Patrick Swayze: His Magnificent Career In Memoriam

Dirty Dancing heartthrob Patrick Wayne Swayze was born on Aug. 18, 1952, in Houston, Texas. The handsome actor had numerous hobbies at school including ice skating, classical ballet and acting and even wanted to play football at college, until a knee injury ended his football career. He moved to New York City to become a dancer and attended Joffrey Ballet School, and his first ever job was working as a dancer on "Disney on Parade." Swayze appeared in many films in the '80s and '90s and soon became an all-round sex symbol and teen idol.

Like several other of Hollywood's current A-listers, Patrick Swayze starred in the coming-of-age drama The Outsiders alongside Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe and Tom Cruise. The film was based on the novel by S.E. Hinton and was released in 1983. It was one of Swayze's first films, and he played "Darry," the eldest "Curtis" brother. 

Sexy Swayze played a "Wolverine" in the 1984 film Red Dawn. The "Wolverines" are a group of high school students, named after their high school mascot, who take up arms, when, in an alternate version of history, the United States is invaded by the Soviet Union and its Cuban and Nicaraguan allies. It was another of Swayze's breakthrough roles in the mid-'80s.

Youngblood is set in Hamilton, Ontario in 1986 and the town's hockey team, the Mustangs, are in desperate need of help. In walks "Dean Youngblood" (Rob Lowe) to show the team some moves. But "Racki" is not happy when "Dean" takes his spot on the team, and to make things even more complicated "Dean" falls in love with the coach's daughter... In the film, Swayze hits the ice to play "Derek Sutton," who mentors "Dean" with the Mustangs.

"Johnny Castle" is probably Patrick Swayze's most famous role and certainly the one that catapulted him to worldwide fame and sex-symbol status. In 1973, "Frances 'Baby' Houseman" is on holiday with her family at a resort in the Catskills Mountains and falls head over heels in love with the camp's dance instructor "Johnny Castle" — and, in all fairness, we can't blame her after THAT air lift. However, there is trouble in store for the young lovers, as neither "Baby's" father nor "Johnny's" boss approve of their budding romance...(but don't worry there's a happy ending).

In 1989 action film Road House, Swayze stars as the bouncer "Dalton" who is hired to clean up a roadside bar in a small town in Missouri. But local businessman "Brad Wesley" doesn't want things to change. While ridding the bar and town of hired muscle, "Dalton" is stabbed and ends up in hospital, where he meets the beautiful blonde doctor "Elizabeth Clay." "Wesley" fights back and things all come to a head when "Dalton's" landlord's house is set on fire by thugs. "Dalton" swears revenge and, along with his landlord "Emmett" and some others, kills "Wesley" and all his thugs.

In Ghost, Patrick Swayze plays "Sam Wheat" who is a banker and wildly in love with artist "Molly Jensen" (Demi Moore). "Sam" is murdered by his corrupt business partner "Carl," but stays on as a ghost to protect his girlfriend "Molly" from his murderer and thugs, communicating with her via a psychic (played by Whoopi Goldberg). It's one of Swayze's most popular roles to this day.

In Point Break, one of the best films of the early '90s, Swayze plays surfer "Bohdi." A gang of bank robbers who wear masks to look like ex-presidents while committing their crimes is on the loose in Los Angeles. The F.B.I. suspects a local gang of surfers and so agent "Johnny Utah" (Keanu Reeves) is sent in undercover to infiltrate the gang. "Utah" meets "Bodhi" and begins to be drawn into the surf lifestyle, however...

After Point Break, Swayze went on to star in numerous films including Donnie Darko, Black Dog, King Solomon's Mines and Jump! He was married to the gorgeous Lisa Niemi for thirty-four years. He owned ranches in New Mexico and California and enjoyed riding and breeding Arabian horses and was also an FAA licensed pilot. Sadly, Swayze died after a twenty-month battle with cancer in September 2009 with his family by his side. His ashes were scattered over his New Mexico ranch. We will never forget the extremely talented, dancer, actor, sportsman and horseman that was Patrick Swayze.