Patrick Swayze

Patrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, singer-songwriter, and dancer whose screen work joined romance, toughness, and comedy in some of the most widely remembered films of the 1980s and 1990s. Born on August 18, 1952, in Houston, Texas, he came of age in a family where movement and performance were close at hand. His mother, Patsy Swayze, was a dancer, choreographer, and dance instructor, while his father, Jesse Wayne Swayze, worked as an engineering draftsman. Swayze grew up in the Oak Forest neighborhood of Houston and studied at local schools before graduating from Waltrip High School and San Jacinto College Central.

Before film made him famous, Swayze built himself through a mix of discipline and physical skill. He studied ice skating, classical ballet, and acting in school plays, and he played football in high school until a knee injury ended his hope of a college football scholarship. He also practiced Wushu, Taekwondo, and Aikido, using martial arts to channel what he described as his “self-deprecating rage.” At 20, he moved to New York City to complete formal dance training at the Harkness Ballet and Joffrey Ballet schools. That background gave his later performances a rare combination: he could move like a dancer, fight like an action lead, and carry a romantic scene without losing his edge.

Swayze’s first professional appearance was as a dancer in Disney on Parade, followed by the role of Danny Zuko in a replacement cast of the Broadway production of Grease. He made his film debut in Skatetown, U.S.A. in 1979 and appeared on television in roles including the M*A*S*H episode “Blood Brothers.” Wider recognition came with Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders in 1983, where he played Darrel “Darry” Curtis as part of a young ensemble cast. He followed with Red Dawn in 1984 and the Civil War miniseries North and South from 1985 to 1986.

His breakthrough arrived with Dirty Dancing in 1987. As resort dance instructor Johnny Castle opposite Jennifer Grey, Swayze used his acting, dance training, and musical ability in one role. He also co-wrote and recorded “She’s Like the Wind” with Stacy Widelitz for the film’s soundtrack, and the song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The film became a surprise international success, sold one million copies on video, and earned Swayze a Golden Globe nomination. He then moved easily into action and romance, starring in Road House in 1989, Ghost in 1990, and Point Break in 1991. Ghost became the highest-grossing film of 1990, and Swayze received another Golden Globe nomination for it.

In 1995, he earned a third Golden Globe nomination for To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, and in 2001 he had a major role in the cult thriller Donnie Darko. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997 and was named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in 1991. Swayze died of pancreatic cancer on September 14, 2009, at the age of 57. His words still fit the mix of grit and candor people saw in him, especially the sharp line, “The way to screw up somebody’s life is to give them what they want.” It sounds like Swayze at his best: direct, unsentimental, and alert to the cost of easy answers.