All the Right Moves
Patrick Swayze started out in the 1970s as a professional dancer and actor, and went on to charm audiences for more than 30 years in film, television and stage productions.
Road Warrior
The 1989 flick Road House offered up the actor as a hunk with a lot on his mind.
A Civil Actor
The 1985 television miniseries North & South brought Swayze's rugged charm into millions of homes.
Gang's All Here
Teaming up with a who's who of young Hollywood in The Outsiders, Swayze had the screen presence and acting chops to shine.
Baby Love
As Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing with Jennifer Grey, the actor tangoed his way into the hearts of women everywhere—and firmly established himself as a movie star.
Hunk at the Wheel
Though his character dies and enters the spirit world in Ghost, Swayze and Demi Moore produced passionate pottery (and an iconic movie moment).
Sky High
What could be better than buddying up with Keanu Reeves in the 1991 cult classic Point Break? Hmmm...maybe being selected by People as that year's Sexiest Man Alive?
La Vie Boheme
As Vida Boheme, the actor proved he was never one to skirt a challenge, joining fellow macho men Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo as drag queens in 1995's To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar.
Red Menace
With C. Thomas Howell and Charlie Sheen at his side, Swayze and his pack of Wolverines fought off a Communist attack on the United States in Red Dawn.
Friends With Benefits
Pal Whoopi Goldberg credits her Ghost costar and longtime pal with her Oscar win: "When I won my Academy Award, the only person I really thanked was Patrick...because he [had] said, 'I'm not making this movie unless you put Whoopi Goldberg in it.' "
Soul Mates
The performer first met his wife of 34 years, Lisa Niemi, in 1970 when she took dance lessons from Swayze's mother.
The Dark Knight
Swayze is a surprising scene stealer as a creepy self-help guru in the 2001 indie favorite Donnie Darko, starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
The Toast of Tinseltown
Surrounded by family and friends, the actor celebrated his 45th birthday on August 18, 1997, Hollywood style—with a star on the Walk of Fame.
What a Guy
The dancing man also sang for his supper in a 2006 production of famed musical Guys and Dolls at London's Piccadilly Theatre.
Bringing Out the Big Gun
Swayze set aside his battle with cancer by taking on a role in A&E's 2009 drama The Beast.
Sharing His Pain
In a January 2009 interview with Barbara Walters, Swayze revealed the severity of his pancreatic cancer, telling the journalist: "You can bet that I'm going through hell. And I've only seen the beginning of it."
Back at the Ranch
Patrick and wife Lisa pose with their pups at their 17,000-acre New Mexico home.