Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey hopes that singer and actor Harry Styles will be cast in the upcoming sequel. Grey starred in the original 1987 romantic drama alongside Patrick Swayze, Cynthia Rhodes, and Jerry Orbach. The actress portrayed the daughter of a wealthy doctor swept up in a world of romance and dance on a family vacation.
Released in August 1987. Dirty Dancing saw Grey's Frances "Baby" Houseman travel to a mountain resort with her wealthy family during the summer of 1963. Uninterested in the activities that the resort's schedule offer, Baby finds herself attending a secret staff party after assisting one of them, witnessing not only their passionate and intimate dancing but finding herself drawn to dance instructor Johnny Castle (Swayze). While the pair start on unfriendly terms, they come together to perform a crucial routine at a nearby resort, gradually falling for each other. Despite Grey's reluctance to work with Swayze again after a troublesome shoot on 1984's Red Dawn, the two leads came together and created a film where their chemistry was widely praised, leading to the film reaching iconic status. And with a sequel in the works, Grey has revealed one rising star whom she hopes to work with in the film.
As reported by Entertainment Weekly, Grey was asked during an interview on The Drew Barrymore Show who she would like to act alongside. The original Dirty Dancing star revealed that she hoped to work with Styles on the sequel, but jokingly referred to him as "Shmarry Smiles" in her response. While Barrymore didn't catch onto Grey's response at first, the actress gave the host further clues before she realized that Grey was referring to Styles, shouting the singer and actor's name to her audience's approving applause. Check out the exchange below.
"Drew Barrymore: Who do you think should be the next inappropriate match for Baby?
Jennifer Grey: What about Shmarry Shmiles?
Grey: Somebody who rhymes with Shmarry Shmiles.
Barrymore: HARRY STYLES! YES!"
The sequel recently found its director in May 2022 following a period of relative silence since the project was announced in August 2020. Produced by Lionsgate, Dirty Dancing 2 will be directed by Jonathan Levine, the director of the 2013 romantic zombie horror-comedy Warm Bodies, with news of Levine's hiring coming days after Grey offered insight on the creative process behind the sequel. Grey's involvement was confirmed in the film's 2020 announcement, with the star not only set to reprise her role of Baby, but also having a hand in developing the script. While Grey doesn't feel that they can replicate the exact success of the original film, she hopes that the sequel can provide a new generation with a story just as impactful.
Styles has quickly carved out his place in Hollywood while having a successful solo music career following his days in the boy band One Direction. The actor has already made a surprise appearance in the MCU in Chloé Zhao's Eternals, worked with Christopher Nolan in 2017's Dunkirk, and is currently set to star alongside Florence Pugh in Olivia Wilde's 2022 psychological thriller Don't Worry Darling. Styles' acting talent would not only make him a good choice for a role in the in-development Dirty Dancing sequel, but his already established fanbase can provide a strong audience for Grey's story for a new generation.
Source: Entertainment Weekly