Born on August 18, 1952, Patrick Swayze’s started his career as a dancer, before appearing in the Broadway play Grease. His film debut was Skatetown, U.S.A. in 1979, where he played role of Ace. He also appeared in other films and television programs, including a guesting on the M*A*S*H episode “Blood Brothers” in 1981, before earning major success in the 1985 Civil War mini-series North and South.
A bigger breakthrough for Patrick Swayze, however, is the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, a surprise hit that earned him a Golden Globe nomination. He also sang for the film’s soundtrack, in the song “She’s Like the Wind.” His next films frequently cast him as a beefcake, notably Road House in 1989.
In 1990, Patrick Swayze appeared in his biggest hit Ghost, alongside Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. The film has significant cultural impact, and put him in audiences’ collective psyche. The next year, he appeared in another hit, Point Break, with Keanu Reeves. That same year, he was chosen as the year’s “Sexiest Man Alive” by People magazine.
Swayze’s career suffered a blow in 1996, when he injured both of his legs while shooting the television movie Letters from a Killer. He had recovered from his injuries, but struggled resuming his career until 2000, with his role in Forever Lulu alongside Melanie Griffith. In 2001, he played a pedophilic psychiatrist in Donnie Darko. The next year, he appeared in Waking Up in Reno with Billy Bob Thornton and Charlize Theron.
Swayze was diagnosed in early 2008 with pancreatic cancer, and has undergone treatment, which has been effective. He is slated to appear as an aging rock star in the film Powder Blue alongside his brother Don Swayze, which will be coming out in 2008. He is also working on the television series The Beast, where he plays an FBI agent.