Too Pretty
Most people use makeup to make themselves prettier, not less attractive. However, that was what happened to Cynthia Rhodes who played the role of Penny, Johnny’s dance partner in Dirty Dancing. They said Rhodes was too pretty on camera! Rhode’s character was supposed to look anguished, so the makeup team had their work cut out for them in making her less attractive. It must have been an amazing compliment to Rhodes as not everyone is fond of makeup. How many people in the world can actually claim that they’re too beautiful on screen?
Too Pretty
Johnny Was Also Inspired By A Real Person
Apparently, Baby is not the only Dirty Dancing character who was based on a real person. Johnny, as it turns out, is also based on someone that Eleanor Bergstein knew in real life. His real name is Michael Terrace and he was a dancer who came from Brooklyn. The film was heavily influenced by Bergstein’s personal life so much so, the choreographer as well as the director even suggested that she recruit some of her former dances partners for the movie. She remembers saying, “‘My old partners are either in jail or out on parole.’” She further explained that, “It was a very rough neighborhood.”
Johnny Was Also Inspired By A Real Person