From ‘Dirty Dancing’ to ‘Ghost’ and Beyond, Your Complete Guide to the Movies of Patrick Swayze

For the late Patrick Swayze, August 18, 2019 would have marked his 67th birthday, and while the fact he’s no longer with us (and hasn’t been for nearly a decade) brings with it sadness, it’s also accompanied by a sense of joy with the arrival of the Paramount Network documentary, I Am Patrick Swayze. Joy because of Patrick’s body of work, which includes such audience favorites as Dirty Dancing (the 1987 movie that truly put him on the map) and 1990’s Ghost, the tragic yet inspiring love story co-starring Demi Moore that turned out to be his biggest hit.

All told, he starred in 31 feature films in the 30 years between 1979’s Skatetown, U.S.A. and 2009’s Powder Blue, but more important than any of that was the way he faced his late 2007 diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, pushing forward with any and all treatments  and living beyond doctors’ expectations. “I’m a miracle, dude,” he told a reporter who caught up to him at LAX. “I don’t know why.”

He was also extremely honest about his feelings regarding his situation, telling Barbara Walters after being asked if he was scared, “I’ve never been one to run from a challenge. I will be so either truthful or stupid as to say no, but then immediately, when I say that, I have to say yes, I am. You can bet that I’m going through hell, and I’ve only seen the beginning of it.”

To celebrate the memory of Patrick, we’re providing the following guide to his 31 big screen films, with the highest of recommendations that you start checking out some of his varied performances that you may have missed.

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