When Cynthia Rhodes wasn’t “Staying Alive” on the dance floor with John Travolta, she was “Dirty Dancing” with Patrick Swayze.
Rhodes, who will turn 67 in November 2023, had a great career with famous dance movies from the 1980s. However, she chose to step away from the spotlight at the height of her fame.
Keep reading to find out why this talented actress, singer, and dancer retired so early!
Cynthia Rhodes was born in Nashville, Tennessee. She started her acting career with a small role in the 1980 musical fantasy film **Xanadu**, which starred the late Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly.
Her role as Tina Tech, a dancer in the 1983 film **Flashdance**, led to a bigger part later that year as John Travolta’s love interest in **Staying Alive**, the sequel to **Saturday Night Fever**, directed by Sylvester Stallone.
In 1987, she played her most famous role as Penny Johnson, a dance instructor at a resort hotel in **Dirty Dancing**.
In her role as Penny, Cynthia Rhodes shows off her amazing dance skills with graceful and flashy Mambo moves alongside the late Patrick Swayze. She also shares some very emotional and heartbreaking scenes with him.
Rhodes described her character Penny as having an “edge.” Penny both charmed and shocked viewers as she dealt with a difficult storyline involving a botched illegal abortion.
The film includes a socially relevant subplot about reproductive rights, with Rhodes at the center of it all. This helped position the three lead characters—Swayze as Johnny, Jennifer Grey as Baby, and Rhodes as Penny—for stardom.
“She’s from South Philly and she’s had a rough life,” Rhodes said about her character. “She’s got a sweetness about her, but it’s hidden because she’s been through a lot, and she has sort of put up a wall.” Rhodes added, “In the end, I think she finally realizes that life does go on.”
Life went on for Cynthia Rhodes, but not in the way her fans hoped.
After training for ten hours a day to prepare for her role as Penny, Rhodes found dancing to be “really hard.” She shared, “That’s why I keep saying I’m never going to dance again. I’m tired of dancing. My bones are hurting, and my back hurts all the time.” She added, “Every time I say, ‘That’s it, I don’t want to dance anymore,’ I get another film. I’m not going to turn down work! I feel very fortunate to be in films that involve dancing. But I just want a chance to do some dramatic work without dancing. Just give me a straight acting part.”
In the same year that *Dirty Dancing* was released, the 31-year-old Rhodes, who had many role options and admirers, appeared in the music video for “Don’t Mean Nothing” by Richard Marx. He is also known for the song “Right Here Waiting,” which was famously written for Rhodes in 1989.
In 1989, Rhodes married the Grammy Award-winning singer Richard Marx, and the couple welcomed their first child, Brandon, in 1990. They later had two more sons, Lucas in 1992 and Jesse in 1994.
According to Marx, Rhodes, who had previously trained for the Olympics, decided to retire in 1990 to focus on raising their children. He mentioned that this choice was also due to the “intense physical pain” her dance moves caused her.
“I thought, ‘This won’t last; she’s definitely going to want to come back to work and do films.’ But she found fulfillment in being a mom that completely overshadowed any desire she had to make movies,” Marx, now 59, explained. “Even if you’re her biggest fan, as good as you think she was as a dancer, singer, or actress, you should see her as a mom.”
Rhodes, who began dancing at just three years old, found that she was much happier being a mom and giving her body the rest it needed.
“The thing was, I used to never be sore. In fact, I was a gymnast. Now it’s frustrating… I never used to stretch, but now I have to stretch before I dance. I love to dance, but if I never did it again, I wouldn’t be sorry,” Rhodes said.
Since then, she hasn’t looked back. The last time she appeared on screen was in the 1991 film *Curse of the Crystal Eye.*
The former Hollywood starlet divorced Marx in 2014, and he married MTV’s first Latina host, Daisy Fuentes, the following year.
As for her sons, all three are following in the footsteps of their famous parents. Brandon is now a music producer and singer, while Lucas has made a name for himself as a singer and actor, appearing in TV series like *The Chicago Code*, *The Mob Doctor*, *Chicago P.D.*, and *Parenthood*. The youngest son, Jesse, has joined a metal band and is working on his own music.
Dancing requires a high level of athleticism, so while we miss seeing Cynthia Rhodes, we completely understand why she chose to leave Hollywood.
What are your favorite films featuring her?
A Man Reveals Dramatic Results of Eye Plastic Surgery and Facial Fillers Removal, Leaving People Stunned
In a bold move challenging societal beauty standards, a man has revealed the striking outcomes of his decision to undergo eye plastic surgery and remove facial fillers. The transformative journey, documented on social media, has captivated audiences, leaving them awestruck by the dramatic changes.
He wanted to look ’plastic.’
David Kosir, embarked on a relentless pursuit of his ideal aesthetic through cosmetic surgery, gaining notoriety for his extravagant transformation journey. Kosir’s fascination with plastic enhancement began in 2019 with the innocuous use of fillers, gradually escalating into a full-blown obsession. His journey saw him traversing the globe in pursuit of his ideal look, with each procedure contributing to the evolution of his appearance.
May 2021 marked a significant milestone as he underwent his first permanent procedure. Kosir’s aspirations for a «human, male Barbie doll look, like Ken» underscored his admiration for the «plastic, fake» aesthetic, which he deemed the pinnacle of beauty. His story serves as a compelling testament to the lengths individuals will go to achieve their desired image.
David Kosir spent a lot of money in beauty procedures.
David Kosir spared no expense in his pursuit of aesthetic enhancements, admitting to investing a substantial sum in various beauty procedures. Kosir allocated $100,000 to plastic surgery endeavors, including acquiring 14 milliliters of lip filler for $7,500, undergoing monthly freckle laser removal sessions costing $1,200, receiving 10 milliliters of cheek filler for $7,000, etc.
Additionally, Kosir underwent a nose job for $13,000, invested $33,000 in teeth veneers and crowns. Kosir attributed his continued inspiration to the influx of images portraying beautifully enhanced individuals on his social media platforms.
Kosir decided to remove all his facial filler.
Last year, David Kosir, widely recognized as @plasticbotchedboy online, made headlines uploading a video with the caption «removed all my facial filler.» This video, showcasing a dramatic before-and-after transformation, quickly went viral, amassing a staggering 22 million views.
Viewers were astounded by the visible difference, flooding the comments section with praise for the change. Comments such as «The best thing he could have done», «Looks so much better without, looked funky before,» and «you instantly look younger, so much more youthful!» flooded in, highlighting the overwhelmingly positive response to Kosir’s decision to reverse his cosmetic enhancements.
He additionally underwent further procedures.
Following the removal of his fillers, David Kosir embarked on a comprehensive series of cosmetic procedures, including cat eyes, cheek lift, lip lift, and facial fat transfer, among others. The initial aftermath of these surgeries presented a dramatically altered appearance, prompting widespread speculation and concern among viewers.
A viral video capturing his swollen post-operative face fueled skepticism about the outcome. However, as time passed, Kosir revealed the stunning results of his transformation, showcasing his healed and refined features. The remarkable change received an outpouring of praise from admirers, with comments like, «You know what, I didn’t trust the process at first….but now that you’re healed, you look gorgeous» flooding in.
Talking about major plastic surgery changes to one’s face might conjure images of subtle tweaks, but the story behind «I Spent $1MILLION on Plastic Surgery to Look Like a Barbie Doll» takes transformation to an entirely new level. This captivating article explores the incredible transformation of a person who invested a staggering amount to resemble the iconic Barbie doll.
Preview photo credit plasticbotchedboy / Tiktok, plasticbotchedboy / Tiktok, plasticbotchedboy / Tiktok
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