Patrick Swayze, Before He Was a Legend

 

I don’t know about you but Dirty Dancing and Ghost were two of my all-time favorite movies when I was younger. I can still remember the awe I felt when Johnny and Baby finally stuck the perfect lift. And to this day I still cry when Molly finally realizes that Sam has reached out to her from the beyond. Patrick Swayze was a true talent and the news of his death on Monday left me utterly speechless.
 

Though he died young, at age 57, Swayze certainly left his mark on the world through the all the roles he played. Not surprisingly, he nurtured his passions – ice skating, ballet, gymnastics and acting – since childhood. He began formal dance training in NYC when he was 20 years old and got his start as a dancer for Disney on Parade. His debut film role was in Skatetown, U.S.A. but his big break came at the age of 30, with the movie The Outsiders. His first major success followed three years later when he starred in the TV series North and South and his career kept building from there.

Of course, life had its dark moments for Swayze too: his father died of a heart attack at age 57, after which Swayze began to drink heavily; his sister committed suicide in the mid-’90s, which led him to seek treatment for his drinking problem; and, of course, he battled pancreatic cancer until the end of his life. Despite the bleaker moments in Swayze’s life, however, he followed his passions and managed to touch so many of us through his acting, dancing and singing. He will be truly missed.