| Patrick Wayne Swayze (August 18, 1952) is a three-time Golden Globe-nominated American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. Son of Patricia "Patsy" Yvonne Helen (née Karnes) — a choreographer, dance instructor, and dancer — and Jesse Wayne Swayze, an engineering drafter. Although the surname "Swayze" is of Norman French origin, he is of mainly Irish descent, as well as some Apache ancestry. His brother, Don Swayze, is also an actor. Until age 20, Swayze lived in the Oak Forest neighborhood of Houston, where he attended St. Rose of Lima Catholic School, Oak Forest Elementary School, Black Middle School, and Waltrip High School. During this time, he also pursued multiple artistic and athletic skills, such as ice skating, classical ballet and acting in school plays. He studied gymnastics at nearby San Jacinto College for two years. In 1972, he moved to New York City to complete his formal dance training at the Harkness Ballet and Joffrey ballet schools. Swayze has been married to Lisa Niemi since 1975. The couple first met in 1970, when Lisa, then age 16, was taking dance lessons from Swayze's mother. Niemi was born in Houston, Texas to her Finnish-American parents, Edmond Melvin Haapaniemi and Edna Karin Hyttinen. As a reaction to his father's death by heart attack, in 1982, Swayze began to drink heavily. His sister Vicky passed away in 1994, leading him to seek treatment for alcoholism. After initial recovery, he temporarily withdrew from show business, retreating to his ... |
