Though Jennifer Grey made her name in the romantic flick Dirty Dancing, her Tony-winning father, Joel Grey, professes to be stunned by her runaway success on TV’s Dancing with the Stars. “I am over the moon!” the actor told Broadway.com on opening night of A Life in the Theatre. Speaking just after his 50-year-old daughter performed a steamy Argentine tango with her 25-year-old pro partner, Derek Hough, Grey said, “I cannot believe what she’s able to do up there. I don’t know where that came from!”
The actor is being too modest, of course, since he is well known for his smooth moves in musicals ranging from Cabaret and George M! to the hit revival of Chicago, in which he created the role of jilted husband Amos Hart. Speaking of which…what about Jennifer making her Broadway debut in the show that’s become a second home to Dancing with the Stars vets? “Somebody said that,” Grey admitted. But if she played Roxie, he couldn’t re-enter the show as her husband. “No, no,” Grey said with a laugh. “Maybe she’ll play Velma Kelly, not Roxie,” he mused. “You know what I mean?” We sure do!
Finally, the inevitable question: Would Grey consider following in Florence Henderson’s footsteps as a senior contestant on Dancing with the Stars? “Never!” he cried. “Never! Wild horses couldn’t drag me.” He's busy right now, in any case, prepping to direct a starry benefit reading of The Normal Heart on October 18.
See Jennifer Grey in action on Dancing with the Stars below!