Patrick Swayze: A Life In Pictures (SLIDESHOW)

Patrick Swayze died on Monday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 57. He had a career that spanned decades and genres and private life that sometimes leaked onto the pages of popular tabloids. In the following slideshow we look back at the headlines he made on and off the screen.

• • • • • • • • • • • • Before starring in "The Outsiders" in 1983, Swayze had been guest starring on TV shows and playing Danny Zuko in "Grease" on Broadway, but this movie catapulted him into the film world and paved the way for his break-out hit.

Comments

[luciadulu]

03:54 PM on 09/15/2009

I loved he and Chris Farley's Chippendale audition bit on SNL! What a great guy, with a sense of humor about himself and his image... thank you for such great memories, Patrick Swayze.

[Marrymeplease]

03:15 PM on 09/15/2009

Deepest sympathy to the Swayze family. We all know that death is a part of life. But it's still hard to face.May God give you strength.

[firewmn]

12:12 PM on 09/15/2009

PanCan.org

[Neidi]

09:54 AM on 09/15/2009

My first crush! Looking at his images from Dirty Dancing and Ghost still gives me butterflies.

[sdmomof4]

09:11 AM on 09/15/2009

The first man I ever loved......5th grade, convinced my parents to let me put my first poster on my bedroom wall, Patrick as Johnny Castle, heaven's a bit brighter today.

[GrainneKathleen]

09:03 AM on 09/15/2009

Thank you for sharing your artistic soul with us, Patrick! You were so talented and beautiful, and truly a class act. Much peace and love to you and your family.

[Jazz88105]

09:01 AM on 09/15/2009

I loved your work Rest In Peace Patrick.

[Pippen]

08:01 AM on 09/15/2009

One of the worlds most profound definitions of a "Real Man" we've ever been witness too. The kind of man that is so rare that there will never be another Patrick.

His family are all very similar to him and have enormous talent and dedication to art and teaching. He's truly a product of his family. Hard working, fun loving, love to be alive and helping people.

He's not just an actor, he was our friend. Anyone who met him he made them feel like they were his friend.

Wonderful person just wonderful. Strangely I don't mourn him now, as much as I'm still in awe of how lucky we were to have a guy like that around. His family lived up the street from mine and my mother would routinely talk about his mother as though she knew them all. His mother Pat taught dance at the local school nearby and we got monthly updates about how her son was this natural dancer and going to school in New York. I met him one time at a bar, he stopped in to speak to a friend and I was cooling my jets with a beer and he leaned over the bar and greeted me as though he was there to meet me. We chatted cordially and he left but the encounter just heightened my already epic belief in this superhero.

Rest now Patrick and thank you

[Roschelle]

04:50 AM on 09/15/2009

what a class act! I hope, as he said in Ghost, "he took the love inside with him"

[Blue5]

12:34 AM on 09/15/2009

Wolverines!!!!!!!

RIP Patrick.

[godless09]

01:29 AM on 09/15/2009

I know I really liked Red dawn.

[amantedelibros]

12:14 AM on 09/15/2009

He was so handsome. He had such tenderness in his expressions. I'm so sorry to hear he's gone. Peace, Patrick...go in peace.

[Timothy2700]

12:07 AM on 09/15/2009

Go in Peace Patrick!! And THANK YOU for sharing your talents with us!!!

[LMPE]

11:41 PM on 09/14/2009

RIP

[LemonMeringue]

11:13 PM on 09/14/2009

SNL White Trash Bed & Breakfast with Jan Hook and Phil Hartman and Victoria Jackson. Hilarious. Swayze was the hapless gest.

[GerryS]

11:13 PM on 09/14/2009

yup, road house------- probably his best---------------------------

condolences to the family