He received a Golden Globe Award nomination for the role.
The film also generated several alternative, or derivative, versions, ranging from a television series to stage productions to a computer game. It was the first film to sell one million copies on video, and as of 2009, it had earned over $214 million worldwide. Dirty Dancing's coming of age story first became a surprise hit, and then achieved enormous international success. Swayze starred in 1987's Dirty Dancing, a low-budget movie, planned for only a one-week release, after which it was to go to video. Swayze's first major dramatic success was in the 1985 television miniseries North and South, set during the American Civil War. In 1986, Lowe and Swayze reunited in Youngblood. The following year, Swayze, Howell, and Howell's friend and fellow The Outsiders actor Darren Dalton reunited in Red Dawn, along with Jennifer Grey.
In the same year, Swayze played a United States Marine Corps trainer in Vietnam rescue film Uncommon Valor with Gene Hackman. Swayze became better known to the film industry after appearing in The Outsiders in 1983 as the older brother of C.
That same year he appeared in the TV movie Return of the Rebels with Barbara Eden and then, in 1983, had a brief stint on the short-lived TV series The Renegades, playing a gang leader named Bandit. He appeared in the poignant M*A*S*H episode Blood Brothers in 1981 as Private Sturgis, whose wounds are minor, but who is found to be terminally ill with cancer. At the height of the popularity of disco, he would star in a Pabst Blue Ribbon commercial of him going on a date at a disco-themed nightclub with Pabst's then-jingle set to disco music. In 1979, he made his film debut as "Ace" in Skatetown, U.S.A. He then starred in the role of Danny Zuko in one of the replacement casts for the long-running Broadway production of Grease.
Patrick Swayze's first professional appearance was as a dancer for the Disney Theatrical Group in a show called Disney on Parade. He concurrently practiced martial arts such as Wushu, Taekwondo, and Aikido, which he used to channel his "self-deprecating rage." In 1972, he moved to New York City to complete his formal dance training at the Harkness Ballet and Joffrey Ballet schools. He also played football during high school, hoping to receive a football scholarship for college, until a knee injury ended his career. During this time, he pursued multiple artistic and athletic skills, such as ice skating, classical ballet, and acting in school plays. Rose of Lima Catholic School, Oak Forest Elementary School, Black Middle School, Waltrip High School, and San Jacinto College Central. Until age 20, Swayze lived in the Oak Forest neighborhood of Houston, where he attended St. Their grandson Samuel, a judge, was among the first to use the Swayze spelling. He married Katherine Kinge from Essex and eventually had seven children. During the Great Migration, Swasey travelled aboard The Recovery, ultimately arriving in Massachusetts. Swayze's paternal ancestor was Englishman John Swasey (1619–1706) from Bridport in Dorset. He had an older sister, Vickie (1949–1994), two younger brothers, actor Don (born 1958) and Sean (born 1962), and one younger sister, Bambi. Patrick Wayne Swayze was born on August 18, 1952, in Houston, Texas, the second child of Patsy Swayze (née Karnes 1927–2013), a dancer, choreographer, and dance instructor, and Jesse Wayne Swayze (1925–1982), an engineering draftsman. In 2009, Swayze died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 57. Swayze wrote and recorded the popular song " She's Like the Wind" and was posthumously awarded the Rolex Dance Award in 2012. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997. He also acted in famous action films such as Road House (1989) and Point Break (1991). Swayze received three nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Lead Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical this was for his roles in the romance film Dirty Dancing (1987), the thriller film Ghost (1990) and the road comedy film To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995). He was also known for his media image and looks People magazine named Swayze the " Sexiest Man Alive" in 1991. Patrick Wayne Swayze ( / ˈ s w eɪ z i/ Aug– September 14, 2009) was an American actor, dancer, and singer who was recognized for playing distinctive lead roles, particularly romantic, tough and comedic characters.