Whoopi: Swayze Is the Reason I Won Oscar

NEW YORK — Whoopi Goldberg says her friend Patrick Swayze _ who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer _ is the reason why she won an Oscar for "Ghost."

"When I won my Academy Award, the only person I really thanked was Patrick," Goldberg recalled Thursday on ABC daytime talk show "The View."

Goldberg, who starred alongside Swayze in the 1990 film, earned a best supporting actress trophy for her portrayal of psychic Oda Mae Brown, who helps slain businessman Sam Wheat (Swayze) communicate with his grieving fiancee and solve the mystery of his murder.

The 52-year-old actress-comedian said Swayze persuaded director Jerry Zucker to cast her in the film amid "some resistance." According to Goldberg, Swayze said, "I'm not making this movie unless you put Whoopi Goldberg in there."

Swayze, 55, has been undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer, his representative Annett Wolf said Wednesday.

In a statement released by Wolf, Swayze's physician Dr. George Fisher said he was "optimistic" about the "Dirty Dancing" actor's prognosis for battling the disease: "Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far."

Goldberg said she hadn't spoken to Swayze about his health.

"We want you to feel better _ we'll talk soon, I hope," she said.

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Comments

[HDR]

02:38 PM on 03/07/2008

Patrick seems like a pretty nice guy by any standards but, to think that Ghost could not have been made without him?! I'm guessing that Whoopi's embellishing a bit for Patrick's sake.

[Dannydel]

11:13 AM on 03/07/2008

Last week she got press for being 'iDissed' at the Oscars and went on to conduct a 'cry-fest' on The View. This week, she manages to use another actors misfortune to once agin get herself noticed. I can see next weeks headline: " Dollar Drops...Whoopi Worried"! There actually might be a bigger has-been attention whore someplace....but I can't think of one.

[rcampbell]

10:06 AM on 03/07/2008

Props to Whoopie for giving Swayze due public recognition for his helping her career. And best wishes to Mr Swayze and his family.

[bushdoescrack]

09:48 AM on 03/07/2008

whoopi is right, she owes her oscar to patrick. she really isn't that good an actress or really very funny.

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

02:53 AM on 03/07/2008

Patrick Swayze is a talented entertainer and I wish him all the best.

As for Whoopi's Oscar - That was all Whoopi, but it was sweet of her to give her props.

[karl59]

06:12 PM on 03/07/2008

God bless Patrick Swayze and his family.

[BlueandGreen]

12:02 AM on 03/07/2008

Patrick Swayze seems like a decent soul, has been married 32 years to the same wife, and was a helluva dancer in his day. Pancreatic cancer is one bad hombre, though. Hope he beats it. His three-pack-a-day ciggie habit couldn't have helped his cause any. Moral to this story: Please DON'T SMOKE!

[Libsrule]

10:45 PM on 03/06/2008

I hope he does well and comes through all of this as well. I've always enjoyed his movies and thought his turn as a crossdresser in TO WONG FOO THANKS FOR EVERYTHING was hilarious not to mention a courageous move if you think about it. He and Wesley Snipes along with John Leguizamuoenou/howeveryouspellit(sp?) stepping out of the macho roles to do this was just brilliant.

He has always come across as a nice guy and a gentlman to boot. Can't fault him for anything and really hope he comes through healthy and ready to work for another 30 or 40 years or so..

[KOisGod]

10:33 PM on 03/06/2008

Dan Fogelberg died in late 2007 from cancer at 58.

The great talents are leaving the planet.

I wonder what's coming.

Enjoy the days you have left Patrick, see you on the other side.

[strifeknot]

11:28 PM on 03/07/2008

Great talents? Let's not get carried away.

[NoSillyName]

09:04 PM on 03/06/2008

This is tragic. I've never seen his movies, but I've seen clips of him dancing and he was rather amazing. He does seem to be one of the good guys... stable, not in & out of rehab. He's a friend of the amazing guitarist, Jeff Healey, who just died of cancer on Sunday. This really gives me pause and puts my health problems in perspective. He's still young and seemingly fit. Its hard to imagine the shock of getting such a diagnosis. Best of luck to him, his family and friends.

(Wondering why there had been no comments on the original story and when I tried to post there comments were closed.)

Whoopi is a class act. Can't say the same for "The View".

[patanderson]

08:33 PM on 03/06/2008

How sad. I loved Patrick in Ghost, Dirty Dancing and especially that Saturday Night Live skit with Chris Farley when they were both trying out to be Chippendale Dancers...and Chris got the job!

Hope he keeps positive thoughts going and keeps positive people around him. It's an uphill battle that isn't usually won for long. I will say a prayer that what time he has left is filled with love and relatively pain free.

[McJeff]

07:42 PM on 03/06/2008

Poor Patrick. I used to cringe at some of his movies, but he has proven himself to be a real gentleman and a stand up guy. Feel sorry for him at this time. I lost a friend to pancreatic cancer in the same way several posters have mentioned. Diagnosed and gone in 9 months. Another real gentleman and all round great guy. Hang in there Pat!

[Democrab]

03:11 PM on 03/06/2008

My first wife died of pancreatic cancer.

They gave her no hope, no possibilities for a cure, nothing. Just go home and wait.

I hope he has a fighting chance to beat this horrible scourge of mankind.

I think Steve Jobs beat pancreatic cancer.

Bless anyone who does and good luck Patrick.

We love you movies.

[enoughalready13]

02:22 PM on 03/06/2008

There is absolutely nothing not to like about Whoopi Goldberg. She is one happy, deserving, talented, grateful, humble, classy act. Whoopi, we love you.

[LucyC]

05:58 PM on 03/06/2008

You are absolutely right on. That's one fabulous woman.

[Kilantra]

10:43 PM on 03/06/2008

Swayze is genuine, authentic, the real deal. A lover of people, animals and nature.
He gives relentlessly and never acquired the Hollywood 'Kit'...he and his wife Lisa
have worked hard to keep it real. No airs or pretensions from either of them.
They both began as dancers. He's a fighter and I wish him the best.
I worked with him long ago, and it was a gift.

[wm1066]

02:21 PM on 03/06/2008

Its nice to see Whoopi come out so early on this, she has class.
And I hope for all the best for Patrick.
The first time I saw him was on MASH. He played a soldier that had just learned he has cancer of the blood.

[Dannydel]

11:16 AM on 03/07/2008

The reason she 'came out' on this is to get her name in the papers.

[HatingTheGame]

01:21 PM on 03/06/2008

This is really sad. I wish him and his loved ones comfort and solace. Its obvious to me for a long time that he's one of the good guys.

[patrickjkiger]

04:43 PM on 03/06/2008

My father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late 2005 and died the following year, so I have some personal experience with this subject. I was really disappointed that the Huffington Post chose to excerpt the National Enquirer article, which is filled with obviously wrong information. If Patrick Swayze received chemotherapy treatments, it would have been in an attempt to give him a little more time by slowing the growth and spread of the cancer. Chemotherapy can't cure pancreatic cancer. The only real chance of survival is through a surgical procedure in which a section of the pancreas is removed, but only a minority of pancreatic cancer patients are diagnosed in time to be candidates, and even their survival rate is not very good. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and lethal diseases there is, and the sad fact is that it kills most everybody who gets it within a year or two. We need more research, particularly genetic research, to fight this terrible cancer.

That said, my heart goes out to Patrick Swayze and his loved ones. It's a shame that they have to go through this, and the National Enquirer certainly isn't giving them any comfort by sensationalizing their ordeal.

[dianaluisa]

11:54 PM on 03/06/2008

There is a vaccine against pancreatic cancer being developed at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, the foremost center for the treatment of pancreatic cancer in the world. Some patients are now in remission. The body's immune system is mobilized against the cancer...after surgery, and does not preclude chemotherapy. If anyone can get this information to Patrick Swayze, PLEASE DO SO!!

You can google and read about it yourself. I hope this helps someone...and maybe Patrick!