Patrick Wayne Swayze (; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, dancer, and singer-songwriter. Having gained fame with appearances in films during the 1980s, Swayze became popular for playing tough guys and romantic lead males, gaining him a wide fan base with female audiences, and status as a
teen idol and
sex symbol. He starred in films from a range of genres, including the drama
The Outsiders (1983), the war film
Red Dawn (1983) Vietnam rescue film "
Uncommon Valor"(1984), the romantic "coming-of-age" drama
Dirty Dancing (1987), the action
Road House (1989), the romantic fantasy/crime thriller
Ghost (1990), the
action crime film Point Break (1991), the comedy
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), the
action film Black Dog (1998), the supernatural drama film
Donnie Darko (2001), and the drama
Jump! (2008), as well as in the television serials
North and South and
The Beast, his final role. During his career he received three
Golden Globe Award nominations and was named by
People magazine as its "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1991. He died in September 2009, at age 57, 20 months after being diagnosed with
pancreatic cancer.