Actor Patrick Swayze dead of pancreatic cancer at age 57

September 14, 9:30 PMCable TV ExaminerChristine Nyholm

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Actor Patrick Swayze, 57, passed away today, September 13, 2009, after a 20 month battle with pancreatic cancer; according to reports on CNN and ABC. The athletic hunk danced his way into viewers hearts with his performance as bad boy dirty dancer in the movie, Dirty Dancing with Jennifer Grey in 1987.

Swayze's film credits include: Ghost, To Wan Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar . JUMP, Keeping Mum, ICON, One Last Dance, Donnie Darko, Three Wishes, Black Dog, Loving Lulu, Waking up in Reno, The Green Dragon. The Outsiders, Uncommon Valor, Grandview USA, Red Dawn: Youngblood, Steel Dawn; Road House, Next of Kin, North and South and North and South; Book II

Patrick Swayze earned three Golden Globe nominations for his performances in “Dirty Dancing,” “Ghost” and “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.”

Most recently, Patrick Swayze starred in the A&E series “The Beast,” which aired in the beginning of 2009. Swayze had filmed the pilot before being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and decided to continue with the series, which ran for 13 episodes. Although emaciated, Swayze turned in a gritty performance in “The Beast,” which was filmed on location in Chicago.

After the season for “The Beast,” Swayze returned to his beloved ranch outside of Los Angeles where he had lived with wife of 30 years, Lisa Niemi. Swayze loved to ride horseback in the magnificent outdoors setting of the ranch.
 

Swayze grew up in Houston, Texas. He was offered both athletic and dance scholarships when he graduated from high school. Encouraged by his father toward athletics, Swayze excelled in football, gymnastics, diving and track. His mother was his first dance instructor.

Swayze started to act while his was in high school. He attended San Jacinto College before starting to tour with Disney on Parade for a year. He then went to New York to study with the Harkness Ballet Company and then the Joffrey Ballet. Swayze was cast as a dancer in the Broadway production Goodtime Charlie. Later he was cast as the lead in the Broadway production of Grease, where positive feedback from critic gave him the encouragement to move to Hollywood to pursue a career in film.

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