- Born
- Died
- Birth namePatrick Wayne Swayze
- Nickname
- Buddy
- Height5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
- Patrick Wayne Swayze was born on August 18, 1952 in Houston, Texas, to Patsy Swayze (née Yvonne Helen Karnes), a choreographer, and Jesse Wayne Swayze, a chemical plant engineer draftsman. His mother owned a dance school in Houston, where Patrick was also a student. His father passed away in 1982. He graduated from Waltrip High School in Houston, and attended San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas. He married actress/dancer Lisa Niemi on June 12, 1975, whom he had known when she was 15 and a student at his mother's dance school. His New York City dance training included the Harkness Ballet School and Joffrey Ballet School. He first danced professionally as "Prince Charming" in "Disney on Parade". After a stint as "Danny Zuko" in the original Broadway production of "Grease", he made his film debut with a small role in Skatetown U.S.A. (1979). He made his television debut in 1981 on M*A*S*H (1972), as a soldier diagnosed with leukemia.
After many supporting roles in films and a lead role in the TV mini-series North & South: Book 1, North & South (1985), he landed his breakthrough role as dance instructor "Johnny Castle" in the hit film Dirty Dancing (1987), for which he received a Golden Globe nomination. He received a second nomination for his portrayal of "Sam Wheat" in the blockbuster Ghost (1990). Ghost (1990) was the highest-grossing film of 1990, and at one point, the fourth highest-grossing film of all time. Unfortunately, he did not capitalize on its success. His subsequent films like City of Joy (1992), Tall Tale (1995), Black Dog (1998), and Waking Up in Reno (2002) did not fare well with critics or audiences. In December 2003, he returned to Broadway as a replacement for the lead role of "Billy Flynn" in the acclaimed revival of John Kander & Fred Ebb's musical, "Chicago". The production also went on tour in several cities of the United States, including Los Angeles. In January 2008, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He fought the illness for well over a year and was able to continue working, but died on September 14, 2009.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
- SpouseLisa Niemi(June 12, 1975 - September 14, 2009) (his death)
- ChildrenNo Children
- ParentsJesse Wayne Swayze
- RelativesDon Swayze(Sibling)Sean Swayze(Sibling)Bambi Swayze(Sibling)Vicky Lynn Swayze(Sibling)
- His half salute
- Chiseled features
- Deep gravelly voice
- His dancing skills
- Known for playing tough guys with a hidden, sensitive side
- Began his career as a dancer appearing in Disneyland's parades as Prince Charming from Cinderella (1950). One of the many Cinderellas he danced with was Michelle Pfeiffer.
- Was reportedly offered $6,000,000 to reprise his role of Johnny Castle in a sequel to Dirty Dancing (1987), which he turned down.
- At age 19, he met his wife Lisa Niemi, then 15 years old, who attended dance lessons with his mother, Patsy Swayze.
- Trained in New York as a dancer with the Harkness and Joffrey ballet schools. In 2004, he appeared as the dancing instructor in the "prequel" Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004).
- In an interview with Barbara Walters in January 2009, Swayze acknowledged that his history as a recovering alcoholic and heavy cigarette smoker may have contributed to his illness. He reportedly once admitted to smoking 60 cigarettes a day.
- Good-looking people turn me off. Myself included.
- I believe in a higher power. I've studied Eastern philosophies, and I've studied the Koran. We've devalued everything worth believing in. Now we're tearing into religion. A line should be drawn. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and The Da Vinci Code (2006) borders on that. I was glued to the book, but afterwards I thought, "Oh my Lord, now we're tearing into God and our faith". Are we going to be turning into a reality show, too? I certainly hope not.
- [in 2004, about his drinking] I made a conscious decision to break away from big films when I got alcohol out of my life. I had been sucked into the blockbuster, box-office mentality and it was destroying my sense of purpose in life. The loneliness of fame was messing with my head. Once you've been famous for a while and told your story, it can sound like a lie. You don't know what's true. It sounds like an article someone wrote rather than the essence of who you are.
- I have a great deal of faith in faith; if you believe something strongly enough, it becomes true for you. I would like to believe that my father is right here with me in this room and that he's my guardian angel, that there's life after death -- because if there isn't, why are we here? I don't believe that just flesh and bones can contain from the point of view of physics this very real recorded energy inside of us. Whether it's true or not, we need to believe it.
- [on having achieved some success with various anti-cancer treatments] I'm a miracle, dude.
- Ghost (1990) - $2,000,000
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