Thaindian News

A representative for 57-year-old American actor, dancer, choreographer, and singer-songwriter Patrick Swayze has told People magazine the Hollywood heartthrob is still alive.

Born in Houston, Texas, in 1952, the denial was necessary after an online news website ran a massive headline across it’s website “Patrick Swayze is Dead at 57”. Wikipedia, the free, online public encyclopedia, also briefly showed the actor having died today, May 19, 2008, before editors amended the listing.

Best remembered for the role of Johnny Castle in the 1987 production of Dirty Dancing and the role of Sam Wheat in the 1990 movie Ghost, roles for which he received Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Swayze was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in January 2008.

In 1996 Swayze broke both legs and detached four tendons in his shoulder when he fell from a horse and hit a tree while filming HBO’s Letters from a Killer in California.

In July 2006 he made his London stage debut alongside Neil Jerzak in the musical Guys and Dolls in the role of Nathan Detroit.

Swayze’s last starring role was in the 2007 film Christmas in Wonderland. In August 2007, Swayze played an aging rock star in the film Powder Blue, which is scheduled for release laster this year.

In June 1975 Swayze married long time sweetheart Lisa Niemi, who he first met when he was 18 and was teaching the then 14-year-old dancing.

On January 9, this year, Swayze was hospitalized with pneumonia, a complication of chemotherapy treatment, but sent home one week later to recuperate.

His battle with cancer has been followed by millions of fans around the world, with actor himself keeping the topic in the media by appearing on talk-show programs and telethons to keep cancer research in the public forum.