Patrick Swayze was a truly multi-talented man; he could act, he could dance, he could sing, and he even had athletic skills. He could do it all! Dancing, however, was the one thing he was most known for besides acting. It was a very early passion and dream of his, and many would say he got it from his mother who was a choreographer and dancer. Among his most famous work was Dirty Dancing but he starred in many more full movies like Ghost and Point Break. Sadly, he left way too soon, but we’re here to honor him by remembering his life. From beginning to end, let’s get to know Patrick Swayze.

His Birth

Patrick Wayne Swayze was born in Houston, Texas, on August 18, 1952, to Jesse and Patsy Swayze. His mother was a dance teacher and a choreographer who ran a dance school, and his father was an engineering drafter. He had four siblings; one older sister, two younger brothers, and one younger sister. One of his brothers is Don Swayze,  also a known actor. Patrick left for New York City in 1972, when he was twenty years old, to have proper dance education at one of the most prestigious ballet companies in the country.

Swayze’s Education

Patrick went to multiple schools during his formative years. He attended St. Rose of Lima Catholic School, Black Middle School, and Waltrip Catholic School. In high school, he pursued several sports and developed his artistic skills. He really proved he had amazing versatility participating in dancing, gymnastics, football, ice skating, martial arts, and school plays, among others. He then went to the San Jacinto Community College in Pasadena, Texas. He began his dance training under the tutelage of his mother before attending formal ballet schools, and ultimately performing with the Eliot Feld Ballet.

 He Got a Tough Skin

Patrick Swayze had to face some hardships as a kid. He was a target for bullies at school. This could very much jeopardize any kid’s well-being, and for Patrick, it was no different. He was picked on because of his dance training, as dancing wasn’t particularly accepted at the time as a masculine skill, especially when they’d see him arrive with ballet footwear. He turned to his father and his gym teacher for support and they arranged for Patrick to face each of them one at a time, in a fair fight. He ended up defeating all of them and earning the respect he deserved as a tough guy.

The Career-Ending Knee Injury

Patrick wanted to play football, and he even aimed at securing a scholarship through the sport. But unfortunately, an injured knee got in the way of his dream and ended his football career. He did recover, of course, but instead of falling into depression, the ordeal convinced him to pursue other dreams and goals. That was how he switched his focus fully to dancing and decided to get formal training in the art. It was thanks to that change of heart that he was able to become the star we came to know and love for his iconic film roles.

Dance & Gymnastic, His Two Great Passions

It was at the San Jacinto College where he engaged in training programs in gymnastics. In 1972, when he was 20 years old, he decided to travel to New York where he furthered his dance training at institutes like the Joffrey Ballet School and Harkness Ballet School. His deep passion for dance combined with the refined skills and talent he had inherited from his mother had set him up for greatness in the dancing industry. It was at the Disney on Parade event where Patrick first delivered a professional performance.

His Big Dream

Patrick’s dreams of advancing his gymnastics career grew stronger. He excelled in a spectrum of physical activities throughout his young adult years, ranging from various sports to gymnastics, and then dance. In his heart, he wanted to compete with the U.S. Olympic team and bring home the gold. He was actually training with an Olympic coach. While he never ended up in the international competition, the intense training never went to waste as it was vital in his future. As he would come to realize, later on, bigger and much brighter opportunities awaited him as he moved on and perfected his skills.

One-Woman Man until the End

For being so incredibly attractive and popular with the ladies, Swayze had a very mysterious quality to him. But he was taken from very early on, and he would remain that way. Patrick met Lisa Niemi at his mom’s dance studio when she started taking her class. He fell deeply in love with her and courted her through the years. They got married in 1975 and their union would become one of the most solid, enduring, and iconic ones in Hollywood, throughout all of his life. Besides being a dancer, Lisa is also an actor, director, and best-selling author.

His First Acting Gig

Patrick Swayze's first film was Skatetown, a comedy about disco rollers from 1979. The movie was directed by William A. Levey and Patrick starred alongside famous teenage movie star, Scott Baio. Patrick wasn’t terribly excited about his role or the movie, but unwittingly, it would be his stepping stone to becoming the movie star he’d end up to be. His performance in both acting and skating in the movie got praise but unfortunately, the film didn’t make much money in the box office, obtaining a meek gross sales of $2.35 million. However, this would only be the beginning.

A Second Try With The Outsiders

Patrick Swayze had a second chance when he had the opportunity to work on the film by famous director Francis Coppola, called The Outsiders. The coming-of-age film had quite the cast, propelling the careers of names like C. Thomas Howell, Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, and Diane Lane. Interestingly, Swayze, who was 31 at the time, was the oldest actor cast to portray a teenager, unlike C. Thomas Howell who was barely 16. The movie did well both with critics and at the box office, with earnings coming up to $33 million.

Male Icon

Patrick Swayze was a great actor and exuded professionalism every time he worked on a movie during the high point of his career in the ‘80s. But he was also famous for his attractive appearance and charming personality. He had a handsome face, chiseled athletic body, perfect smile, and the graceful moves and gait that made girls swoon all over the place. He became typecast as the “hunk guy” and the lead in romantic films. This made his popularity grow among female fans and would soon grant him the status of masculinity symbol in Hollywood.

Swayze’s TV Debut

Patrick started his television career in 1980 with The Comeback Kid. However, he actually gained recognition in the small screen in 1985 when he appeared on the American Civil War TV mini-series, North and South, Book I and on North and South, Book II the following year. The series was such a success! And even to this day, the first installment has made such an impact that it’s still considered the seventh highest-rating series in American history. With Swayze’s exposure through the series, his career in front of the cameras had gained tremendous momentum.

Swayze’s Breakthrough

It wouldn’t be until 1987, however, that international fame would knock on his door. Patrick Swayze was cast as a seductive dance teacher named Johnny Castle in the iconic film Dirty Dancing alongside fellow actor, Jennifer Grey. He and Jennifer had already shared the screen in Red Dawn. The production chose Patrick because they wanted someone who had dance education and could act at the same time instead of a method actor. The romantic drama was directed by Emile Ardolino and was actually a low-budget project. Hence, it was a pleasant surprise that the film was a major commercial success and became one of the most referenced movies of all time.

His Greatest Role

The enormous success of Dirty Dancing made Swayze one of the most sought-after actors in the Hollywood scene. He acted in several movies like Steel Dawn, Tiger Warsaw, and Road House. But in the film Ghost, in 1990, he would play his most famous part. He had the lead role alongside Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. Ghost became one of the most successful films in cinema history and the cast and crew's bank accounts were grateful when the movie grossed over $500 million. The romantic fantasy thriller directed by Jerry Zucker was the highest grossing film worldwide for that year.

Becoming ‘Sam Wheat’

Patrick Swayze called this role the hardest one of his career, as for this one, he needed to be a bystander instead of a participant in the action. Several actors were considered and offered the part to play the 'ghost' aka leading man of this famous film, including Kevin Bacon, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, and Demi’s own husband at the time, Bruce Willis. However, director Jerry Zucker decided on Swayze when he saw a touching interview of him talking with tears in his eyes about the loss of his father. He liked the vulnerability this hunk of a man could convey on camera. The rest is history!

International Fame Arrives

His rising popularity kept bringing attention to Patrick from everywhere. He received the following year, in 1991, a Golden Globe nomination for his role on Ghost, the second under his belt. People magazine hailed him as 'the most attractive man alive' and girls all over the world put up his photo on the wall. He basically was an official teen idol at that point. He was finally experiencing the benefits and success he’d been chasing after for so many years, not only gaining financial stability but also peer recognition for his talents and achievements.

Time To Be The Bad Guy

Patrick Swayze was usually the hero, the charming and attractive lead of the film or show. But he was open to experiment when he was offered the role of the silver-tongued thief Bodhi in the cult film Point Break from 1991. He worked as an antagonist opposite Keanu Reeves' role, the cop Johnny Utah. Reeves would gain recognition for the film and for the chemistry that the pair showed in the movie. Patrick refused to use a stunt double for most of the surf scenes. He had lots of fun but ended up with four cracked ribs as a result. Ouch! We hope he didn’t have to rush to the hospital for that.

Patrick Swayze’s Star

It is truly such an honor to receive a star in the famous Hollywood Boulevard because it’s far from an easy process. The celebrity needs to possess certain credentials to be eligible, and after a nomination, they undergo a process of selection from the Hollywood Walk of Fame Committee. The person who has nominated the celebrity will also need to spend money to pay for the ceremony and the star’s future upkeep but normally, the studios will cover that bill. Here we see Patrick the day he received his star for his achievements in the seventh art on August 18, 1997.

His Other Passion

Swayze had other interests and particular hobbies outside of his professional life. So when he decided to take a break, he found another passion to pursue in his very much deserved spare time: breeding Arabian horses. Both he and his wife Lisa were vocal animal advocates and horse lovers. He got his love for the gentle beasts from his father back when they lived in Texas. So when he had the chance and resources, he bought a ranch in New Mexico and would enjoy his time with his horses and his several dogs in his property. Very heartwarming!

A Brush With Death

To further illustrate what we've said about Patrick Swayze's versatility, we have another proof: his being a licensed pilot. Yes, he even knew how to fly planes! His skill was put to the test when he found himself in quite the tight spot in 2000.  As he was flying with his dogs, he almost met an accident the moment the plane had a pressurization problem and he had to quickly do an emergency landing. He was able to land in a housing development under construction in Arizona. Fortunately, he and his dogs were left unharmed after the scary experience.

Swayze's Still In The Game

Staying relevant is no easy feat in an unforgiving industry like Hollywood. But Swayze would prove he was up to the challenge when he was still starring in movies in the ‘00s, more than twenty years after his debut. In 2002, he worked alongside Charlize Theron, Billy Bob Thornton, and Natasha Richardson on Waking Up in Reno. The film featured two couples in a road trip to Reno to watch a Monster Truck event. The movie got mixed reviews and it somewhat flopped at the box office, but Patrick’s performance was good nevertheless.

Swayze & Niemi Share The Screen

Patrick and his wife Lisa embarked on what could be considered a family project of sorts in 2003. They made a film called One Last Dance, where he acted in it, co-produced and even wrote it, and performed some of the soundtracks for the movie. Lisa, on the other hand, wrote the script, appeared in the film and directed it while Patsy Swayze (Patrick’s mom) choreographed some scenes. It probably had a lot of meaning for the three of them as dancers to be able to put together the movie, and it certainly added something extra to Swayze’s artistic portfolio.

The Role of His Wife

Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi had an incredible commitment to each other, and they became the perfect example of a healthy relationship in Hollywood. Lisa loved Patrick in a very genuine way; she met and fell in love with him before he had big earnings or fame, to begin with. Their secret? Patrick said in interviews that it was basically a partnership, where they just didn’t let things separate them and supported each one in their careers. He viewed the relationship as being in a team, and he stated that arguments were allowed; it wasn’t about ego but a win-win situation as the goal.

They Missed The Boat

One regret that his wife Lisa Niemi had always expressed was that she wished they had children together. Swayze had mentioned it several times, including in the memoir he wrote. He was extremely excited about the idea of being a dad, but unfortunately, Lisa got pregnant only once and had a miscarriage that left them devastated. They waited sometime before trying again, thinking they had all the time of the world. But sadly, Lisa was not able to conceive again after the episode. They missed their boat on having kids.

Nasty Rumors

In 2016, Patrick’s wife, Lisa Niemi, was put on the spot by horrible allegations made by a so-called “friend” of Swayze’s. This unnamed person had stated that Lisa Niemi was physically abusive of her late husband even during his battle with cancer, when he went from 180 pounds to 90 pounds, giving her “the upper hand." The harsh declarations about physical violence really forced actor, and author Lisa Niemi, who was married to Patrick Swayze for 34 long years, to step forward and deny the claims, saying they were simply untrue.

Alleged Secret Son

In 2017, word got out in Globe magazine about an alleged unknown secret son of Patrick Swayze. The “son," a man called Jason Whittle, made news headlines when he claimed to be the product of a one-night stand between his mother Bonnie Kay and Swayze back in the ‘70s. Whittle was born in 1973 when Patrick was 20 years old. Despite sharing a physical resemblance, many people doubted the story because it arrived only after the actor had passed, making Whittle seem like he was only after the inheritance. To date, the truth hasn't been confirmed or denied, so we’re only left with speculations.

Bump On The Road To Greatness

Like many in the entertainment profession, before all of the success and glory, Patrick Swayze had to deal with disappointing moments in his career. Despite giving everything he had in each and every performance, sometimes, things just didn’t work out as expected. Before sharing the big screen on Point Break, Patrick and Keanu Reeves had starred together in a 1986 film called Youngblood. The movie was a sports drama about hockey, and it received mediocre reviews.  However, it raked in good money at the box office. Hey, you can’t win them all!

Patrick Almost Passes on His Breakthrough Role

This may come as a surprise to many, but Patrick Swayze himself, in his book titled The Time Of My Life, had admitted that he was nervous about playing Johnny Castle on Dirty Dancing. It came as a result of his not-so-good reviews on his dance scene on Skatetown USA. People were suddenly comparing him to John Travolta on Saturday Night Fever, and he was worried he would get typecast in such dancing roles. Other actors who were considered for the role were Val Kilmer and Billy Zane. Fortunately, he took a chance with the role, and look how well everything turned out!

Things Aren’t Always What They Seem

Here we see a nice picture of Patrick Swayze and co-star Jennifer Grey attending the premiere of their famous movie, Dirty Dancing. Celebrity news magazines spread the rumor that the two co-stars didn’t like each other at all, even after having previously worked together in the film Red Dawn. Despite the claims, they had never admitted openly about disliking each other. Patrick, in his autobiography, only stated that they had moments of friction when tired after a long day of shooting, but that he also thought she did a phenomenal job.

The Story Behind His Song

Unknown to many, Swayze also wrote and recorded a song for his movie Dirty Dancing. The song called She’s Like The Wind was actually written by him and his friend Stacy Widelitz for another movie they had previously worked on. As fate would have it, it was ultimately used for Emile’s Ardolino’s film. Patrick later admitted he was always into music and had been composing for a long time when he wrote the ‘80s ballad. He also stated that after the success of the song, he would always dedicate it to Lisa for her support. Here we see them showing off their love and posing happily for the camera.

A Shadow Appears

Patrick had some strange symptoms while filming the pilot of his final work The Beast, and was ultimately diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. Even though the disease was at its advanced stage, he responded fairly well to treatment in the beginning. But, fans got worried when they heard the news that he had been developed pneumonia in 2009, apparently caused by complications of his chemo treatment. Swayze was a fighter though; a few days later, he recovered and was later released to rest at his own home with his family.

Dangerous Habit

This photo of Patrick Swayze a couple of months before his passing is heartbreaking. The once heartthrob was looking sickly and emaciated. His condition was out in the open, and as seen here, he had a thing for cigarettes. We presume the dangerous habit didn’t help Patrick’s illness at all and doctors agreed that smoking may have led to the development of the disease that took his life. Although his doctor stated that at that point when cancer had spread to other organs, there was really not much hope, so having a couple of smokes wouldn’t have made a difference. So sad!

The Loss of a Superstar

Patrick Swayze died, in the comforting presence of his family on September 14, 2009. It was twenty months after he got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which was the cause of his early passing. He was 57 years old at the time of his death, and the entertainment industry was utterly devastated at the loss of a legendary superstar. He was an extremely talented human being and became the idol of several generations. His remains were and his ashes were scattered over the lands of his beloved ranch as he had wished.

Lisa Niemi’s Second Chance

After grieving and coping with the loss of her beloved Patrick for years, Lisa Niemi gave herself a second chance at love when she started dating jeweler Albert DePrisco, in 2012. The couple met through mutual friends and he proposed a year after dating. Lisa admitted to People magazine that her love for her late husband was never in conflict with her new relationship. But when Albert proposed, she then doubted for a minute but decided to take a leap of faith. The wedding was celebrated in 2014, and Lisa has said that she knows Patrick would be happy for her in this new chapter of her life.