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Debra Messing Is ’So Giddy and Excited’ About the ‘Dirty Dancing’ Remake

Debra Messing
Debra Messing

It’s the time of her life! Debra Messing tells Us Weekly that she couldn’t be more excited about her role in ABC’s upcoming Dirty Dancing revival.

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Step one in remaking the hit 1987 film that starred Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey? Jumping in the recording booth!

“I sing in ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life’ and then I have a solo too. I’ll sing some of ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry,’” Messing, who plays Baby’s mom, Marjorie, tells Us. “I couldn’t believe it, I felt like I was in a parallel universe standing in a professional recording studio with one of those big microphones and the entire day, it was just me, singing! It was really heady. It was exciting — and scary! It was thrilling, I learned a lot!”

The next step starts this week – and it’s the most critical: dancing.

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“The choreographer, he choreographed the Broadway show Hamilton. And that is unbelievable, it’s revolutionary, really,” Messing, age 47, says. “And I just sat in watching them doing the opening scene of the kids dancing – dirty dancing – when Baby walks in for the first time and is like, ‘Whoa!’ with the watermelon, you know? And I just got so giddy and excited! The movement and the music is just so iconic. And I have to dance as well so he said, ‘OK, when we get down to North Carolina we’ll work on your dance.’ And I was like, ‘Oh my goodness!’”

Not only is Messing a huge fan of the original, she also has a personal connection to it.

Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in a scene from the film 'Dirty Dancing', 1987.
Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in a scene from the film ‘Dirty Dancing’, 1987.

“I remember seeing it with my mother and just really relating to Baby,” the Mysteries of Laura star says. “I knew I wanted to be an actress and I saw her and I said, ‘Oh, she’s sort of awkward! And she doesn’t really know what she’s doing and she’s interesting.’ I thought, ‘You know what? I could see myself cast in that role! She’s not a supermodel. She’s relatable.’ And because I saw that, I thought, ‘This dream of mine to be an actress? I’m going to stick with it because there’s actually roles out there that I can see myself cast in.’”

Messing admits that while she can’t wait to start shooting, she will have to take a Zyrtec in the morning so that she doesn’t have to think about her various allergies while filming.

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“I’m allergic to grass, flowers, pollen, mold, down … literally the list goes on and on,” she explains. “I’m SO excited — I’m dying — but it’s in North Carolina, that’s just like — grass.”

ABC’S three-hour Dirty Dancing remake also stars Abigail Breslin and Colt Prattes. An air date has not yet been announced.

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