His mother was choreographer Patsy Swayze. His education included the Harkness Ballet School, the Joffrey Ballet School, and San Jacinto College. He first performed as a dancer in Disney on Parade. After playing in the Broadway production of "Grease", he made his film debut as Ace in Skatetown, U.S.A.. Eight years later, after considerable movie and television work, including choreography for Grandview, U.S.A., he received a Golden Globe nomination for his role as the dance instructor Johnny Castle in the steamy musical-drama Dirty Dancing. He received a second nomination for his portrayal of the ghost Sam Wheat in the boxoffice/video success Ghost. He has been a solidly established box office star throughout the nineties.


Broke his leg when he fell off a horse while filming Letters from a Killer (1998). [9 May 1997] Older brother of Don Swayze. At the age of 19, he met his wife Lisa Niemi, then 15 years old, who attended dance lessons with his mother, Patsy Swayze. Began his career as a dancer appearing in Disneyland's parades as Prince Charming from Cinderella (1950). One of the many Cinderellas he danced with was Michelle Pfeiffer. He was flying solo in his twin-engine Cessna from California to Las Vegas when he developed a mechanical problem and decided to make a precautionary landing on a dirt road near a housing complex in the small community of Prescott Valley in northern Arizona. There were no injuries. Fire department and sheriff's department officials said the plane had a damaged wing and that when they arrived on the scene, they could find no one. It later emerged that Patrick had hitched a ride from a passing vehicle and was taken to a nearby house, where he telephoned authorities. [2000] Patrick's father, Jesse Wayne Swayze, was a chemical plant-engineer in Houston, Texas. Besides sharing the middle name "Wayne," Jesse and Patrick both died at the same age (57 years): Jesse suffered a fatal heart attack in 1982; Patrick's life was taken by cancer in 2009. Was reportedly offered $6,000,000 to reprise his role of Johnny Castle in a sequel to Dirty Dancing (1987) but turned it down. Graduated from S.P. Waltrip High School in Houston, Texas, in 1971. Other graduates from this high school include Shelley Duvall and wrestler Mark Calaway (aka The Undertaker). Stayed at the historic Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs while filming Tall Tale (1995). His picture and autograph hang in the main lobby. Was approached to star in Predator 2 (1990) but was unable to commit due to scheduling conflicts. Danny Glover was cast instead. In high school, excelled at football and gymnastics and won an athletic scholarship to college. Was considered for the role of Howard Saint in The Punisher (2004). Hospitalized with pneumonia in January 2009. While visiting Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1995, he stayed at the world-famous Copacabana Palace Hotel. Publicist is Annett Wolf. Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Starting in the early 1990s (shortly after the box-office success of his movie Ghost (1990)), hip hop lyrics often included his name or the phrase "I'm Swayze" as a reference to or replacement for the earlier slang "I'm ghost," meaning "I'm leaving/out of here/gone, etc." The Notorious B.I.G. was one artist who was especially fond of including this phrase in his songs. Swayze's appearance in the video for Ja Rule's "Murder Reigns" was also a reference to his interesting place in hip hop culture.