Dirty Dancing" star Patrick Swayze dead at 57

20 minutes ago

By Dan Whitcomb and Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Patrick Swayze, who went from Broadway dancer to Hollywood star in box-office hits like "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost," died on Monday after a two year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 57.

Swayze died at home with his family at his side, his publicist said.

He became a pop culture icon with 1987's "Dirty Dancing," which defied Hollywood expectations to become one of the most-watched movies of all time.

Swayze played the swaggering dance instructor Johnny Castle in the film opposite Jennifer Grey's sheltered teenager Frances "Baby" Houseman, who becomes smitten with him while on vacation at a New York resort during the 1960s.

Swayze was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, one of the most deadly forms of the disease, in January 2008. He said at the time that the cancer had already spread to his liver.

But the actor and former dancer vowed to fight the disease and had treatment with an experimental drug. He then surprised Hollywood by filming a new detective series for television called "The Beast" in which he played the grueling lead role. The series was broadcast earlier this year.

"Dirty Dancing," which was made for a modest budget and almost scrapped by its studio, became a massive box-office hit, earning Golden Globe nominations for both stars and spawning the Oscar-winning hit single "(I've Had) The Time of My Life."

Producers did not have high hopes for the film but it reaped $64 million at the U.S. box office and $214 million worldwide.

Swayze co-wrote and performed the song "She's Like the Wind" for the movie's soundtrack, which went to No. 3 on the pop music charts. The film remained widely popular more than two decades later and recently spawned a stage musical version.

'GHOST'

In 1990 "Ghost" was an even bigger hit than "Dirty Dancing" with a domestic box office take of more than $217 million and $505 million around the world.

Swayze starred as Demi Moore's deceased lover, Sam, in the tear-jerker romance, which was nominated for a best film Academy Award.

Whoopi Goldberg won an Oscar for her supporting role as a spiritual medium who helps Sam communicate with his girlfriend from beyond the grave. Goldberg said it was Swayze who convinced director Jerry Zucker to cast her.

Swayze was born in Houston on August 18, 1952, and was introduced to performing early. His father was a champion rodeo cowboy and his mother owned a ballet studio.

Swayze trained in dance from a young age and performed for New York City ballet companies before moving to Broadway.

His portrayal of Danny Zuko on Broadway in "Grease" caught the attention of Hollywood and he moved to the West Coast in the late 1970s, appearing in small TV and film parts.

His breakout roles came in 1983's boyhood drama "The Outsiders" and 1984's "Red Dawn" in which he and future "Dirty Dancing" co-star Grey played teenagers fighting invading Russians.

After "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost," Swayze suffered several career setbacks, including a battle with alcohol.

Attributing some of his problems with drinking to his sudden fame and the Hollywood lifestyle, he moved back to Texas with wife Lisa Niemi but worked in such films as "The Green Dragon" and "Donnie Darko," both in 2001.

Ghost 電影及主題曲都好經典.

Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody

Oh, my love my darling
I've hungered for your touch
a long lonely time
and time goes by so slowly
and time can do so much
are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
Godspeed your love to me

Lonely rivers flow to the sea,
to the sea
to the open arms of the sea
lonely rivers sigh 'wait for me, wait for me'
I'll be coming home wait for me

Oh, my love my darling
I've hungered for your touch
a long lonely time
and time goes by so slowly
and time can do so much
are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
Godspeed your love to me

【轉貼】影星史威茲抗癌病逝

編譯中心綜合 
September 15, 2009 12:00 AM |  

世界日報電子報(ePaper)

以「熱舞17」、「第六感生死戀」等片博得好評的好萊塢影星派屈克史威茲(Patrick Swayze，見圖)，在與胰臟癌奮戰後，14日不治，得年57歲。 美聯社
slideshow 以「熱舞17」、「人鬼情未了」/「第六感生死戀」等片博得好評的好萊塢影星
派屈克史威茲 (Patrick Swayze)，在與胰臟癌奮戰後，14日不治，得年57歲。

史威茲的發言人伍爾夫14日晚發表聲明說：「派屈克史威茲過去20個月面對疾病的挑戰後，今天平靜離開，家人隨侍在側。」聲明中說，史威茲是因併發症而辭世，但未透露其他細節。

影迷去年3月獲悉史威茲罹患癌症。儘管診斷罹癌，史威茲仍繼續工作，他和妻子合撰回憶錄，並抱病拍攝影集「特勤無間」(The Beast)，飾演行事風格特異卻屢建奇功的調查局探員。影集今年在有線電視推出，吸引130萬觀眾觀賞。

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果時o係戲院睇Ghost,睇到最後真係好感動,對呢位男主角都好深印像

唉.....越黎越多熟悉既面孔離逝.....