 "Photo: Photo Courtesy of MCT Campus")
Patrick Swayze, the beloved film actor behind many of Hollywood's greatest romances, passed away September 14 after a long-fought, 20-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
Nobody put Patrick Swayze in a corner. The beloved actor of "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost" fame knew how to play both tough and tender characters in a lengthy career that touched so many audiences worldwide. Besides the aforementioned romance films, his career included "The Outsiders," "Red Dawn," "Road House," "Point Break, and Donnie Darko" (as well as a cameo in "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights"). He worked on the show "The Beast" even when he was going through chemotherapy treatments last year. The son of a dance instructor and a rodeo cowboy, Swayze grew up in Texas and would meet his future wife, Lisa Niemi, at the dance studio where they lessons as teenagers. They were married for 34 years and shared a love of the outdoors and horseback riding. Swayze began his career as a dancer, appearing as Danny Zuko in a Broadway production of "Grease." His film debut was in the 1979 film "Skatetown U.S.A," a production about the popular trend of the time, roller disco. He started to break into the Hollywood elite with his starring role in "The Outsiders," a Francis Ford Coppola-directed film that chronicled the lives of young gangsters in the 1950s. In the film, Patrick Swayze played the older brother of Rob Lowe's character, Sodapop. It wasn't until "Dirty Dancing" became an international sensation in the summer of 1987 that Swayze became an affirmed member of the A-list and earned his first of three Golden Globe nominations. In the film he stars as the hard-edged Johnny Castle who falls in love with Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Gray), a rich, young and sheltered teenager who vacations with her family at the resort where Johnny teaches dance. The little independent film shot on a modest budget in locations in Virginia and North Carolina would go on to become one of the biggest blockbusters of that year. Despite mixed reviews among film critics, the movie took on a life of its own earning, $10 million in its first 10 days of release (a feat for the time). "Dirty Dancing" would go on to earn more than $63 million domestically and $170 million worldwide.
Not only did the film fare well, but the film's soundtrack also generated three Billboard hits, "(I've Had) the Time of My Life," "Hungry Eyes," and "She's Like the Wind," which Swayze co-wrote and performed the lead vocals.
Swayze became not only the mold for all other male romantic leads, but he undeniably influenced many other dance-centric romances over the years as well. Additionally, his prowess on the dance floor impressed movie audiences so much that the film markedly raised the attendance in dance courses in the years after its release.
Swayze surpassed the success of "Dirty Dancing" two years later in the supernatural romance film "Ghost," costarring Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg (who would win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress). In the film, Swayze stars as Sam Wheaton, a man living a comfortable life with girlfriend, Molly (Moore), in New York City. When he is murdered by an armed thief in the street, he roams the city as a ghost searching for his killer while protecting his grieving girlfriend and forming an unlikely friendship with Oda Mae Brown, a disgruntled medium played Goldberg, who is the only person who can hear him.
The film would go on to boast a $505 million box-office take and the famous "pottery" scene would be parodied many times over. The film is now being adapted into a musical stage production to open in London's West End in Spring 2010.
In his last acting performance, he played the lead, Charles Barker, in the television series "The Beast." In the show he is an FBI agent paired with a young partner (Travis Fimmel) who uses controversial tactics in order to get the bad guys. His character is also presented to have a dark past and may be a rogue officer.
Though the series only had the chance to film one season, Swayze's performance was a major success with critics, many of them comparing him to Clint Eastwood. It would later be revealed that he opted not to take his prescribed pain medications during filming so as not to weigh down his performance.
Swayze fought his battle with cancer valiantly and courageously. Pancreatic cancer is known to be one of the most aggressive forms of cancer, often left undetected until its advanced stages, claiming the lives of 75 percent of those diagnosed with the disease.
Be the first to comment on this article!