Although his films for the most part weren’t award winners or critical successes, Patrick Swayze starred in a stream of commercially successful movies that have since gone on to attain cult status. Two set the standard for the iconic 1980s Brat-Pack teen movies, and two films that have become a huge part of pop culture. Men wanted to be him, women loved him and he is one of the actors that comes to mind as one we lost much too soon.
Patrick Wayne Swayze was born on August 18, 1952, in Houston, the second of five children. His mother owned a dance studio, and Swayze became an accomplished dancer, although he was bullied in school for his training in classical ballet. As a teen, he honed several skills besides dance, including ice skating, acting in school plays, martial arts and football. His hopes for a football scholarship were dashed when he injured his knee. This variety of interests and skills led to an interesting and diverse career as a dancer, songwriter, romantic lead and action hero who could perform his own stunts.
Swayze found success on stage, as well as in television and film. He began his professional life in the 1970s as Prince Charming for a Disney theatrical group in “Disney on Parade,” followed by a stint as Danny Zuko in the Broadway production of “Grease.” He found steady work in television beginning in the 1980s, including an episode of the acclaimed sitcom “M*A*S*H” and a lead role in the popular Civil War miniseries “North and South” (1985). On the big screen, he became a heartthrob in the teen films “The Outsiders” (1983) and “Red Dawn” (1984). In 1987, at the age of 35, he had his breakout role in the sleeper hit “Dirty Dancing,” which garnered him his first of three Golden Globe nominations and led to a stream of commercial successes, including “Road House” (1989), “Ghost” (1990) and “Point Break” (1991).
His onscreen persona was the cool, unflappable guy who in some films danced and in others was the underdog who fought corruption. Men enjoyed his action films, and women swooned over him, leading him to be named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in 1991. Offscreen, he seemed just as balanced with a happy 34-year marriage to wife Lisa Niemi, a fellow dancer he met at his mother’s dance studio. However, he confessed that he struggled with fame and “self-deprecating rage,” resulting in alcoholism and heavy smoking (some reports claimed he smoked up to 60 cigarettes in a day). He credited his interest in martial arts and spirituality, as well as his strong relationship with Niemi, as his saving graces.
In addition to drinking and smoking heavily, the demands from dancing, athletics and stunt work took a toll on his body. He injured his knee by falling off the log in the famous scene from “Dirty Dancing” and cracked ribs while surfing in “Point Break.” In 1997, while filming the HBO film “Letters from a Killer,” he fell from a horse and hit a tree, breaking both legs. Filming was delayed for two months while he recovered; when it was complete he took additional time away from acting commitments to further recover. Then, in December 2007, shortly after filming the pilot episode of his new television series “The Beast,” Swayze was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer.
Swayze bravely fought the cancer, receiving treatments, and continuing work on “The Beast,” as well as speaking out about his battle and his hopes for cure. However, he lost his battle on September 14, 2009, with his family at his side. For those of us who fell in love with “Johnny Castle” or “Dalton” it’s hard to believe it’s been a decade since we lost him. But he left a catalogue of films that will continue to bring hours of pure enjoyment for generations to come.
Tour our photo gallery above, where we feature his 15 greatest film performances, ranked from worst to best.
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15. Black Dog (1998)
Swayze was an excellent choice to replace an ailing Kevin Sorbo in this action thriller, as he had proven his “underdog-wins-over-the-big-mean-guy” persona in films like “Road House” and “Next of Kin.” He plays Jack Crews, a truck driver who has just been released from prison after accidentally hitting a pedestrian. In order to save his house from foreclosure, he takes an off-the-books job driving a truck for his boss. Unbeknown to Crews, the truck is carrying illegal guns, and he gets caught up in hijacking attempts, an FBI sting operation and blackmail from his boss who has kidnapped his wife and daughter. But he has Randy Travis as his driving partner Earl, and of course, all will end well. Panned by critics and a box office flop, it has gained a bit of a cult following, with fans who appreciate it for what it is: good, cheesy action – the type of role Swayze did so well in his prime.
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14. City of Joy (1992)
Swayze did a fine job in this drama about Max Lowe, a doctor who is disillusioned by the pressures of his job and goes to India in search of spiritual enlightenment. When Max is attacked and robbed of all of his legal documentation, a local farmer rescues him and takes him to the “City of Joy,” a slum neighborhood with poor, sick people. Although Max doesn’t want to care about the people, he is eventually coaxed into helping at a local clinic and finds himself connected to the locals. Many viewers found this to be a realistic view of the slums of India, and a faithful adaptation of the book on which it is based. Although Swayze at this time was much better known for action films, many consider this performance to be one of his best.
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13. Next of Kin (1989)
Truman Gates (Swayze) was raised in Appalachia, but has made the transition from hillbilly to respectable policeman in Chicago. He finds his youngest brother Gerald (Bill Paxton) a job in the big city, but Gerald is killed by mobsters. Truman wants law to handle matters, but surviving brother Briar (Liam Neeson) wants revenge and goes to Chicago to get hillbilly justice. Swayze held his own against future Oscar nominee Neeson and future Oscar-winner Helen Hunt, who played his wife. Surprisingly, many critics like this movie, enjoying it for the hillbilly-justice action thrill ride that it is.
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12. Uncommon Valor (1984)
A decade after the Vietnam War, a retired Marine colonel believes his son is still alive and held as a prisoner of war. He assembles a group of war veterans, including Force Recon Marine Kevin Scott (Swayze), and obtains financial backing from a wealthy friend whose son is also MIA. In this action thriller, the men have to overcome several obstacles and dangerous situations to find out the fate of their comrades. The film did not receive great critical reviews, but was a commercial success. At a time when the Vietnam War was still a hot-button issue, “Uncommon Valor” was considered a realistic vision of the plight of prisoners of war.
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11. Keeping Mum (2005)
Patrick Swayze seems a little out of place in this British black comedy about a preacher and his oblivion to events happening around him, including his wife’s affair, his daughter’s succession of boyfriends and his son’s bullying. Swayze is the golf instructor who is messing around with the wife, poking a little fun at his heartthrob history. In one of his last film roles, Swayze was in a cast that included renowned actors such as Maggie Smith, Rowan Atkinson and Kristin Scott Thomas. It is considered a good black comedy, with a strong cast and Swayze is considered to have played his part well along with these famed actors.
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10. Youngblood (1986)
Swayze was determined to prove he could hold his own in a variety of genres, so when he was becoming famous as a teen idol in movies like “The Outsiders,” he decided he would do a sports movie. Young hockey hopeful Dean Youngblood (Rob Lowe) is selected for a Canadian team, but conflicts arise when he falls in love with the coach’s daughter and establishes a rivalry with a player on a competing team. Swayze is the team mentor, Derek Sutton, who is deliberately injured by the rival player. Although it was a supporting role, Swayze received good reviews, and it has gained a loyal following over the years.
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9. 11:14 (2003)
One of Swayze’s most overlooked films is this black comedy that has received excellent reviews. Five completely different storylines involving all sorts of debauchery, including drunk driving, car wrecks, criminal acts and deceit, play out separately until they all converge and link together. The film has been praised for its clever plot and well-played script, likening it to movies such as “Pulp Fiction” and “Crash.” It is considered one of Swayze’s best roles, and is well worth a watch.
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8. Donnie Darko (2001)
In this dark psychological thriller, Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a troubled teen who sees vision of a giant rabbit who warns him that the world is ending. Although Donnie’s parents take him to a psychotherapist, he begins to do what the rabbit tells him to do. Swayze plays motivational speaker Jim Cunningham, who Donnie does not like, and who turns out to be a closet pedophile. Although the film did not do well in its initial release, it has since gained critical acclaim for its originality, and has developed a very loyal fan base. Although Swayze’s role was a small one, it was pivotal, and is considered one of his best.
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7. Road House (1989)
One of my personal favorite guilty pleasures (Swayze and Sam Elliott – what’s not to like?), “Road House” is just an enjoyable film. Swayze plays Dalton (his first name or last name? – no one knows, and he’s too cool for it to matter), a famous bouncer hired at roadside bar in a small town run by a corrupt businessman. With the help of the pretty local doctor and his old mentor, Dalton fights back against the crime boss. The film was panned by critics and did okay in its initial release, but gained an audience once it landed on video and has since become a cable channel standard. It’s considered to be one of the “best worst movies” ever made, largely due to Swayze pulling off a cool bouncer who can spout philosophy, romance a doctor and kick some butt – all without messing up his awesome mullet.
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6. The Outsiders (1983)
One of the first of the “Brat Pack” films of the 1980s, “The Outsiders” features many actors early in their careers, including Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Emilio Estevez and C. Thomas Howell. Based on a S.E. Hinton novel and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, this coming of age story details the rivalry between two gangs, the poor Greasers and the rich Socs. Tension erupts when one of the Socs is killed by one of the Greasers. Swayze is the oldest Curtis brother Darrel, a Greaser who is struggling to keep his orphaned brothers together. This was his second feature film, and he was a decade older than the rest of the actors, but he achieved heartthrob status along with them. Largely panned by critics at the time, the film is now considered a huge influence on the coming of age films that became hugely popular in the 1980s.
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5. Red Dawn (1984)
When combined forces from the Soviet Union, Cuba and Nicaragua invade a small Colorado town, a small group of teenagers escape to the hills and retaliate guerrilla style, as World War III looms around them. “Red Dawn” was the first movie released with a “PG13” rating, and was at the time the most violent film ever made. It marked the beginning of several film careers, including Charlie Sheen, Jennifer Grey, Lea Thompson and C. Thomas Howell. It was also one of Swayze’s early roles, and he stood out as Jed, the older brother of one of the teenagers. As the oldest, Jed by default becomes the leader of the fighters. Although the movie at the time got mediocre reviews, and didn’t do that great at the box office, it has since become a cult classic, with several cultural references, including “Operation Red Dawn,” which was the name given to the operation to capture Suddam Hussein. As a young man who loses his parents and has to struggle to survive and fight for his town, Swayze proved he could play the sensitive tough guy.
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4. Point Break (1991)
Undercover FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) infiltrates a band of surfers led by Bodhi (Swayze), who are suspects in the bank robberies committed by men wearing masks of presidents. Both Reeves and Swayze learned to surf for the film, with Swayze cracking four ribs. However, Swayze liked to do his own stunts, and did most of his own surfing and skydiving sequences. “Point Break” received some critical praise, and did well at the box office, with people responding positively to the action as well as the chemistry between Swayze and Reeves. Having played mostly good guy roles, Swayze shines as the bad guy, wavering between being the good guy who just wants to surf and who cares about his friends, to the cold, calculating criminal who wants to bankroll his fun and who gets an adrenaline rush from the bank robberies.
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3. To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)
Drag queens Vida Boheme (Swayze), Noxeema Jackson (Wesley Snipes) and Chi Chi Rodriguez (John Leguizamo) embark on a cross-country road trip to a drag queen beauty pageant. Along the way, their car breaks down in a little town and they are stranded for a few days. Thinking the townspeople are convinced they are women, the colorful characters endear themselves to the small town, eventually discovering they aren’t as small-minded as originally thought. This is a funny, sweet, feel-good film. Swayze was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance as the high-society Vida, who was rejected by her rich family but learned how to carry herself as a proper lady should. With the exception of a brief opening sequence, all three men stayed in drag throughout the entire movie. Swayze was credited with making Vida feminine without making her a caricature, and many claim this as one of his best performances.
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2. Ghost (1990)
“Oh, my love, my darling, I’ve hungered for your touch. . .” Anybody who has seen “Ghost” cannot hear this song without immediately picturing one of the sexiest scenes in movie history: Sam (Swayze) and Molly (Demi Moore) sitting at the pottery wheel. “Ghost” is a unique film, combining mystery, romance, comedy and the supernatural. When Sam is murdered, he becomes a ghost, using psychic Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg, who won the Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress) to warn his much-loved Molly of danger. It’s a cheesy and outrageous plot, but Swayze and Moore made it work. Several other actors were considered for the role of Sam, and they all turned it down, thinking the movie wouldn’t do well, but Swayze wanted a dramatic role after doing the romance/musical “Dirty Dancing” and action films like “Road House.” The movie went on to receive Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for Best Picture (highly unusual for a “supernatural” film), and Swayze received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance. The film became the highest-grossing movie of 1990, and when adjusted for inflation, is number 104 of highest-grossing movies of all time. There are many pop culture references to Ghost, most notably rappers using the phrase “I’m Swayze” to replace the slang phrase “I’m ghost.”
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1. Dirty Dancing (1987)
Perhaps the role Swayze will be best remembered for is Johnny Castle, the ultra-cool dancer who wins the heart of rich girl “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey) during a summer at the Catskills in 1963. One of the most iconic movies of the 1980s, “Dirty Dancing” won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for the song “I’ve Had the Time of My Life,” which plays in the much-imitated scene in which Baby is finally able to do the overhead lift (Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone do a take on this in “Crazy, Stupid Love”), and both Swayze and Grey were nominated for Golden Globes for their performances. Swayze co-wrote and sang “She’s Like the Wind,” which became a top ten hit. Ironically, this film was not expected to do well. With its six-million-dollar budget, studio heads expected it to stay in theaters for a week or two and then go to video. But word of mouth made it a sleeper hit, earning $200 million and becoming the first film to sell one million copies on video. It is considered one of the best date movies of all time, with enough action to please the guys and more than enough sweet romance to please the ladies. Swayze was already a heartthrob, but this film cemented this status, and people were taken with his sensitive portrayal of the “wrong side of the tracks” dancer who is actually a good guy. When he stands up to Baby’s snobbish father, holds his hand out to her and says, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” he created a rallying cry for down-trodden women everywhere. Over 30 years later, and 10 years beyond his death, if someone says the name “Patrick Swayze,” one of the first images that comes to mind is him in his black pants and black shirt, raising Baby high in the air.