Patrick Swayze (Houston, Texas, USA, August 18, 1952 - Los Angeles, California, USA, September 14, 2009)

American actor Patrick Wayne Swayze, probably most famous for his role as Johnny, the dance instructor in Dirty Dancing (1987), was a talented athlete from his childhood days who learned dancing from his mother Patsy, a choreographer and the owner of a dance studio. In high school, Patrick played soccer and was a gymnast. He got a sports scholarship for college and in 1972 moved to New York to study ballet at Harkness and Joffrey. He had his first professional dance appearances in the Disney on Parade shows. When an old knee injury threatened to stop his dancing career forever, he decided to attend acting classes. He soon starred as Danny in a Broadway production of Grease. His feature film debut was in the film Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979), and then a small role in the TV series M*A*S*H (1981). Then he played in several TV films and Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders (1983). He is well known to domestic audiences for his role in the TV series North and South (1985-1986). However, his career really took off in 1987 when he starred in Dirty Dancing and later in 1990 in Ghost (1990). He also made films such as Steel Dawn (1987), Tiger Warsaw (1988), Road House (1989), Next of Kin (1989). After the surfer film Point Break (1991) and his excellent role in it, he appeared in less known films such as drama City of Joy (1992), the comedy Father Hood (1993) and the western Tall Tale (1995). His role in the comedy To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995) brought him another nomination for a Golden Globe (he was previously nominated for Dirty Dancing and Ghost). After leading roles in the drama Three Wishes (1995), action drama Black Dog (1998), thriller Letters from a Killer (1998), romantic comedy Forever Lulu (2000) and war drama Green Dragon (2001) he had a small but important role in Donnie Darko (2001). He also starred in the comedy Waking Up in Reno (2002) and One Last Dance (2003) in which he played opposite his wife, actress and choreographer Lisa Niemi. In Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004) he had a cameo role as a dance instructor in reference to the role in the original film that brought him fame. He starred in the TV adventure film King Solomon's Mines (2004), TV thriller Icon (2005), drama Jump! (2007) and a smaller role in the British comedy Keeping Mum (2005) and the family film Christmas in Wonderland (2007). He also starred in the theater, where he made his debut in Broadway’s West End in 2007 in the show Guys and Dolls. He also starred in Goodtime Charley (1975) and Chicago (2003) in Broadway. In the beginning of 2008, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but he continued to work. He had a small role in Powder Blue (2009) and a leading role in the TV show The Beast (2009). Nevertheless, his illness got the best of him on September 14, 2009.




Filmography:

Powder Blue (2009)

Christmas in Wonderland (2007)

Jump! (2007)

The Fox and the Hound 2 (2006) (V) (voiceover)

Keeping Mum (2005)

Icon (2005) (TV)

King Solomon's Mines (2004) (TV)

George and the Dragon (2004)

Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)

11:14 (2003)

One Last Dance (2003)

Waking Up in Reno (2002)

Donnie Darko (2001)

Green Dragon (2001)

Forever Lulu (2000)

Letters from a Killer (1998)

Black Dog (1998)

Three Wishes (1995)

To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)

Tall Tale (1995)

Father Hood (1993)

City of Joy (1992)

Point Break (1991)

Ghost (1990)

Next of Kin (1989)

Road House (1989)

Tiger Warsaw (1988)

Steel Dawn (1987)

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Youngblood (1986)

Red Dawn (1984)

Grandview, U.S.A. (1984)

Pigs vs. Freaks (1984) (TV)

Uncommon Valor (1983)

The Outsiders (1983)

The Renegades (1982) (TV)

Return of the Rebels (1981) (TV)

The Comeback Kid (1980) (TV)

Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979)