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Actor Patrick Swayze - Source: Reuters -
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Actor Patrick Swayze, whose turn as a smouldering dance
instructor in Dirty Dancing made him one of the iconic film stars
of the 1980s, died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He
was 57.
Swayze, an actor and dancer who cemented his status as sex symbol
opposite Demi Moore in the 1990 romance Ghost, died at his
home.
"Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his
side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20
months," publicist Annett Wolf said in a statement.
Swayze became one of Hollywood's top stars with 1987's Dirty
Dancing, which defied Hollywood expectations to become one of the
most-watched movies of all time.
The Texas-born actor played the swaggering dance instructor Johnny
Castle in the film opposite Jennifer Grey's sheltered teenager
Frances Baby Houseman, who becomes smitten with him while on
vacation at a New York resort during the 1960s.
Swayze was diagnosed with stage
4 pancreatic cancer, one of the most deadly forms
of the disease, in January 2008.
He said at the time that the cancer had already spread to his
liver.
But he vowed to fight the disease and had treatment with an
experimental drug, surprising Hollywood by filming a new detective
series for television called The Beast in which he played the
gruelling lead role.
The series was broadcast earlier this year.
"I think everybody thought I was out of my mind ... thinking I'm
gonna pull off a TV show," Swayze said in an interview in January
2009, adding that he was scared and angry at his diagnosis.
Swayze was working on a memoir with his wife of more than 30 years,
Lisa Niemi, earlier this year.
Dirty Dancing, which was made for a modest budget and almost
scrapped by its studio, became a massive box-office hit, earning
Golden Globe nominations for both stars and spawning the
Oscar-winning hit single (I've Had) The Time of My Life.
Ghost
Producers did not have high hopes for the film but it reaped $US91
million at the US box office and $305 million worldwide.
Swayze co-wrote and performed the song She's Like the Wind for the
movie's soundtrack, which went to No 3 on the pop music charts.
The film remained widely popular more than two decades later and
recently spawned a stage musical version.
In 1990, Ghost was an even bigger hit than Dirty Dancing, with a
domestic box office take of more than $309 million and $719 million
around the world.
Swayze starred as Demi Moore's deceased lover, Sam, in the
tear-jerker romance, which was nominated for a best film Academy
Award.
Whoopi Goldberg won an Oscar for her supporting role as a spiritual
medium who helps Sam communicate with his girlfriend from beyond
the grave.
Goldberg said it was Swayze who convinced director Jerry Zucker
to cast her.
Swayze was born in Houston on August 18, 1952, and was introduced
to performing early.
His father was a champion rodeo cowboy and his mother owned a
ballet studio.
Swayze trained in dance from a young age and performed for New York
City ballet companies before moving to Broadway.
His portrayal of Danny Zuko on Broadway in Grease caught the
attention of Hollywood and he moved to the West Coast in the late
1970s, appearing in small TV and film parts.
His breakout roles came in 1983's boyhood drama The Outsiders and
1984's Red Dawn in which he and future Dirty Dancing co-star Grey
played teenagers fighting invading Russians.
After Dirty Dancing and Ghost, Swayze suffered several career
setbacks, including a battle with alcohol.
Attributing some of his problems with drinking to his sudden fame
and the Hollywood lifestyle, he moved back to Texas with his wife
but worked in such films as The Green Dragon and Donnie Darko, both
in 2001.
PATRICK SWAYZE - A RETROSPECTIVE
PATRICK SWAYZE - FACTS
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Add a Comment:
Post new commentHartyWhero said on 2009-09-15 @ 16:46 NZDT: Report abusive post
I often wondered about Patrick Swayze as we have just lost a sister to Pancreatic cancer..heaz name mentioned alot in her treatments of 6months...My heart goes out to heaz family and to all families who have also lost loved wons to cancer, as we remember and praise JAH their suffering is no longer..may he rest in peace....xOx...**best movie**ghost** cryed all the time...awesOme actor...
Hazeldragon said on 2009-09-15 @ 15:23 NZDT: Report abusive post
omg, that is soo sad. I had such a huge crush on him when i was a kid. His poor family!! At least he wont be suffering anymore i guess. R.I.P Patrick
RedLady said on 2009-09-15 @ 15:02 NZDT: Report abusive post
What a sad time for this once great actors family and friends. He will always be remembered through his movies....god bless.