Patrick Swayze lost his battle to cancer this week. And if his roles in Donnie Darko, Ghost, and Red Dawn don't earn him a tribute on this site, the fact that he dressed in drag in To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar sure does. (After all, Julie Newmar, of course, was Catwoman in the 1960s Batman show.)
More after the jump.
More after the jump.
By all accounts, Swayze was a great guy. He insisted that Whoopie Goldberg get cast in the movie Ghost (she credits her Oscar to him). Plus, he stayed married to the same woman since 1975. A rarity anywhere, but especially in Hollywood.
Here is his bio from imdb.com
His mother is choreographer Patsy Swayze, owner of a dance school in Houston, where Patrick was also a student. His father was Jesse Wayne Swayze, who passed away in 1982. He graduated from Waltrip High School in Houston, Texas and attended San Jacinto College. He married actress/dancer Lisa Niemi on June 12, 1975, whom he had known when she was 15 and a student at his mother's dance school. His New York City dance training included the Harkness Ballet School and Joffrey Ballet School. He first danced professionally as "Prince Charming" in "Disney on Parade". After a stint as "Danny Zuko" in the original Broadway production of "Grease", he made his film debut as "Ace" in Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979). Eight years later, after considerable movie and television work, including choreography for Grandview, U.S.A. (1984), he received a Golden Globe nomination for his role as dance instructor "Johnny Castle" in the smash hit Dirty Dancing (1987). He received a second nomination for his portrayal of the ghost "Sam Wheat" in another box office champion, Ghost (1990). He was a solidly established box office star throughout the nineties. In December 2003, he returned to Broadway as a replacement for the lead role of "Billy Flynn" in the acclaimed revival of Kander & Ebb's musical "Chicago". The production also went on tour in several cities of the US, including Los Angeles. In January 2008, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He fought the illness for well over a year and was able to continue working, but died on 1th September 2009.
I read an interview that said Swayze had a great sense of humor. Personally, I would like to think that somewhere, Swayze has been reunited with his onetime costar Chris Farley. If so, I'll bet God has just fallen out of his chair after seeing a reenactment of the following:
Here is his bio from imdb.com
His mother is choreographer Patsy Swayze, owner of a dance school in Houston, where Patrick was also a student. His father was Jesse Wayne Swayze, who passed away in 1982. He graduated from Waltrip High School in Houston, Texas and attended San Jacinto College. He married actress/dancer Lisa Niemi on June 12, 1975, whom he had known when she was 15 and a student at his mother's dance school. His New York City dance training included the Harkness Ballet School and Joffrey Ballet School. He first danced professionally as "Prince Charming" in "Disney on Parade". After a stint as "Danny Zuko" in the original Broadway production of "Grease", he made his film debut as "Ace" in Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979). Eight years later, after considerable movie and television work, including choreography for Grandview, U.S.A. (1984), he received a Golden Globe nomination for his role as dance instructor "Johnny Castle" in the smash hit Dirty Dancing (1987). He received a second nomination for his portrayal of the ghost "Sam Wheat" in another box office champion, Ghost (1990). He was a solidly established box office star throughout the nineties. In December 2003, he returned to Broadway as a replacement for the lead role of "Billy Flynn" in the acclaimed revival of Kander & Ebb's musical "Chicago". The production also went on tour in several cities of the US, including Los Angeles. In January 2008, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He fought the illness for well over a year and was able to continue working, but died on 1th September 2009.
I read an interview that said Swayze had a great sense of humor. Personally, I would like to think that somewhere, Swayze has been reunited with his onetime costar Chris Farley. If so, I'll bet God has just fallen out of his chair after seeing a reenactment of the following:
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