Patrick Swayze: 1952 - 2009

Though he fought gallantly against an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer, Patrick Swayze has passed away today at the age of 57. The star known best for Dirty Dancing and Ghost had been acting in films for 30 years, spending time on the New York stage as a Broadway dancer in the 1970s. He first attracted attention in films in Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders in 1983. The next year, Swayze starred in Red Dawn, which was followed in 1985 by a starring role in the mini-series North and South. His career reached critical mass at age 35 in the surprise hit of 1987, Dirty Dancing, with Jennifer Grey. The widespread success was shortlived, however. Following the trio of Roadhouse, Ghost, and Point Break - a string punctuated by a memorable appearance on Saturday Night Live - Swayze's career began to tail off. It appeared as though he had found a new opportunity with the A & E series The Beast, which began earlier this year, while Swayze was battling the cancer. The actor revealed he had been diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer in January 2008.

Comments

[Bob]

I'm actually more bummed about this than I thought I would be. RIP, Swaz.

[SEAN]

RIP Mr. Swayze...

I must confess I havent seen too much of your work but by seeing/hearing you speak in interviews and such, you are truly a class act and a lover of your craft...

I also extremely admire your background in NY on Broadway...
That is just remarkable to me, being there are few and far between theatre trained film actors out there let alone work in musicals and that's just awesome...

You fought your disease valiantly and with as much grace as possible...

You will truly be missed..
RIP Mr. Patrick Swayze
Condolences also go out to all of his family

[Lengthy Johnson]

Patrick Swayze has a lot of cred with me for his role in Point Break.

I've loved that movie since I was about 19. At that time I was doing my first year at university. The characters portrayed by Swayze and Keanu seemed so mature, developed and full of life. Today, 20 years later, they seem unbelievably young.

That is one of the privileges of being an actor - being remembered as he was at the peak of his life.

For me, Bodhi as portrayed by Patrick Swayze will always be an image of the human desperation for the fleeting moment of life. His early passing only seems to underscore that point.

Have a good journey, Patrick.