Patrick Swayze Dies of Cancer at 57
Patrick Swayze, the veteran actor known for films such as “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost,” died Monday after a battle with pancreatic cance at age 57. Swayze was diagnosed with this particularly deadly form of cancer in March 2008.
He had kept working while battling the disease. Swayze worked on his memoirs with his wife and shot 13 episodes of The Beast, a drama series on A&E. The Beast drew a respectable 1.3 million viewers, but A&E decided not to renew it for a second season.
Swayze rose to stardom after his performance as Johnny Castle in “Dirty Dancing.” In real life, Swayze was the son of a choreographer who began his career in musical theater, so he was a natural fit for the role.
Swayze followed that up with the 1989 action flick Road House, portraying a philosophical bouncer. Swayze showed his sensitive side in 1990′s Ghost, portraying a murdered man who tries to communicate with his fiancee (Demi Moore) through a psychic played by Whoopi Goldberg. Swayze was also part of ensemble casts in the 80s films The Outsiders and Red Dawn. After the 1991 hit Point Break, his career began to cool down, but he stayed busy with smaller films and roles in the theatre.
Swayze was born in 1952 in Houston to Jesse Swayze and choreographer Patsy Swayze, who choreographed “Urban Cowboy.” Swayze had been married since 1975 to Niemi, a fellow dancer who studied under his mother.
I have enjoyed several of Swayze’s films, such as Red Dawn, Ghost, and Road House. I thought he was one of the coolest guys ever as a kid. This one really hits home for an “80s baby” such as myself. Lets’s all say it one more time now, “Nobody puts Baby in the corner”. RIP Patrick Swayze.
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