Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze (/ˈsweɪziː/; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, dancer, and singer-songwriter. Having gained fame with appearances in films during the 1980s, Swayze became popular for playing tough guys and romantic lead males, gaining him a wide fan base with female audiences and gaining him statuses as a teen idol and sex symbol. He starred in films from a range of genres, including the drama The Outsiders (1983), the war film Red Dawn (1984), the romantic "coming-of-age" drama Dirty Dancing (1987), the action film Road House (1989), the romantic fantasy/crime thriller Ghost (1990), action crime film Point Break (1991), co-starring with Keanu Reeves, the supernatural drama film Donnie Darko (2001), and the drama Jump! (2008), as well as in the television serials North and South and The Beast, his final role. During his career he received three Golden Globe Award nominations and was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1991.