R.I.P Patrick Swayze

In a year that seems to have claimed more than its fair share of Hollywood-types, late yesterday afternoon we learned that actor Patrick Swayze had died after valiantly battling pancreatic cancer for over a year.

I was very saddened to hear this. Though I wouldn't consider myself a *fan* per se, I did like him and I liked the movies that I'd seen him in. Not only was he handsome, but he was talented. Back in the 80's and early 90's when musicals were out of style, he was one of the few "triple threats" in Hollywood that could sing, act and dance. Now that musicals are "back" we're seeing a few more people show off their singing and dancing skills, like Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellwegger, Richard Gere, Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman to name a few. Personally, I would have liked to have seen what Swayze would have done with the role of Billy Flynn in the movie Chicago; not that Richard Gere was bad (he was quite good) but I think Swayze also could have pulled it off. (He placed the role in the Broadway revival).

I'm not sure which role I liked him best in. It's a toss up between Ghost and North and South. I loved him in both of those. Yes, he was also very good in Dirty Dancing, but it's those two that have a special place in my heart. I always felt it was a pity he didn't become a bigger star than he was.

He was not one of those who was in the tabloids; he kept out of the limelight pretty much - that's something I liked. His 34 year marriage to wife Lisa Niemi was another. It's not often you read of that in Hollywood, the graveyard of so many marriages.

He fought his disease with courage and dignity and brought attention to a cancer that has a 90% fatality rate.

Rest well, Patrick. You will be missed.