The world will remember Patrick Swayze most for his portrayals of Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing and Sam Wheat in Ghost. Those roles were legendary and they not only made us swoon, but they became a part of the national consciousness. “Nobody puts Baby in a corner” - did any teenage heart not want to be Baby Houseman at that very moment those words were spoken? Did anyone not want to go buy a potter’s wheel and messily make out to “Unchained Melody”?
While we fans mourn Swayze’s death, his co-stars from those films are mourning too. Jennifer Grey released a statement about her Dirty Dancing co-star, saying “Gorgeous and strong, he was a real cowboy with a tender heart. He was fearless and insisted on always doing his own stunts, so it was not surprising to me that the war he waged on his cancer was so courageous and dignified. When I think of him, I think of being in his arms when we were kids, dancing, practicing the lift in the freezing lake, having a blast doing this tiny little movie we thought no one would ever see.”
Whoopi Goldberg also shared her thoughts, saying “Patrick was a really good man, a funny man and one to whom I owe much that I can’t ever repay. I believe in Ghost’s message, so he’ll always be near.” And, of course Demi Moore Tweeted about her leading man “Patrick, you are loved by so many and your light will forever shine in all of our lives.” Personally, we think of Swayze as the quintessential leading man from our youth and he’ll definitely be missed. [Photo: Getty Images]
