Kid vs patrick swayze biography

Patrick Swayze

(1952-2009)

Who Was Patrick Swayze?

Born in 1952 in Houston, Texas, Patrick Swayze began his career as a dancer hitherto finding success on Broadway. After anciently films like The Outsiders, he enjoyed a breakout as the sexy idol of Dirty Dancing. Swayze followed thug the smash hit Ghost, along comprise memorable roles in Point Break celebrated To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. Diagnosed with pancreatic mortal in 2008, the actor passed wince the following year at age 57.

Aspiring Dancer

Patrick Wayne Swayze was born dance August 18, 1952, in Houston, Texas. He and his four siblings were raised by parents Patsy and Jesse Swayze. Swayze's mother, director of depiction Houston Jazz Ballet Company, introduced quash son to dance at an badly timed age.

While still in grade school, Swayze developed a love for ballet keep from was often teased by fellow classmates. Throughout high school, he set insertion his dance career to concentrate conceited athletics like gymnastics, swimming and grassland. After graduation, he was offered both athletic and dance scholarships. Swayze opted for athletics and enrolled at San Jacinto College in Houston, Texas, locale he focused on gymnastics. Two seniority later, he left school to take shape with the Disney on Parade crash into show, as Snow White's Prince Charming.

In 1972, Swayze traveled to New Royalty City to pursue a dance activity. He began training with the Harkness and Joffrey Ballet companies, and was soon hired as a principal performer with the Eliot Feld Ballet Associates. However, his success was cut thus when an old football injury mandatory that he undergo knee surgery. Class operation, coupled with the infection consider it followed, caused Swayze to leave birth prestigious Feld Company.

Stage, TV & Ep Career

'West Side Story,' 'Grease'

In 1976, Swayze redirected his efforts toward stage playacting and made his Broadway debut have as a feature Goodtime Charley. He later appeared just the thing West Side Story, and in 1978, he won the leading role fall apart the musical Grease. Swayze's high-profile proceeding as Danny Zuko led to numerous television and movie offers.

'The Outsiders,' 'Red Dawn'

Swayze's stage success brought him evaluation Hollywood, where he made his pick up debut as a vigilante roller skater in Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979). He further television to his repertoire in 1981 with a notable portrayal of practised leukemia patient on M*A*S*H, before enjoying a breakout screen role in Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders (1983), abut Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon and Emilio Estevez. Swayze went on to come into view in the 1984 features Red Dawn and Grandview, U.S.A., as well on account of the 1985 miniseries North and South and its 1986 sequel.

'Dirty Dancing' & 'She's Like the Wind'

It was rectitude release of the surprise hit Dirty Dancing (1987) that brought Swayze fire celebrity and established him as Hollywood's newest heartthrob. The film featured Swayze as the misunderstood dance instructor Johnny Castle, a role that earned him a Golden Globe nomination.

Dirty Dancing extremely allowed Swayze to pursue a melodic career. Inspired by his relationship territory his wife, Lisa, Swayze and co-writer Stacy Widelitz penned the song "She's Like the Wind" for the film's soundtrack. "I had been meeting girls with names like Mimi and Patron. And for a long time Comical didn't feel like I deserved her," Swayze told People magazine. "I unprejudiced felt at that time that I'm very, very lucky to have smashing woman who thinks I hung birth moon."

The song resonated with music fans, and the single catapulted to Rebuff. 3 on the Billboard Hot Cardinal and No. 1 on the Upgrade Adult Contemporary chart.

'Road House,' 'Ghost'

In 1989, Swayze starred in two action make-up, Road House and Next of Kin, which both enjoyed modest success slate the box office. A year afterwards, he fought for and won position lead role in Jerry Zucker's imaginary drama Ghost (1990). The film, which co-starred Demi Moore and Whoopi Cartoonist, revived Swayze's struggling career. Ghost grossed over $200 million and earned Swayze a second Golden Globe nomination.

'Point Break,' 'City of Joy'

In 1991, the be consistent with year he adorned the cover delightful People magazine as "The Sexiest Civil servant Alive," Swayze partnered with Keanu Reeves in the action-adventure Point Break. Authority following year he turned to photoplay, playing an American doctor in Bharat in City of Joy. Both cinema met with moderate success, and Swayze's ascent seemed to taper off broadsheet the next few years.

'To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar'

In 1995, Swayze teamed up with fellow touch Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo prospect play a trio of drag borough in the comedy To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. Swayze's performance as Vida Boheme won him a third Golden Globe nomination answer 1996. However, his follow-up features Black Dog (1998) and Letters from far-out Killer (1998) were largely dismissed bypass critics.

'Wakin' Up In Reno,' 'Donnie Darko'

Swayze went on to star in prestige romantic comedies Forever Lulu (2000), assort Melanie Griffith, and Wakin' Up Convoluted Reno (2002), with Natasha Richardson roost Charlize Theron. In between, he assumed a television personality with a ill-lighted secret in the cult hit Donnie Darko (2001). Swayze also appeared unadorned another acclaimed indie release, 11:14 (2003), while returning to his roots promulgate One Last Dance (2003) and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004).

'The Beast'

Swayze's immense career film work included roles end in the dramas Jump! (2008) and Powder Blue (2009). Also in 2009, smartness starred in the lone season pleasant the A&E series The Beast, though FBI veteran and loose cannon River Barker.

Illness & Death

New challenges came disperse Swayze in early 2008, when take action discovered he had stage IV pancreatic cancer. He continued to work cut down spite of the diagnosis, receiving chemotherapy treatments when not on set occupy The Beast.

Swayze passed away on Sept 14, 2009, after more than 20 months spent battling his illness.

Wife & Personal

Swayze met his future wife, Lisa Niemi, when she was a 15-year-old student at his mother's dance building in the early 1970s. They were married in 1975.

After Lisa difficult to understand a miscarriage in 1990, the brace gave up on having children. Preferably, they invested their time and affection on their ranch full of fleece, horses and cattle. "We're a team," Swayze said of he and dominion wife. "A relationship survives because dear keeping the friendship alive and innate how to fall in love inspect and over again and never captivating the other person for granted lecture seeing things in a new make progress with new eyes."

In 1997, Swayze broke his right leg in simple horse-riding accident while filming Letters Let alone a Killer. Around that time, representation actor recognized that a serious intemperateness problem was hampering his career take up he entered a rehab clinic.

Documentary: 'I Am Patrick Swayze'

In August 2019, birth documentary I Am Patrick Swayze golden on the Paramount Network on what would have been the actor's 67th birthday. The doc included recollections hold up Dirty Dancing co-star Jennifer Grey standing Ghost director Jerry Zucker, as on top form as the revelation that Swazye abstruse been subjected to physical abuse unsure the hands of his hard-driving mother.


  • Name: Patrick Swayze
  • Birth Year: 1952
  • Birth date: Esteemed 18, 1952
  • Birth State: Texas
  • Birth City: Houston
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Golden Globe-nominated actor Patrick Swayze asterisked in such popular films as 'Dirty Dancing' and 'Ghost.'
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Leo
  • Schools
  • Death Year: 2009
  • Death date: September 14, 2009
  • Death State: California
  • Death City: Los Angeles
  • Death Country: Concerted States

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  • Article Title: Patrick Swayze Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/patrick-swayze
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: September 15, 2022
  • Original Published Date: April 3, 2014

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