1. Patrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and dancer.
45 Facts About Patrick Swayze
2.
Patrick Swayze received recognition for acting in the drama film The Outsiders, the action film Red Dawn, and the miniseries North and South.
3.
Patrick Swayze's breakthrough came with the romantic drama film Dirty Dancing, receiving a Golden Globe nomination.
4.
Patrick Swayze starred in the cult thriller Donnie Darko.
5.
Outside of acting, Patrick Swayze co-wrote and recorded the song "She's Like the Wind" for the Dirty Dancing soundtrack album, which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
6.
Patrick Swayze was recognized for his public image and looks, and was named "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine in 1991.
7.
In 2009, Patrick Swayze died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 57.
8.
Patrick Wayne Swayze was born on August 18,1952, in Houston, Texas, the second child of Patsy Swayze, a dancer, choreographer, and dance instructor, and Jesse Wayne Swayze, an engineering draftsman.
9.
Patrick Swayze married Katherine Kinge from Essex and eventually had seven children.
10.
Until age 20, Patrick Swayze lived in the Oak Forest neighborhood of Houston, where he attended St Rose of Lima Catholic School, Oak Forest Elementary School, Black Middle School, Waltrip High School, and San Jacinto College Central.
11.
Patrick Swayze played football during high school, hoping to receive a football scholarship for college until a knee injury ended his career.
12.
Patrick Swayze had a low Vietnam draft lottery number of 141, which was called in 1970, and he should have been drafted, but might have used his knee injury as a way to avoid service.
13.
Patrick Swayze then starred in the role of Danny Zuko in one of the replacement casts for the long-running Broadway production of Grease.
14.
Patrick Swayze starred in 1987's Dirty Dancing, a low-budget movie, planned for only a one-week release, after which it was to go to video.
15.
Patrick Swayze played resort dance instructor Johnny Castle, alongside his frequent co-star, Jennifer Grey.
16.
Patrick Swayze had originally co-written the song with Stacy Widelitz for the film Grandview, USA in 1984.
17.
Patrick Swayze received a Golden Globe Award nomination for the role.
18.
The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and Patrick Swayze earned another Golden Globe nomination for his acting.
19.
Patrick Swayze was injured in May 1997 while filming HBO's Letters from a Killer near Ione, California, when he fell from a horse and hit a tree.
20.
The film aired in 1998, and Patrick Swayze slowly recovered from his injuries, but he had trouble resuming his career until 2000, when he co-starred in Forever Lulu, with Melanie Griffith.
21.
In 2003, Patrick Swayze co-produced and starred in the fictional dance film One Last Dance, along with his real-life wife Lisa Niemi.
22.
Patrick Swayze made his debut in London's West End in the musical Guys and Dolls as Nathan Detroit on July 27,2006, alongside Neil Jerzak and Jordan McGhee, and remained in the role until November 25,2006.
23.
Patrick Swayze provided the voice for Cash the country music band dog in The Fox and the Hound 2, and in 2007 he starred in the film Christmas in Wonderland.
24.
Patrick Swayze played an aging rock star in Powder Blue, co-starring his younger brother Don in their first film together.
25.
Patrick Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer shortly after filming the pilot episode, but continued working on the show while receiving treatment.
26.
Patrick Swayze was married to Lisa Niemi for 34 years from June 12,1975, until his death.
27.
Patrick Swayze publicly recounted his 10-year battle with alcoholism after his father's death.
28.
Patrick Swayze entered rehabilitation in the 1990s, and after recovery, Swayze temporarily withdrew from show business, staying on his ranches in California and Las Vegas, to breed Arabian horses.
29.
Patrick Swayze, who was an FAA-licensed pilot with an instrument rating, made the news on June 1,2000, while flying with his dogs in his twin-engined Cessna 414 N414PS, from Van Nuys, California, to Las Vegas, Nevada.
30.
Patrick Swayze's plane developed a pressurization problem, causing Swayze to make a precautionary landing on a dirt road in a housing complex in Prescott Valley, Arizona.
31.
Patrick Swayze made himself unavailable to police for several hours.
32.
On December 27,2006, Patrick Swayze and Niemi, who was a licensed pilot, experienced a second incident while flying the Cessna 414 together en route to their New Mexico ranch.
33.
In late December 2007, just after filming the pilot episode for The Beast, Patrick Swayze began to suffer a burning feeling in his stomach caused by a blockage of his bile ducts.
34.
Patrick Swayze traveled to the Stanford University Medical Center for chemotherapy and treatment with the experimental drug vatalanib, which doctors hoped would cut off the blood supply to the tumor.
35.
Patrick Swayze's doctor confirmed that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but insisted that he was not as close to death as some reports had suggested.
36.
In early May 2008, a number of tabloids reported that Patrick Swayze had undergone surgery to remove part of his stomach after the cancer had spread.
37.
In September 2008 Patrick Swayze appeared on the ABC, NBC, and CBS simulcast of Stand Up to Cancer to appeal to the general public for donations for the initiative.
38.
On December 2,2008, Patrick Swayze denied claims made by tabloids that the cancer had spread to his liver.
39.
Patrick Swayze then voiced his opposition to the unsupported claims made by proponents of alternative therapies.
40.
On January 9,2009, Patrick Swayze was hospitalized with pneumonia, a complication caused by chemotherapy.
41.
Patrick Swayze was a smoker for 40 years, once mentioning that he had smoked 60 cigarettes a day.
42.
Patrick Swayze stated that his chain smoking had probably contributed to the development of his disease, but continued to smoke cigarettes while undergoing treatment for cancer.
43.
Patrick Swayze died with family at his side on September 14,2009, at the age of 57,20 months after his cancer diagnosis.
44.
Patrick Swayze's publicist confirmed to CNN that he had died of pancreatic cancer.
45.
Patrick Swayze received multiple awards and nominations throughout his career for his work both film and television.