We Lost a Kind Soul, Patrick Swayze

Posted on September, 2009 under Actors, Movie News

Patrick with his wife Lisa Niemi

We lost a warm, endearing and wonderful actor today. Patrick Swayze passed away at the age of 57 after nearly two years of battling pancreatic cancer. His career was diverse from stage, film to cable television.

His most recent role was in A & E’s The Beast as a tough FBI agent where he openly talked about his battle with cancer before the cable show premiere.

His career started as a trained dancer and appeared in “Greece” on Broadway. In 1979 he made his film debut in Skatetown U.S.A. His next stand out roles took place in several movies that centered on youth including The Outsiders and Red Dawn. Finally, he earned a major role in Civil War miniseries North and South in 1985.

But what really caught the attention of the public at large was his role as the dance instructor opposite Jennifer Grey in 1987’s Dirty Dancing, which became a box office hit. He received a Golden Globe nomination and sang one of the songs on the soundtrack.

Ghost in 1990 catapulted his career even further. He played a husband who romantically haunted his wife, Demi Moore, after he was murdered. He co-starred with Keanu Reeves in surfer action film Point Break before injuring himself when he fell from a horse while filming HBO’s Letters From a Killer in 1996. Both his legs were broken.

His later film roles included Donnie Darko, King Solomon’s Mines and a cameo in Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.

Swayze also did stints onstage where he starred in a London production of “Guys and Dolls,” in 2006, and earlier appeared on Broadway in “Goodtime Charley” (1975) and “Chicago” (2003).

In addition to The Beast, he recently starred in Christmas in Wonderland and played an aging rock star in the unreleased Powder Blue.

The HBO movie where he broke both legs was filming in my hometown when it happened. The crew and local actors of the movie had nothing but kind words to say about Swayze. One actor really made it a point to tell me how down to earth he was with everyone. He really cared about people’s happiness and well-being, an invaluable commodity in show business.

Patrick may you reach the Heavens and shine forever.

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