Alex Carson
Patrick Swayze was an American Actor famous for his various roles in Television and Film. The star became well known after making several appearances in Broadway Musicals. After a short period of time, Swayze was landing acting roles left and right. Apart from his talent, many claim that Patrick landed roles for his appearances. He played a hunky surfer, a hunky ghost, and a hunky cowboy, all before landing his most famous role as a hunky dance instructor in the hit film: Dirty Dancing. Saldy, Patrick passed away in 2009 at the age of 59 after a long battle with Pancreatic Cancer. Years after his passing, many actors and actresses have had the opportunity to speak about the kind of person Patrick was, on and off screen. Be sure to watch this whole video to find out what Patrick Swayze co-stars had to say about him.
Before Fame
Patrick Swayze was born in the lone star state of Texas in 1952. The famous actor spent his childhood in Houstin, Texas with his 4 other siblings. Patrick adored the spotlight in his youth and tried his hand at many new sports and hobbies. His mother was the director of the Houston Jazz Ballet Company and introduced him to dance when he was a very young boy. As the years went on, Patrick’s love for dance only grew stronger. When Swayze continued on into middle and highschool, he became the victim of teasing and bullying over his love for ballet.
In High School, Swayze put aside his passion for dance and focused more on his athletic abilities within the realm of sports. Patrick participated in football, swimming, and gymnastics. Patrick’s mother described him as a boy who was fearless to try new things. From a young age, Patrick’s parents knew he was going to go places in his life. Whatever he chose to do, his parents believed he would succeed.
As the years went on, Patrick continued his dancing but kept that side of him hidden to avoid relentless bullying. When it the time for Patrick to move away to college, he awarded scholarships for both dancing and athletics. Patrick decided to pursue athletics in college and enrolled at San Jacinto College in his hometown of Houston, Texas. Though he worked hard at gymnastics in college, Patrick felt something more was missing from his life. Patrick knew himself well enough to know that he was no longer pursuing his true passions.
After only 2 years in college Patrick packed his bags and hit the road with Disney on Ice. Fittingly, Swayze played Prince Charming during his time with the show. Patrick’s friends and family were concerned that he was giving up his future in gymnastics, but Swayze was eager to prove them wrong. Be sure to watch this whole video to find out what Patrick Swayze co-stars had to say about him.
After his time spent on the ice, Swayze made his way to New York City to pursue his dream career in dancing. Soon after his arrival in the big apple, Swayze invited to train with the Harkness and Joffrey Ballet Companies. After a bit of training, Patrick hired as a dancer at the Eliot Feld Ballet Company. Patrick’s dream of becoming a big-time dancer finally coming true after being accepted at such a prestigious school of dance.
Sadly, Patrick injured his knee while performing and had to undergo surgery. Though almost any operation as a dancer has the potential to derail your career. Swayze developed a postoperative infection that destroyed his chances of returning to a career of professional dancing. Be sure to watch this whole video to find out what Patrick Swayze co-stars had to say about him.
FIlm Career
Not long after Swayze realized his dream of being a dancer was over, Patrick gathered himself and began to pursue a different type of fame. Swayze took the stage in 1976 when he made his Broadway debut in Goodtime Charley. After the success of his first appearance, Patrick invited to perform in the West Side Story musical. Finding great success early on in his acting career, Swayze won himself the lead role in Grease, the musical.
After starring as Danny Zuko in the famous musical, Patrick Swayze life would never be the same. Movie and Television offers rolled in for the star over the coming months and years.
After Patrick’s success in Grease, the new actor made his way to Hollywood where he would soon make his film debut in Skatetown, U.S.A.; where Patrick played the role of “Ace”, the lead skater of the group. The movie focuses on the ups and downs of two skater groups competing for a cash prize of 1000 dollars.
Following the success of his first film, Swayze made a brief appearance on the hit television show “M.A.S.H”. Fans couldn’t get enough of the dreamy, young actor and he was soon landing leading roles in movies with other famous actors such as: Tom Cruise.
All else aside, it was Swayze’s role in the 1987 release of “Dirty Dancing” that permanently solidified his name and his career in acting. After the film released, Swayze the newest Hollywood dreamboat. The film earned Swayze a Golden Globe Nomination.
It’s no doubt that Patrick Swayze had a notable career in film and dancing, but what about Patrick’s ability to connect with others off-screen? Be sure to watch this whole video to find out what Patrick Swayze co-stars had to say about him.
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Working with the Star
Though many actors and actresses are beloved for their roles on-screen, some of them get a bad rap for being stuck up and abrasive in real life. This left many people wondering “What was it like to work with such a big star like Patrick Swayze?”.
Luckily for Patrick, many of his co-stars are still alive to tell his tale.
Keauna Reeves and Patrick Swayze were the
best of friends when they worked together on the set of Point Break. Reeves became well known after his performance in The Matrix, as well as a lead in the John Wick Movie Series. Known for being adventurous and active, Keanu impressed that Patrick Swayze could keep up! During filming of Point Break, Patrick made over 30 jumps from an airplane just to get the right shot. Swayze actually jumped so many times that the law had to intervene just to get him to stop. Keanu recalls that Patrick had a lust for life and wanted to live it to the fullest.
Executive Producer of Point Break, James Cameron, had a lot to say when asked about his time spent working with the late actor, Patrick Swayze. Cameron stated in an interview that Swayze had the least amount of respect for the script than any other professional he had worked with prior. Patrick became known on set for criticizing the script and tweaking it where he felt it needed to improve upon his character. At first, James Cameron disliked the slight changes and modifications, but they worked out in the favor of the show. Be sure to watch this whole video to find out what Patrick Swayze co-stars had to say about him.
None other than the famous Whoopi Goldberg has also spoken out about the character of Patrick following his passing. The pair of stars worked together on the set of the movie “Ghost”. Whoopi recalls being very fond of Patrick and that they always got along extremely well. In an interview, Goldberg stated that Patrick was the reason for her Oscar win for best supporting actress in “Ghost”. Along with Whoopi, Demi Moore also worked with Swayze in “Ghost”. Moore recalled that Patrick was always very kind, sweet, and humble.
Dirty Dancing, the movie that launched his career to the next level did very little for his co-star, Jennifer Gray. As the title of the movie hints at, a lot of dancing was required in order to film. Patrick was a classically trained dancer while on the other hand, Jennifer had no experience with dancing at all besides in front of her mirror. The two argued on set frequently but they had a deep admiration for each other as people. Jennifer was coined as being overly emotional on set and lacking the confidence needed to step into her role.
Swayze was easily irritated by her behavior but was quoted saying that he would never drop or hurt Jennifer and that he would injure himself before he ever let her get hurt. Patrick was fearless and Jennifer was fearful, which made for an odd combination. Despite their frequent spats on set, Jennifer still recalls filming with the actor as an enjoyable experience that she learned a lot from.
Many celebrities and famous personalities often experience backlash in the media after someone reports them for mis-conduct or reveals what their true nature was like behind the scenes. Thankfully for Patrick, no such report has ever been made against him. In fact, almost every actor Swayze had worked with has released a statement about his good naturedness. Stars like Rob Lowe and Whoopi Goldberg have given rave reviews of Patrick and his sweet and wild soul. Unfortunately, Patrick passed away far too soon at the age of just 57 years old.Patrick lived a full life full of adventure and curiosity. The star was a trained gymnast, dancer, actor, horseback rider, and pilot. Patrick’s family, friends, and co-stars have fond memories of the many ways he had touched their lives.
Do you think that Patrick could have gained some enemies in the film industry, or was he truly a free spirit that graced everyone he met? We want to know what you think in the comments! If you enjoyed this video be sure to give it a like and click the bell icon to subscribe to Facts Verse for more similar content!
