Cinema Obsessed: Captivating Close-Up: Patrick Swayze

Patrick Wayne Swayze (August 18, 1952 - September 14, 2009), is an American actor, dancer, and singer-songwriter. He is best-known for his roles as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries, and as romantic leading men in the films Dirty Dancing and Ghost. He was listed by People magazine as its "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1991.

Swayze's breakthrough role came with his performance as dance instructor Johnny Castle in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, alongside his Red Dawn costar, Jennifer Grey. Dirty Dancing was a low-budget project that was intended to be shown in theaters for one weekend only and then go straight to video, but it became a surprise hit and achieved massive international success. It was the first film to sell one million copies on video, and as of 2007, has earned over US$ 300-million worldwide and spawned several alternate versions, ranging from a television series to stage productions to a computer game. Swayze received a Golden Globe Award nomination for the role and also sang one of the songs on the soundtrack, "She's Like the Wind".

Diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer in January 2008, he is publicly battling the disease. He claimed to Barbara Walters in January 2009, that he is "kicking it". He is the lead in an A&E TV series, The Beast, which premiered on January 15, 2009. However, due to a prolonged decline in health, Swayze has been unable to promote, or even appear in the series. On June 15, 2009, Entertainment Tonight reported that the show has been cancelled.

Source: Wikipedia