Wild Card with Patrick Swayze

Posted on September 27, 2009
Filed Under Guest Columnist |

By Susan Stackpole

barbara_walters_special_-_patrick_swayze_the_truth_-_patrick_swayze_lisa_niemi_Hollywood celebrities and fans across the world mourned the passing of the beloved Patrick Swayze, dance legend, movie icon, dedicated spouse, cancer warrior, lover of life, and wild card. Swayze died surrounded by his family after a brave struggle with pancreatic cancer. Stars including: Kirstie Alley, Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Demi Moore, Jennifer Grey, Alyssa Milano, Emmy Rossum, Amanda Bynes, Matt Damon, Rob Lowe, and Keanu Reeves grieved and fondly recalled Swayze as a delight in both work and play. Reeves said admirably, ”When Patrick Swayze was given a task, not only did he deliver to the fullest, but he had a blast in the process …I can say what I know - that he lived life to the fullest.” Whoopi Goldberg spoke about Swayze’s playful side, recalling, “He would do stuff. He would be off to the side – you know, ’cause they’d have a camera on me – he’d moon me, it was the greatest.”demi_moore_and_patrick_swayze_-_

Swayze was born 18 August 1952 in Houston, TX, the second child of Patricia “Patsy” Yvonne Helen, choreographer, and Jesse Wayne Swayze, engineering draftsman. Patrick Swayze attended Waltrip High School, San Jacinto College, and later trained in New York City with the Harkness Ballet School and Joffrey Ballet. Swayze went on to perform as “Prince Charming” in “Disney on Parade” and star as “Danny Zuko” in the original Broadway production of Grease. Swayze would later go on to become an American heartthrob and respected actor, starring in blockbuster films including: Dirty Dancing, Roadhouse, Ghost, Point Break, and more. Swayze said he always wanted to leave his fans guessing his next move, leading him to costar with Wesley Snipes and John Lequizamo as drag queens in To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar. Swayze, in his typically playful fashion, described himself as the prettiest of the three.

patrick_swayze_and_jennifer_grey_-_dirty_dancing_1987Swayze’s real life romance mirrored that of his character, Sam Wheat, in Ghost. Swayze met real-life love and wife, Lisa Niemi, in 1970 while she was studying dance with Swayze’s mother. The two married on 12 July 1975 and remained so until Swayze’s death. Liemi and Swayze told Barbara Walters if there is such a thing as soul mates, they believe they are that that they have met in a previous lifetime. Liemi and Swayze shared their love of dance, horses, and life until the very end. The couple had no children.

Swayze was most proud of his starring role on A&E’s, The Beast, a television drama about Charles Barker, an FBI agent, who uses unorthodox methods to nab serious criminals. Swayze’s wife recalls witnessing him muscling his way through chemotherapy and the grueling schedule of filming a television series. Niemi shared, “I always knew that Patrick is a really tough guy, but until all this illness came up this past year, I had no idea really the depths of his toughness and the amount of fight in him.” In what would be Swayze’s final interview with Barbara Walters in 2009, he shared, “You can bet that I’m going through hell, and I’ve only seen the beginning of it.” Swayze revealed he had would rise several hours before early morning filming just to get his body working again. Swayze told Ms. Walters, “I’ve never been one to run from a challenge,”

Whoopi Goldberg and Demi Moore, Swayze’s costars in the blockbuster hit, “Ghost”, both describe being positively affected by his commitment to excellence and zeal for life. Goldberg tearfully relayed that because of Swayze she has an Oscar. She added, “He worked, he did his show; he just was a cat that never gave up. I would like to be able to be that. I would like to have that bravery.” Moore, upon receiving the news of Swayze’s passing, tweeted, “Patrick you are loved by so many, and your light will forever shine in all of our lives. And in the words of Sam to Molly, ‘It’s amazing Molly. The love inside, you take it with you.’ I love and will miss you, Patrick.”

Swayze’s stardom came in the form of, “Dirty Dancing”, a small film that gained instant popularity and catapulted Swayze and costar, Jennifer Grey, to international success. Grey fondly remembered her costar, sharing, “When I think of him, I think of being in his arms when we were kids, dancing, practicing the lift in the freezing lake, having a blast doing this tiny little movie we thought no one would ever see.” She added, “Swayze is a “real cowboy with a tender heart,” revealing, “Patrick was a rare and beautiful combination of raw masculinity and amazing grace.”

Swayze considered himself a wild card and always wanted to leave his audience wondering what he would do next. His personal life seemed to include a similar trajectory. The passing of Swayze’s father in 1980 led Swayze to begin drinking. Swayze’s father was 57 at the time of his death, the same age as Swayze upon his passing. Swayze’s sister, Vicky, committed suicide by drug overdose in 1994, which led Swayze to seek treatment for alcoholism. Following his recovery, Swayze retreated to his ranches in California, Las Vegas, and New Mexico to breed Arabian horses. Swayze was also a licensed pilot.

In a year where Hollywood has lost so many notables including: Paul Newman, Bea Arthur, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and many more, Swayze seems to be in very distinguished company. Swayze’s aspired to leave a rich legacy behind, in which he succeeded. His fellow celebrities remember him most for his passion, commitment to excellence, and living life to the fullest. In terms of what’s next, Swayze himself said it best… “I have a great deal of faith in faith; if you believe something strongly enough, it becomes true for you. I would like to believe that my father is right here with me in this room and that he’s my guardian angel, that there’s life after death — because if there isn’t, why are we here? I don’t believe that just flesh and bones can contain, from the point of view of physics, this very real recorded energy inside of us. Whether it’s true or not, we need to believe it.”

Photos: http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/patrick-swayze/photos/169206/15



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