Patrick Swayze’s life was more tragic than you think.

Patrick Swayze Was Film's Most Versatile Heartthrob
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Charmed Facts About Patrick Swayze, The He-Man With A Heart
Mar 24
PEOPLE
Byron Fast
He Oozed Charm
Patrick Swayze oozed the kind of charm that puts bums in seats at the multiplex. He was a triple threat, as he was able to do action movies, romance, and could even dance like a pro. Of course, a perfectionist like Swayze was not about to sit back and be comfortable with box office appeal. What had always eluded him was the respect of critics. As it became clear that his life would come to an abrupt and early end, he had one final shot at critical acclaim.
Aaron Rapoport / Getty Images
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1. He Was Well-Rounded
Patrick Wayne Swayze arrived into this world on August 18, 1952, in Houston, Texas. His father was an engineer, but you could see Swayze’s future career in his mother—Patsy Swayze was a dancer, dance teacher, and choreographer. In high school, Swayze rounded himself out with more macho activities like football. In fact, he had plans to use a football scholarship to pay for college.
But fate had another plan for him.
Vinnie Zuffante, Getty Images
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2. His Dream Got Crushed
Swayze’s hope for a scholarship went down the tubes when he injured his knee. If you’re looking for a silver lining, there is one. This same knee injury likely kept him out of serving his country in Vietnam. Since many soldiers never returned from Vietnam, you could say that the injury saved his life.
Swayze should’ve been happy, but he was full of rage.
Twentieth Century Fox, Point Break (1991)
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3. They Made Him Angry
When Patrick Swayze was still in high school, some of his classmates tormented him because he liked artsy things like dance. He later said that this filled him with rage. What Swayze did was find an outlet for his anger, and he found it in martial arts. He took up aikido, taekwondo, and kung fu.
But he never gave up on his dream to be a dancer.
Silver Pictures, Road House (1989)
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4. He Got Out Of Texas
When Swayze graduated, he headed to New York City, where he would be away from his high school tormentors. Here, he could pursue his goals without the taunts from classmates. He studied ballet with the Joffrey Ballet Company and also worked as a figure skater.
But he didn’t go to New York alone.
Truus, Bob & Jan too!, Flickr
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5. He Married Young
When Patrick  Swayze was 18 years old, his mother had a student. She was 14-year-old Lisa Niemi. Something clicked between the two teenagers, and they started dating. Once Niemi hit the magic age of 19, the two decided to tie the knot. So, when Swayze went to NYC, he was already married.
Luckily, his new wife also wanted to pursue a career as a dancer.
Vinnie Zuffante, Getty Images
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6. He Had To Say No
Swayze was so good at his ballet school that a choreographer came up with a plan. He wanted to pair up Swayze with international ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov. This would be a huge boost for Swayze’s career. Sadly, Swayze’s knee injury got in the way once again, and he had to back out of this incredible opportunity.
But Swayze wasn't about to give up yet.
Vinnie Zuffante, Getty Images
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7. He Scored The Lead
Patrick  Swayze wasn't so injured that he couldn’t dance at all. In fact, he used his dancing skills in  Disney on Parade  and then got a much better offer. They needed someone to step into the lead role in the long-running Broadway production of  Grease.  This was the same role that would later solidify  John Travolta  as a dancing powerhouse.
While Swayze wouldn’t get the chance to play Danny on the big screen, he would get  Skatetown USA .
Dirty Dancing (1987), Vestron Pictures
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8. He Worked With Stars
In 1979, a bunch of TV stars found themselves in the movie  Skatetown USA . This film was trying to cash in on the roller disco craze, but many believed they were too late. The film featured Scott Baio from  Happy Days ,  Maureen McCormick  from  The Brady Bunch,  and Ron Palillo from  Welcome Back, Kotter . Swayze was one of the few actors with no film experience.
He had to be feeling a little over his head.
Columbia, Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979)
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9. He Had A Winning Edge
What Patrick  Swayze had over his more experienced co-stars was actual skating experience. So, he did his own stunts. Unfortunately,  Skatetown USA  failed to excite filmgoers. Baio said that it was a bad memory he wanted to forget, and McCormick credited the movie for her relapse into drug use. Swayze was one of the few winners—a critic said that he sizzled.
Swayze was ready to take his sizzle to the next level.
Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979), Columbia Pictures
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10. He Struggled
Swayze spent the next years looking for a role that would send him soaring. Well, it didn't come easily. He did a Pabst Blue Ribbon commercial, had a one-episode role on  M*A*S*H , and found himself in a music video for the band Toto. He caught a break when he got cast in a biker TV series called  The Renegades .
Swayze had finally hit the big time. Or so he thought.
Screenshot from The Renegades, ABC (1983)
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11. It Didn’t Last
Patrick  Swayze was actually the lead in  The Renegades,  about a street gang that joins forces with authorities to avoid a prison sentence. Sadly, the series lasted only one season. But Swayze was finding his way. The street gang genre was big, and for some reason, producers and directors thought he had the look for it.
This was about to pay off big time.
Screenshot from The Renegades, ABC (1983)
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12. He Was Too Old
Around this time, Francis Ford Coppola was amassing a group of young talent for his adaptation of the novel  The Outsiders . The SE Hinton novel was about teenage gang members, but Swayze was already in his late 20s. The producer, Fred Roos, wanted Swayze despite his advanced age.
But his interest in Swayze came from a surprising place.
The Outsiders (1983), Zoetrope Studios
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13. His Sizzling Paid Off
You’d think that if Patrick  Swayze had a chance at a role in  The Outsiders,  it was because of his role in  The Renegades . Nope, for some reason, Roos had seen Swayze’s sizzling performance in  Skatetown USA,  and for this reason, he thought Swayze might do well in  The Outsiders .
Next, Swayze would have to survive the very competitive audition process.
Zoetrope, The Outsiders (1983)
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14. He Had To Fight
Coppola had an unusual way to cast  The Outsiders . He put up to 30 hopeful actors in a room and had them play different roles. So, Swayze likely found himself fighting tooth and nail with actors like  Tom Cruise , Matt Dillon, and  Rob Lowe . Remember, none of these guys were famous—at least not yet.
Swayze had to hope he could land a role in this very competitive environment.
Getty Images
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15. He Was In A Hit
Patrick  Swayze did get a coveted role in  The Outsiders,  and the film was a big winner at the box office. The opening weekend tally equaled more than $5 million. It only took second spot that weekend behind another teen film,  Spring Break . Swayze was on the edge of fame, so he had to be very caref…

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