Patrick Swayze

Actor Patrick Swayze is best known for his romantic roles in the surprise movie hits Dirty Dancing (1987) and Ghost (1990). Trained as a ballet dancer, Swayze got his start in acting on the New York stage, and his success in the Broadway production of Grease led to a career in Hollywood. His performance as the eldest "greaser" in the Francis Ford Coppola film The Outsiders (1983, based on the novel by S.E. Hinton) proved his talent and marketability as leading man. After action films such as Uncommon Valor (1983, starring Gene Hackman) and Red Dawn (1984), Swayze got back to dancing in the box office smash Dirty Dancing. The role made him a famous beefcake; his place as a romantic hunk was cemented with the even bigger hit Ghost (opposite Demi Moore). Then came the 1990s -- the ridiculous and yet beloved Point Break (1991, with Keanu Reeves), his sister's death, troubles with alcohol and forgettable movies. Swayze bounced back in the 2000s, in a key role in the Jake Gyllenhaal film Donnie Darko (2001). His other films include Road House (1989), To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995) and Green Dragon (2001, with Forest Whitaker).

Extra credit: The National Enquirer reported in March of 2008 that Swayze was ill with pancreatic cancer and had five weeks to live. Spokesmen for Swayze confirmed that he had cancer but denied the five-week prognosis, saying Swayze "appears to be responding well to treatment."