Dirty Dancing – Full Cast and Characters

Dirty Dancing is a romantic musical that was released in 1987. Dirty Dancing is an iconic dance movie that was in its own league among the other dance movies released at that time. Just like the name suggests is full of dance sequences and melodic music but it’s also more than that. Dirty Dancing is about a young girl’s coming-of-age story. This is a female eccentric movie that shows how a young girl grows up stronger with progressive difficult situations. She is a fighter and never expects things to be just handed down to her. She is not afraid to explore and try new experiences and falls in love with other dancers but is always in control of her desires and needs. In this article, let’s get to know more about the full cast of the Dirty Dancing movie in detail.

Dirty dancing is a fun, colorful, and inspiring movie. It inspires women to take the lead, get out of their comfort zone and discover their new selves. It depicts the need for growth and acceptance of their new selves. 

Star Cast of Dirty Dancing Movie:

Leading Cast of Dirty Dancing:

• Jennifer Grey as Baby
• Patrick Swayze as Jhonny
• Cynthia Rhodes as Penny
• Jerry Orbach as Jake Houseman

Supporting Cast of Dirty Dancing:

• Jane Brucker as Lisa
• Kelly Bishop as Majorie
• Lonny Price as Niel Kellerman
• Max Cantor as Robbie

Cast Details of Dirty Dancing:

1. Jennifer Grey as Baby

Jennifer Grey is an American Actress born on March 26, 1960, in New York, USA. She has starred in lots of movies throughout her career but she had her first break with the teen movie, Ferris Buller’s Day Off. She is a versatile actress starring in movies across genres. Jennifer plays the role of Baby, an intelligent, compassionate, and determined girl quite opposite of her name. In the movie, she is having a family vacation at Kellerman’s resort in the Catskills. She gets fascinated by a dancer named Jhonny and is quite eager to learn some dance herself too. After learning some dance moves, she is not the same baby anymore. She becomes more passionate and mature as the movie progresses.

2. Patrick Swayze as Jhonny

Patrick Swayze was an American actor, dancer, and singer born on, August 18, 1952, in Texas, USA. He was quite popular for his looks and played roles in genres like romance and comedy. He gained a lot of fame for his role as Johnny in the movie, Dirty Dancing. Jhonny is a professional dancer hired at the resort to entertain the guests. Due to his uneducated background, he is looked down upon by others. He is always on the edge around others and has his own assumptions about people of a higher class than him. He has a very strong spirit and is quite fearless in expressing his opinions. He is insecure and needs some love (that Baby gives him) as he is broken down every day by others’ judgment and comments.

3. Cynthia Rhodes as Penny

Cynthia Rhodes is an American actress, dancer, and singer who was born on November 21, 1956, in Tennessee, USA. She had a short professional career of only about two decades while starring in movies like Staying Alive, Runaway, and Dirty Dancing. In the movie, she plays the role of Penny, another killer dancer who works every day at the resort to make a living. She, just like Jhonny is broken after being abandoned by her mother at sixteen. She gets in trouble after getting pregnant and to save her livelihood has to make some hard decisions. Her anger towards Baby is a representation of her anger towards the privileged class. In the end, she mends her assumptions and helps Baby to learn dance.

4. Jerry Orbach as Jake Houseman

Jerry Orbach was an American actor and singer who was born on October 20, 1935, in New York, USA. He was a versatile actor who performed both in movies and broadway theatre, musicals, and television shows. He was a global celebrity and wildly popular throughout his career. Talking about the Dirty Dancing movie star cast, he plays the role of Jake Houseman who is a hard-working doctor and a loving father to Baby. He is quite liberal and open-minded. He is a proud father who is always looking out for his little girl. He gets angry when he gets to know about the relationship between Baby and Johnny. He is unhappy with Baby as she uses the money he lent her to use for Penny’s sake. As the movie progresses, he realizes that his little girl has grown up and in the end accepts her new self.