How old was patrick swayze when he made dirty dancing
Behind-The-Scenes Of An 80s Movie Classic
From start to finish, the film fills audiences with feel-good vibes that would be difficult to recreate. However, when the cameras stopped rolling, the vibes were very different, and filming was quite challenging. Even if you’re a “Dirty Dancing” fanatic, you probably haven’t heard all of these dirty, behind-the-scenes facts.
Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey Weren’t First Picks for Lead Roles
Can you imagine Dirty Dancing without Jennifer Grey or Patrick Swayze? It’s absurd to even TRY.
Outrageous as it may sound, these two weren’t actually the first choices for the film. Val Kilmer was initially offered the role of Johnny Castle, and both Sarah Jessica Parker and Sharon Stone auditioned to play Baby.
Image via Vestron PicturesThe film almost happened without Swayze entirely. It was confirmed when filming began that Billy Zane was going to play bad-boy-turned-good Johnny, but he was pushed out of the film when people realized that he had no chemistry with Jennifer Grey.
Obviously, it was for the best.
Your Favorite Scenes Probably Weren’t Planned
Everyone remembers the film’s linchpin musical montage. You know the one: Johnny and Baby are practicing the Mambo for the big show, and Baby has a hard time stifling her giggles while Johnny looks ongoingly frustrated. That wasn’t planned.
You’re getting a real glimpse of Jennifer Grey being insanely ticklish and Patrick Swayze being fed up with his co-star.
Image via Great American Films Limited Partnership/Vestron PicturesRemember the scene where the two are fooling around on the dance floor to Mickey & Sylvia’s “Love Is Strange?” That wasn’t in the script either.
The two actors had no idea that the cameras were rolling, and they were merely getting into character to prepare for the scene.
The more you know.
It Wasn’t Summer When They Were Filming
When you watch the film, you may feel a nostalgic twinge inside that reminds you of summers during your youth.
You’ll probably be surprised to find that it was absolutely freezing outside during the filming of the movie. The movie was filmed during a cold autumn in Virginia and North Carolina.
To create the feeling of summer, they had to spray paint the changing leaves green. This means that during the scene where Baby and Johnny are practicing the famous lift in the water, the water was at a frigid temperature. That’s why the movie didn’t show any close-ups of the actors during the scene. Their blue lips would have given away the true season.
Patrick Swayze Was Battling a Knee Injury During Filming
In Swayze's book, The Time of My Life, he discusses an injury he suffered during his Broadway days that interfered with his dancing in the movie.
Swayze was known for turning down roles because of a knee issue that was severe enough to put a halt to his career. But because Swayze was seen more as a “dancer-turned-actor,” he found it difficult to stay away from dance-centered roles.
Even though Dirty Dancing was an exception, it didn’t mean that his pain was behind him. It was revealed that Swayze struggled to hide a severe pain episode during the lake-lift, but he managed to push through it.
As an audience member watching the scene, you would never have known.
After the Film, Jennifer Grey Had a Procedure That Changed Her Career
Thanks to Dirty Dancing, Jennifer Grey catapulted to superstardom in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. It was during this time that Grey made a decision that would change her career forever.
Image via Great American Films Limited Partnership/Vestron PicturesGrey had a rhinoplasty done in the early ‘90s, and many critics said that this decision derailed her acting career.
Grey ended up having to go under the knife a second time due to complications that popped up from the operation. After the corrective surgery, she was so unrecognizable that she considered changing her name to restart her career from scratch.
Although she decided against it, the operation essentially put a huge dent in her acting career.
In Real Life, the Actors Were Far Older Than Their Characters
We see young adults playing teenagers all the time, and sometimes, it’s a little unrealistic. But in Dirty Dancing, the age difference between the actors and the characters didn’t jar audiences that much. In the film, Johnny is 24, and Baby is 18.
Image via Great American Films Limited Partnership/Vestron PicturesJennifer Gray was 26 when she was cast as Baby, a character that was intended to be fresh out of high school. When Patrick Swayze was cast to play the role of Johnny in the film, he was 34 — a staggering ten years older than his character in the movie.
But to be honest, does it matter considering they played the parts so perfectly? Not really.
The Movie Almost Had a Completely Different Name
Back when the film first came out in the late 1980s, the title Dirty Dancing was a tad scandalous.
The title became such an issue that censorship officers were hesitant and assumed it was a porn film.
Thank goodness this was the chosen title given that the alternative was “I Was a Teenage Mambo Queen.”
The studio stuck to their guns, and Dirty Dancing was born. Patrick Swayze, on the other hand, despised the film name. During a 1987 interview with reporter Bobbie Wygant, Swayze admitted, “I hate the title Dirty Dancing...I absolutely hate it. We all really fought to have it not called Dirty Dancing. That’s what the studio went with, so that’s what we have to be stuck with and publicize…”
The Ending Was Almost Very Different Than the One We Know
The line “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” is one of the most iconic lines in film history. Can you imagine a world where this line didn’t exist to use at our leisure?
Well, Patrick Swayze had a deep hatred for the line, and producers almost cut it completely.
Swayze believed that the line was just TOO corny. In his book, The Time of My Life, Swayze wrote: “We did a lot of rewriting for the big final scene, but one line that I hated stayed in. I could hardly bring myself to say: “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” It sounded so corny. But, seeing the finished film, I had to admit it worked. And, of course, it became one of the most quoted lines in the movie.”
The Whole Film Was Created in Just Under Three Months
Yes, the entire movie was made in a short amount of time, and it had an incredibly tight budget. The film was put together in just under three months, which included two weeks for rehearsals. (It took only two weeks for the actors to get the complex dance movements down). The overall shooting of the footage was completed in 44 days, and we don’t even want to know what the actors' shooting schedules were like.
Image via Great American Films Limited Partnership/Vestron PicturesThey also shot the final dance scene in a single take.
Grey was extremely nervous about the lift (just like her character in the movie), and she didn’t want to practice ahead of time. When the time came to film it, the pair nailed it in a single take, which is the one you see on screen.
Everyone Thought the Film Would Flop (and It Did at First)
The film officially wrapped on October 27, 1986. However, Vestron executives thought the movie would flop. During the test screening, 39 percent of viewers had no clue that there was a subplot about Penny's (Cynthia Rhodes) terminated pregnancy.
Image via Great American Films Limited Partnership/Vestron PicturesAfter the testing, distributors were considering sending it straight to home video. However, the repeat viewings (and enthusiastic response) to the movie's August 21, 1987 release made it an instant hit.
The film earned $64 million in North America and $170 million worldwide. The year after its release, the film won an Oscar for Best Original Song, (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life, and broke the record for being the most popular home video rental of the year.
The First Person Cast in the Film Was Cynthia Rhodes
Cynthia Rhodes was hired to play Penny before any of the other characters were cast. Rhodes was building up her resume as an actress at the time, appearing in films such as Flashdance, and Staying Alive with John Travolta. Dirty Dancing, was the film that slingshotted her career forward.
Image via Great American Films Limited Partnership/Vestron PicturesThe only issue that the director and producers had with Rhodes was her beauty. During the scene where Penny was supposed to be in excruciating pain, Rhodes' performance wasn’t convincing enough because she still looked “too beautiful.” (Imagine having that problem.)
Stylists had to cover her in makeup to make her look bland and sweaty. She rode out the high of her career by joining Los Angeles pop group Animotion as their lead singer and stayed with them until 1990.
The Film Was Largely Based on Screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein’s Experiences
The screenwriter of the film, Eleanor Bergstein, based the movie on her experiences during the 1960s. Her family was originally from Brooklyn, and her father was a doctor. Like Baby, Bergstein and her family visited the Catskills every summer where she would get into different shenanigans like Baby and her sister do in the film.
It was during their trips to the Catskills that Bergstein earned the nickname “Baby” which stuck with her until her twenties.
Image via Vestron PicturesWhere did the dancing portion stem from? Bergstein had an experience with a dance instructor who was way older than she was.
We love a good scandal, especially when it inspires an incredible movie!
Dirty Dancing Wasn’t the First Movie Swayze and Grey Did Together
The first movie that the two actors starred in together was the 1984 film Red Dawn.
Rumor has it that this is where the tension in their relationship began. Perhaps that’s why producers were hesitant to cast Swayze opposite Grey in the movie.
Regardless, the pair were able to look past their differences (sort of) long enough to make a classic, culturally seminal movie. Years after the film, Grey admitted to The Hollywood Reporter, that “...his fearlessness with my fearfulness...together was like a marriage where you have two opposites. He’d do anything, and I’d be scared to do anything.”
Excuse us... WE JUST NEED A MOMENT ALONE.
Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey Didn’t Exactly Get Along
It may be disappointing to hear, but the two actors didn’t exactly have a natural connection on set. It’s rumored that although the pair shared undeniable chemistry on film (that’s good acting!), they would get into arguments before the cameras started rolling.
Image via Great American Films Limited Partnership/Vestron PicturesIn Swayze’s autobiography, he recalled: “We did have a few moments of friction when we were tired after a long day of shooting.
She seemed particularly emotional, sometimes bursting into tears if someone criticized her. Other times, she slipped into silly moods, forcing us to do scenes over and over again when she’d start laughing.”
However, we refuse to accept this little tidbit because Johnny + Baby = Forever.
Swayze Said the Film Endured Because of Its Heart
During an interview with AFI, Swayze felt he had a pretty good idea as to why the film has endured with audiences for so long.
Image via Vestron PicturesHe said: “It’s got so much heart, to me. It’s not about the sensuality; it’s really about people trying to find themselves, this young dance instructor feeling like he’s nothing but a product, and this young girl trying to find out who she is in a society of restrictions when she has such an amazing take on things. On a certain level, it’s really about the fabulous, funky little Jewish girl getting the guy because [of] what she’s got in her heart.”
We’re not crying.
..you are.
Penny’s Pregnancy in the Movie Was A HUGE Deal
Many brands caught on quite early that the film would be a big hit with young people. The famous acne skin-care company Clearasil initially wanted to join as a promotional sponsor, but they pulled out.
Image via Great American Films Limited Partnership/Vestron PicturesIn the 1960s, when Dirty Dancing takes place, terminating a pregnancy was illegal in the U.S., and because of Penny’s subplot in the film, Clearasil decided to back out.
Producers begged screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein to take out the storyline, but she refused, saying, “Hey I would love to, but I can’t, because if I take it out, everything will fall apart. There’s no reason for Baby to meet Johnny, for Penny not to be able to dance, for Baby to learn to dance with Johnny, for her to make love with Johnny - there’s no story without that.”
After the First Film’s Success, Studios Wanted to Pay Big Money for a Sequel
After the first film’s success, studios wanted to cash in on a sequel immediately.
Swayze was offered big money —$6 million, to be exact — to return for the sequel as Johnny. Swayze, who wasn’t a fan of doing sequels, declined.
Swayze knew that they wouldn’t be able to reprise the magic of the first film, and fans applauded him for his decision.
Image via Lions Gate Home EntertainmentStudios ended up doing a second film anyway, called Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, and it (obviously) didn’t compare to the original. Billed as a "re-imagining" of the original, the film released in 2004, a full 17 years later. The only thing the two films had in common were the words Dirty Dancing in the title.
Filming Was a 24/7 Party
During the lodge staff’s dancing scenes, the goal was to create a realistic party setting. To make that happen, director Emile Ardolino pretty much threw a party every day. Dance rehearsals often turned into disco parties, and the cast would have drinks and dance around to let loose.
This tactic ended up being an excellent way for the actors to get to know each other and create a more relaxed atmosphere. It also led to a lot of improvising by the cast while the cameras were rolling, which was encouraged.
The Role of Stan Was Wayne Knight’s Big Break
Watching the film today, you might be surprised to see a big-time actor like Wayne Knight playing such a small role. Well, when Knight received the part, he had only done a few minor television and commercial roles. It was after his portrayal of a hilarious comedian who performed in the lodge talent show that his career blew up.
Image via Vestron PicturesHe went on to star in other films such as Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, and Basic Instinct. After seeing his role in Basic Instinct, Steven Spielberg cast him in Jurassic Park.
He would go on to land the recurring role of mailman Newman on Seinfeld.
The Cast and Crew Believed the Set Was Cursed
When everyone finally buckled down and filming began, there was a sudden halt to production. On the sixth day, things started going haywire. In just a short period, some of the crew’s property was stolen. There was flooding on the streets surrounding the set, and one of the vans was destroyed. One of the set decorators fell off a ladder and hurt himself. The second assistant director broke her wrist, and the wardrobe assistant broke her toe. Then, three of the crew members wound up with food poisoning.
Image via Great American Films Limited Partnership/Vestron PicturesA month before the end of the shoot, the lead makeup artist quit and went home for personal reasons. That same day, a wasp infestation was discovered, and Jennifer Grey’s arms were covered in stings.
By the time filming was complete, one producer was so dissatisfied with the footage that he suggested they should “burn the negatives and collect the insurance.
”
Mountain Lake Lodge Still Has ‘Dirty Dancing’ Weekends
If you want to experience the setting of Dirty Dancing first-hand, then you can stay in the Mountain Lake Lodge in Virginia. Not only can you stay there, but the resort also hosts three Dirty Dancing-themed weekends every year.
Image via Wikimedia CommonsDuring these weekends, you can take dance lessons, enjoy a walking tour of the grounds, participate in a Dirty Dancing-themed scavenger hunt, and play trivia games.
Heidi Stone, the hotel’s manager, says, “It’s amazing how many thousands of Dirty Dancing fans we meet every summer. We have guests from all over the world that come to Mountain Lake Lodge just for the Dirty Dancing weekends.”
‘She’s Like the Wind’ Wasn’t Made for the Film
The soundtrack for the film was a hit, and people fell in love with the dramatic ballad “She's Like The Wind,” that plays during Johnny and Baby's goodbye scene.
The song was originally written by Patrick Swayze and Stacy Widelitz for the movie Grandview U.S.A, about Swayze’s relationship with Jamie Lee Curtis’s character, but it was dropped.
Image via Great American Films Limited Partnership/Vestron PicturesAs a last resort, Swayze showed it to the Dirty Dancing producers who immediately fell in love with the tune and wanted it in the movie.
Had the song not been picked up by producers, Swayze would have let the song sit and waste away.
Kelly Bishop Got the Role of Baby’s Mom by Chance
Kelly Bishop may have looked like she was made for the role of Baby’s mom, but that wasn’t the role she was given originally. She had initially been cast as Vivian Pressman, the cougar who seduces Johnny during their “dance lessons,” while the role of Mrs. Houseman was given to Lynne Lipton.
Image via NetflixThe role was given to Bishop after Lipton caused scheduling problems due to an illness that forced her to leave the set regularly.
When Bishop took the part of Mrs. Houseman, the role of Vivian was given to assistant choreographer, Miranda Garrison. After the film, Kelly Bishop was cast as Emily Gilmore on Gilmore Girls.
Patrick Swayze Did All His Own Stunts
Ok, so Dirty Dancing wasn’t a film full of blazing gunfire and insane stunts. Nevertheless, Swayze was adamant about doing all his scenes on his own.
In the scene where Johnny and Baby dance on the log over the river, Swayze kept falling off. Apparently, he hit his already-injured knee a few times, causing even more damage.
Image via Vestron PicturesHe had to have the fluid drained from his knee to reduce the swelling and avoid a bigger problem. Seeing as he was already suffering from a knee problem beforehand, the situation had to be handled with the utmost delicacy.
Regardless, knowing that Swayze did everything on his own makes the movie even more iconic.
Bill Medley Thought He Was Hired to Make a Song for a “Bad Porno”
Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes were the voices behind the famous song, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” but at first, Medley was confused about what the song was for.
Medley quipped, “It sounds like a bad porno movie." He rejected the song because his wife was expecting a child.
It took months of convincing to get Medley to do the song. After finishing, he didn’t think that the movie would be popular.“We just went in to work together, to sing together, and little did we know it was going to be the biggest movie of the year. Just unbelievable,” he later reflected.
The song wound up selling more than 500,000 copies.
There Are Many References to the Film in Today’s Pop Culture
The final lift scene has become iconic over the years and has made plenty of appearances in pop culture.
In the 2012 movie Crazy, Stupid, Love with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, the two actors reference the movie and give the lift a go. During the scene, Gosling admits to Stone's character that he gets women to do the move with him as a ploy to get them into bed.
Jennifer Grey admitted when she saw the film that she was totally shocked. She told Yahoo!: “I’m just such a fan of Ryan Gosling and all of a sudden he’s saying my name [in the movie]. I’m just in the theater with my husband, and I look at him like, ‘Oh my God, Ryan Gosling just said my name. What’s going on?’”
On ‘(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life,’ Medley and Warner Represent Older Versions of Johnny and Baby
Bill Medley told Rolling Stone,: “I’m kind of supposed to be Swayze on the record, and Jennifer’s voice kind of fit Jennifer Grey’s character.” The two singers wanted to connect with the characters as much as possible, so they recorded the song with footage from the film rolling in the studio.
Image via Vestron PicturesMedley recalls: “We sang to each other and to the movie. When he raised her up in the air, I knew it had to be joyful, and that’s why there’s a real spirit and joy in the vocals.
That’s not fake. We were having a good time.”
The Film Reflected Eleanor Bergstein’s Jewish Upbringing
Kellerman’s Resort may have been a fictional place, but it was based on a real resort. The concept of Kellerman’s was based on the Borscht Belt — a number of vacation resorts in the Catskill Mountains that once attracted a lot of Jewish Americans.
Jewish American families would come and visit these resorts for the summer between 1920 and 1980, Bergstein’s family included.
Image via Great American Films Limited Partnership/Vestron PicturesThere have been a handful of famous A-listers who started their careers performing at these resorts, including Joan Rivers and Jerry Seinfeld.
Bergstein even pointed out to TabletMag.com, “It’s a Jewish film, if you know what you’re looking at.” Many of the resorts have since closed their doors and no longer exist.
Johnny Was Originally Supposed to Be Italian
We can’t think of Johnny Castle being any other way than how Swayze embodied him, but producers originally had a different idea when it came to the famous bad boy.
In the original script, Johnny Castle was an Italian dancer who had a “dark, exotic look.” This is probably why Billy Zane was the original choice for the role.
Image via Paramount PicturesThe issue with Billy Zane was that he was lacking in the dance department. The producers’ saving grace was finding Swayze, who had an extensive background in dancing on Broadway.
The only problem? He didn’t look Italian! Producers decided to change Johnny Castle’s heritage to Irish.
The Characters Were Based on Real People
It’s already been mentioned that Baby was based on Bergstein’s experiences growing up, but other characters were also based on real people from Bergstein’s childhood.
Although many of the characters were inspired by people from her summers in the Catskills, she couldn’t contact them for help. She has mentioned, “My old partners are either in jail or out on parole….it was a very rough neighborhood.”
Image via Great American Films Limited Partnership/Vestron PicturesWhen Bergstein began researching for the film, she met dance instructor Michael Terrace in the Catskills, who was the basis of Johnny Castle’s character.
It sounds like Dirty Dancing is basically a biography about Bergstein's life!
How Old Baby & Johnny Are In Dirty Dancing
By Quinn Hough
Updated
Dirty Dancing features an iconic pairing in Patrick Swayze's Johnny and Jennifer Grey's Baby, but their characters are far from the same age.
Dirty Dancing features an iconic pairing in Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, but how old is Jennifer Grey, how big is their age gap, and does it make the movie problematic? Dirty Dancing is somewhat autobiographical for screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein, as it's based on her own teenage experiences. This fact only brings the question of Baby and Johnny's age difference further into the light. While the movie doesn't explicitly state the two protagonists' ages, there's enough evidence to suggest that the years between them borders on creepy.
Johnny and Baby's ages in Dirty Dancing (of which Patrick Swayze hates the best line) come into question simply by looking at Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray. The two don't even look like they're in the same age group, and the movie takes no strides to explain any part of it. While this could be a product of the time it was made, Dirty Dancing might not hold up well under today's magnifying glass in terms of its more problematic areas. So, how old is Jennifer Grey? Here's exactly how old Baby and Johnny are in Dirty Dancing, and whether their age is far too wide.
Related: All HBO Max Original Shows & Movies Releasing In 2022
How Old Are Baby And Johnny
How old is Jennifer Grey? Well, clues in Dirty Dancing place Johnny's age at 25 years old and Baby’s age at 17. At the beginning of Dirty Dancing on HBO, Baby's narration references the "summer of '63." Early dialogue reveals that she's planning to attend Mount Holyoke (an all-female private college in Massachusetts) to study the economics of underdeveloped countries.
In the politically charged Dirty Dancing, Baby also states that she plans to join the Peace Corps shortly before laying eyes on Johnny for the first time. Some reports have suggested that Baby is supposed to be 18 or even 19 years old. However, based on iMDB's trivia notes and a 2017 interview with Grey (via Closer Weekly), it seems that Baby was presumably born in 1946 and is supposed to be 17 years old. The character doesn't actually reveal her age in Dirty Dancing, nor does Johnny ask on-camera. If Baby is indeed a minor, that would explain her father's confrontational attitude toward Mr. Castle throughout most of the film.
In Dirty Dancing, Johnny's 1938 birthdate makes him 25 years old. The character initially questions why Baby gained access to a private dancing area, but then invites her to boogie and subsequently teaches her some moves. Johnny and Baby/Frances slowly become friends while dealing with Penny's medical procedures (Jake Houseman provides the appropriate assistance), and they eventually become romantic partners.
Dirty Dancing on HBO never addresses the eight-year age difference between the two characters, which makes the film somewhat controversial – both then and now – because Baby is indeed a minor. In 1963 America, though, it wasn't uncommon for men and women to commit at a young age. The focal Dirty Dancing relationship may not be appropriate, but the age gap isn't enough to make Baby's father concerned during the climactic performance. In fact, Jake Houseman essentially apologizes to Johnny.
How Old Were Patrick Swayze And Jennifer Grey During Dirty Dancing?
The late Swayze was approximately seven years older than Grey in real life. When Dirty Dancing premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1987, Roadhouse star Patrick Swayze was 34 years old and was best known for portraying Darrel "Darry" Curtis in The Outsiders and Jed Eckert in Red Dawn. As for Grey, she had just turned 27 and had previously portrayed Jeanie Bueller in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
She also appeared alongside Swayze in Red Dawn as Toni Mason. In 2010, Grey won Dancing with the Stars season 11, just over a year after her Dirty Dancing co-star, Swayze, passed away at age 57 from pancreatic cancer.
Johnny And Baby’s Age Gap In Dirty Dancing Is Questionable At Best
Johnny and Baby's ages in Dirty Dancing are certainly problematic. And worse still, if she was 17 years old, and he was 25, then New York state law would deem nothing wrong with their relationship. This is a problem, as the age gap is discomforting to think about, technically legal, and would definitely raise concerned discussions were a movie to feature it today. Despite this, age gaps like in Patrick Swayze's Dirty Dancing are unfortunately too common. Movies like Licorice Pizza can get away with extensive lovers' age differences, and people seem to be forgiving of its inclusion. After all, Dirty Dancing is still a beloved and critically acclaimed movie when it comes down to it.
The film is so prolific that it got a (pretty terrible) TV remake in 2017. Dirty Dancing remains popular, but when put up to today's standards, the age gap between Johnny and Baby wouldn't fly unquestioned were a script to include it today.
Related: Why Road House Is Patrick Swayze's Most Misunderstood Movie
Dirty Dancing's Problematic Age Gap Isn't Alone
While the age gap in Dirty Dancing is certainly creepy, it's not the only movie to feature a problematic age gap between the two leads. Whether it's the ages of the actors themselves or the characters they play, Hollywood has pumped out plenty of iconic films that showcase uncomfortable age differences between romantic partners. Take, for example, any Woody Allen film. The romance between Colin Firth and Emma Stone in Allen's 2014 rom-com Magic in the Moonlight is a more modern example. The age gap between the two actors is 28 years, with Firth being 53 at the time and Stone being 25.
While legal, the knowledge Firth was 28 when Stone was born made many viewers uncomfortable.
A more overt example of narrative enabling uncomfortable, and also illegal, age gaps is 90s classic American Beauty. American Beauty shows a 42-year-old Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey, then 39) falling in love with his teenage daughter's 16-year-old friend Angela (Mena Suvari, then 19). The 1980 Martin Scorsese drama Raging Bull shows an adult Robert de Niro fall for a 15-year-old character played by a 17-year-old actress. Finally, Entrapment, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery, showed sparks fly between the two characters, but did nothing to explain Sean Connery and Zeta-Jones' nearly 40-year age gap. The age difference in Dirty Dancing may be problematic, but it doesn't exist in a vacuum. In the end, the movie isn't alone in its depiction, and it's far from the worst offender.
Next: What Happened To Dirty Dancing's Jennifer Grey
Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze died of cancer 10 years ago
Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze passed away exactly ten years ago, on September 14, 2009.
"Gazeta.Ru" tells about the career and fate of an actor who clung to life with all his might, fighting cancer.
American actor, dancer, singer and songwriter Patrick Swayze was born in Texas and has been involved in sports and art since childhood. He simultaneously trained in figure skating, ballet, and also acted in school plays and the football team. At the same time, the versatile child was fond of martial arts - wushu, taekwondo and aikido. However, a knee injury prompted Swayze to leave serious sports, and he turned his attention to creativity. At 19In 72, the future artist moved to New York, where he studied at the Harkness Ballet and Joffrey Ballet ballet schools.
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Still from The Ghost (1990) 1985 Jennifer Gray and Patrick Swayze. Still from the film "Dirty Dancing" (1987) Still from the film "Ghost" (1990) Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. A still from the film "Point Break" (1991) You can see the full gallery
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He made his film debut at 19.79, starring in the movie Skatetown. In parallel with the development of acting courses, despite the injury, Swayze was the lead dancer in the prestigious Elliot Feld Dance Company. His next film work was Red Dawn by John Millius in 1984.
The actor became famous thanks to his roles in such films as "Dirty Dancing" , "Ghost" , "Road House" , "Point Break" and others. In addition, Swayze acted as a producer and composer in several tapes.
The actor has appeared in dozens of films and TV series and played a large number of theatrical roles, but he is best known for his role as dance instructor Johnny Castle in the film Dirty Dancing.
The film, about a 1960s romance between a couple at a resort, was a hit, contrary to what critics had predicted, earning both actors Golden Globe nominations. For the soundtrack to the tape, Swayze performed the song "She's Like the Wind", and his famous phrase "No one will corner Baby" was included in the hundred most famous lines in the history of American cinema.
It is curious that the actor himself was not satisfied with the ending of the picture, which he considered illogical.
"I always felt that Johnny should end up with dancer Penny, because they are from the same circle, and such a union is more realistic than Johnny and Baby," Swayze believed.
Two decades later, Dirty Dancing, which also featured the Oscar-winning song "The Time of My Life," remains very popular and is shown frequently on television in the US.
The second truly stellar role for Swayze was the role in the melodrama "Ghost", where he played with Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. The film was a huge box office success, as well as an Oscar nomination in the Best Picture category.
“Patrick had to work hard to be taken seriously in Hollywood. There was something very rough about him, but at the same time - a beautiful, gentle, sensual manner of playing, ”said Moore after the death of the actor.
In Point Break, Swayze shared the set with Keanu Reeves.
After this film, the actor's popularity began to fall: for many, he remained a hostage to one role - Johnny Castle. In 2004, the actor played a cameo role in the film Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights, for which he received a record fee of $5 million.
The only love in Swayze's life was his ballet classmate Lisa Niemi. In the future, she became the wife and main muse of the artist, to whom he dedicated the song "She's Like The Wind", which became the soundtrack of "Dirty Dancing".
In 1990 Niemi suffered a miscarriage resulting in infertility. The actor supported his wife, saying that together they will cope with all the failures. To drown out the worries, the couple began to breed horses on their own ranch. However, the idyll did not last long: upset by the failures in several projects, Swayze became addicted to alcohol. Being in a state of intoxication, he ceased to be like himself. Later, relatives were able to convince the uncontrollable actor to undergo treatment in a rehabilitation clinic.
“There is no perfect relationship, you just don't give up. And of course there are bad times. But I would be with Patrick a million more times if I could,” said Swayze’s wife.
However, the 55-year-old actor was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Upon learning of the diagnosis, Swayze began to work actively: he wrote memoirs and starred in many projects.
After suffering pneumonia in January 2009, metastases were found in Swayze's liver. He passed away in Los Angeles on September 14, 2009.th.
“I thought that during the 22 months of my husband's illness, I had time to get used to the idea that I would lose him. But when I really got to that point, I realized it's not the same at all," Niemi said.
She was married to her husband for 34 years and fell into a deep depression after his death. For a long time, the actor's widow thought that she would not be able to marry a second time, but in 2014 she met a new lover.
Patrick Swayze - photo, biography, personal life, cause of death, movies
Biography
Patrick Swayze is an American actor and dancer who became famous for his leading roles in the cult Hollywood films Dirty Dancing and Ghost.
These films still hold pride of place in the list of the best films to watch on Valentine's Day today. Thanks to his talent, attractive appearance and charisma, Patrick long held the palm as a sex symbol of the early 90s.
Childhood and youth
Patrick Wayne Swayze was born on August 1952 years in Texas, in the city of Houston. At the time of his appearance, the daughter of Vicki Lynn was already growing up in the family. Later, younger brothers Don and Sean Kyle were born. Parents adopted the younger sister Bora. The ancestors of the Swayze family were the Irish, the British and even the Apaches.
Patrick's father Jassy Wayne Swayze worked as an engineer, and his mother was a famous choreographer in the USA. Over time, she established her own ballet school, where Patrick also studied. The boy was also fond of swimming and football. He repeatedly brought sports prizes and awards, while studying well. All these circumstances did not guarantee him good relations with peers.
Patrick Swayze was considered his mother's son and often offended. At first, the boy resorted to his mother in tears, but when he grew up, the woman realized that the problem needed to be solved radically. She took the child to a martial arts school, where after a while he received a black belt in kung fu. Now no one dared to offend young Swayze. In addition to the black belt in one of the types of martial arts, Patrick had two completed ballet schools behind his back.
Patrick Swayze made his debut as a dancer in a Broadway musical called Brilliantine. He performed on the same stage with Mikhail Baryshnikov. His physical fitness, with a height of 178 cm and a weight of 75-80 kg, made it possible to perform complex tricks. Patella injury at 1978 put an end to the career of a dancer. This happened when Swayze reached notable heights in his career - he was the lead dancer of the troupe.
The operation made it impossible for him to return to ballet. Mother saved her son from depression.
She reminded Patrick that he made his film debut as a child, playing a couple of small roles on TV shows. Returning to the set is a good option to realize ambitious intentions. After moving to Los Angeles, I had to start all over again. At first, the dancer took on any job. Patrick worked at a factory, in a shop as a salesman and even as a carpenter. Funds were needed for acting classes and the maintenance of a young wife.
Movies
In a new place, the former dancer began to study acting. A cinematic biography of Patrick began in 1979. This year he appeared on the screen in an episode of the film "Skytown". This was followed by roles in the series "Renegades" and "MESH". The series "North and South" was successful for the novice actor.
Patrick Swayze (frame from the film "Outcasts")In the early 1980s, Swayze appeared in full-length films. In 1983 - in "Outcasts", a year later - in the anti-Soviet film "Red Dawn". The tape "Young Blood" was also successful.
The film Dirty Dancing, released in 1987, brought international popularity to the actor.
Patrick woke up famous. The tape immediately became a cult and collected $ 213 million at the box office. And Swayze felt that the work brings not only satisfaction, but also fame and a lot of money. For his work in Dirty Dancing, where he starred with Jennifer Grey, the actor received $ 200 thousand and a nomination for the Golden Globe Award.
Due to the small budget of the film, the director tried to shoot every scene in one take. Having injured his knee during the performance of the final dance, Patrick continued to dance with a nagging pain in the joint, so as not to let the choreographer down. The love scene in the water was also difficult for the leading actors. The actors had to be filmed in October, while the rest of the film crew wrapped themselves in outerwear.
After Dirty Dancing, offers from famous directors hit Patrick in huge numbers. Now he chose the scenarios of those projects in which he wanted to participate.
Every year a new film was released, or even several films, where Swayze starred. At 19On the 87th, the film "Steel Dawn" was released, a year later - "Warsaw, nicknamed the Tiger." Then there were "Road House" and "Closest Relative".
In 1990, Patrick played another star role, starring in the dramatic film "Ghost" along with the young Demi Moore. For his work in this drama, the performer received a nomination for the Saturn Award. The director of the picture initially did not plan to shoot Swayze in the title role, it was supposed to involve Demi's wife, Bruce Willis. But the Die Hard star turned down the melodrama job, assuming the film wouldn't work.
Several candidates were considered for the role of Molly, including Nicole Kidman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kim Basinger and even Madonna. Interestingly, Whoopi Goldberg appeared in the film thanks to the request of Swayze, who was a longtime fan of the comedian. When choosing music for the soundtrack, the director chose the song Unchained Melody, which has been known since 1955.
Her cover versions were performed by Elvis Presley, U2, Leanne Rimes and other musicians.
In the early 1990s, Patrick starred in Hollywood projects Pleasure City and Desperate Dad. Together with Keanu Reeves, he appeared in the film "Point Break". Patrick transforms into a free-living surfer who becomes the leader of a gang of robbers.
While participating in the filming of the film, Swayze, as in previous films, performed many stunt elements on his own, including parachuting. The end of the 90s was marked by the release of the brilliant hits of the film industry "Black Dog" and "Letters of a Killer".
Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves (still from the movie "Point Break") In his film work, Patrick, a professional dancer and black belt in kung fu, never used the services of understudies.
Once such careless courage turned into disaster. Swayze fell off his horse while filming and broke both of his legs. The recovery was long, but perseverance brought success: Patrick was again able to walk on his own and even dance. It is interesting that the tragic incident and severe injuries gave birth to an insane passion for horses in the artist.
He soon started breeding them on his California ranch. Later, Patrick Swayze took part in the horse racing competition, which took place in the desert of the United Arab Emirates. Moreover, the desperate American overcame the entire distance and was the only one of his compatriots who managed to get to the finish line.
Patrick Swayze (frame from the TV series "The Beast")In the early 2000s, Patrick starred in the sequel to "Dirty Dancing" - the film "Dirty Dancing - 2: Havana Nights." And although he played a cameo role, his fee was $ 5 million.
The last bright projects in Swayze's filmography were "King Solomon's Mines", "Keep Quiet" and the TV series "The Beast".
During his film career, the performer was nominated three times for the Golden Globe.
Personal life
At the age of 18, Patrick fell in love with 15-year-old ballerina Lisa Niemi, with whom he studied at the ballet school. After 3 years, Patrick and Lisa got married. Together they went to New York, where they performed in a Broadway musical. Swayze's personal life was happy, though not easy. The only thing that overshadowed her was the absence of children.
Embed from Getty ImagesPatrick Swayze and his wife, Lisa NiemiLisa Niemi helped her husband overcome his alcohol addiction, which he developed at a young age. Often, the wife thought about a divorce - Patrick frightened her with his brawls, which he arranged during stormy parties. Thanks to the rehabilitation course, which his wife insisted on, Swayze managed to overcome the disease.
Later, after learning about his illness, his wife turned into a real guardian angel of Patrick. The couple lived in love and harmony for 34 years, until the death of the artist at the age of 57.
The last time they lived at Swayze's favorite ranch in New Mexico, which was called "Happy Days".
Illness and death
In March 2008, with the permission of Patrick Swayze, his doctor informed him that the actor had cancer. This was done because of the numerous rumors spread by the yellow press, which turned out to be a lot of lies. In addition, the photos of the actor, which were distributed by the paparazzi, frightened his fans.
At the beginning of the summer of the same year, Patrick reported that he was feeling better, the growth of the tumor in the pancreas had stopped. Swayze believed that the cyber-knife radiosurgery he was operated on at the Stanford University Center in California was effective in fighting cancer. In addition, he resorted to the methods of oriental medicine. During the treatment, the artist lost weight, as he was forced to sit on a liquid diet.
Embed from Getty Images Patrick Swayze's Star on the Walk of Fame on the Anniversary of's Death In late 2008, Swayze revealed plans to sit down to write his memoir next year.
