the storyline. 

6. Patrick Swayze wrote and performed a song in the movie.

That's right, "She's Like The Wind" was all Swayze baby!

7. Swayze did all of his own stunts.

He insisted on doing them all. In fact, he fell so many times during the log scene that he had to have fluid drained from his knee. 

8. Sharon Stone wanted to play Baby.

Stone auditioned, but let's just say she never got a call back. 

9. The Johnny Castle character was originally supposed to be Italian.

The filmmakers re-wrote the character when they cast Patrick Swayze. 

10. Bill Medley didn't like the film's songs at first.

He's admitted throughout his career that he initially thought the songs sounded like they were from a bad porno. 

11. Cynthia Rhodes was the first person to be cast.

Not Baby, not Johnny, but PENNY was the first character to be filled. 

12. Apparently Billy Zane and Sarah Jessica Parker auditioned for the lead roles.

The filmmakers just didn't feel it was the right fit. 

13. The movie was re-released in the '90s because of Conan O'Brien.

The late night host started a bit asking his viewers to sign a petition for the film to be re-released. By 1997 so many people had sent letters that Conan's plan actually worked! O'Brien later admitted that he doesn't even like the film. 

14. The procedure that Penny needs is actually abortion.

When the film was released, abortion was still illegal in the USA. Therefore the procedure that Penny keeps referring to is a back alley abortion. 

15. The role of Johnny wasn't always Swayze's.

The filmmakers actually offered Val Kilmer the role, but after days of consideration he decided the film wasn't for him.

Still love Dirty Dancing? SHAREthis!