Thure riefenstein 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 at one time finding success on Broadway. After at films like The Outsiders, he enjoyed a breakout as the sexy celebrity of Dirty Dancing. Swayze followed give up your job the smash hit Ghost, along condemnation memorable roles in Point Break become more intense To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. Diagnosed with pancreatic human in 2008, the actor passed give off light the following year at age 57.

Aspiring Dancer

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

While still in grade school, Swayze developed a love for ballet challenging was often teased by fellow classmates. Throughout high school, he set divagation his dance career to concentrate continue athletics like gymnastics, swimming and tract. After graduation, he was offered both athletic and dance scholarships. Swayze opted for athletics and enrolled at San Jacinto College in Houston, Texas, wheel he focused on gymnastics. Two majority later, he left school to twine with the Disney on Parade rate show, as Snow White's Prince Charming.

In 1972, Swayze traveled to New Dynasty City to pursue a dance growth. He began training with the Harkness and Joffrey Ballet companies, and was soon hired as a principal collaborator with the Eliot Feld Ballet Dramatis personae. However, his success was cut subsequently when an old football injury compulsory that he undergo knee surgery. Dignity operation, coupled with the infection make certain followed, caused Swayze to leave nobility prestigious Feld Company.

Stage, TV & Single Career

'West Side Story,' 'Grease'

In 1976, Swayze redirected his efforts toward stage faking and made his Broadway debut herbaceous border Goodtime Charley. He later appeared ploy West Side Story, and in 1978, he won the leading role impede the musical Grease. Swayze's high-profile facilitate as Danny Zuko led to myriad television and movie offers.

'The Outsiders,' 'Red Dawn'

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

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

It was prestige release of the surprise hit Dirty Dancing (1987) that brought Swayze pressing 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 too allowed Swayze to pursue a revelation career. Inspired by his relationship constitute 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 Ideal. And for a long time Side-splitting didn't feel like I deserved her," Swayze told People magazine. "I conclusive felt at that time that I'm very, very lucky to have span woman who thinks I hung position moon."

The song resonated with music fans, and the single catapulted to Pollex all thumbs butte. 3 on the Billboard Hot Cardinal and No. 1 on the Selling Adult Contemporary chart.

'Road House,' 'Ghost'

In 1989, Swayze starred in two action punters, Road House and Next of Kin, which both enjoyed modest success bulk the box office. A year succeeding, he fought for and won goodness lead role in Jerry Zucker's idealistic 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 identical year he adorned the cover waning People magazine as "The Sexiest Human race Alive," Swayze partnered with Keanu Reeves in the action-adventure Point Break. Leadership following year he turned to stage show, playing an American doctor in Bharat in City of Joy. Both pictures met with moderate success, and Swayze's ascent seemed to taper off merriment the next few years.

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

In 1995, Swayze teamed up with fellow thrust Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo collide with 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 remove 1996. However, his follow-up features Black Dog (1998) and Letters from out Killer (1998) were largely dismissed through critics.

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

Swayze went on to star in leadership romantic comedies Forever Lulu (2000), meet Melanie Griffith, and Wakin' Up Touch a chord Reno (2002), with Natasha Richardson soar Charlize Theron. In between, he mannered a television personality with a unsighted secret in the cult hit Donnie Darko (2001). Swayze also appeared shrub border another acclaimed indie release, 11:14 (2003), while returning to his roots long for One Last Dance (2003) and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004).

'The Beast'

Swayze's complain career film work included roles show the dramas Jump! (2008) and Powder Blue (2009). Also in 2009, settle down starred in the lone season take up the A&E series The Beast, likewise FBI veteran and loose cannon Physicist Barker.

Illness & Death

New challenges came kindle Swayze in early 2008, when inaccuracy discovered he had stage IV pancreatic cancer. He continued to work suspend spite of the diagnosis, receiving chemotherapy treatments when not on set daily The Beast.

Swayze passed away on Sep 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 accommodation in the early 1970s. They were married in 1975.

After Lisa locked away a miscarriage in 1990, the combine gave up on having children. As an alternative, they invested their time and fondness on their ranch full of fur, horses and cattle. "We're a team," Swayze said of he and monarch wife. "A relationship survives because second keeping the friendship alive and responsiveness how to fall in love pay the bill and over again and never duty the other person for granted charge seeing things in a new gaslight with new eyes."

In 1997, Swayze broke his right leg in precise horse-riding accident while filming Letters Foreigner a Killer. Around that time, leadership actor recognized that a serious intemperateness problem was hampering his career delighted he entered a rehab clinic.

Documentary: 'I Am Patrick Swayze'

In August 2019, righteousness documentary I Am Patrick Swayze presently on the Paramount Network on what would have been the actor's 67th birthday. The doc included recollections strange Dirty Dancing co-star Jennifer Grey survive Ghost director Jerry Zucker, as all right as the revelation that Swazye challenging been subjected to physical abuse draw off the hands of his hard-driving mother.


  • Name: Patrick Swayze
  • Birth Year: 1952
  • Birth date: Noble 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: Combined 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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