Patrick Swayze to be remembered with new documentary I Am Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze is remembered for his roles in blockbuster films, but there was so much more to the Texas-born leading man who died in 2009 from pancreatic cancer. Paramount Network’s documentary I Am Patrick Swayze will tell the story of the man behind some of Hollywood’s most popular films with a little help from his family and famous friends.
Set to debut on Aug. 18, what would’ve been Swayze’s 67th birthday, the film will dive into the life of a young Texas boy who would one day dance into America’s hearts. He unknowingly began preparing for the role of Johnny Castle in 1987’s Dirty Dancing as a teenager, taking dance classes at his mother’s studio. It’s there where he also met the love of his life, Lisa Niemi, to whom he was married 34 years.
The documentary, directed by Adrian Buitenhuis, will share personal family photos and home videos from his life, featuring commentary from Lisa and his brother Don Swayze. It will also open a window into his career working in blockbuster films, with some never heard before stories from costars including Rob Lowe, C. Thomas Howell, and Sam Elliott. His former big-screen leading ladies from Dirty Dancing, Ghost, Roadhouse, and Point Break — Jennifer Grey, Demi Moore, Kelly Lynch, and Lori Petty, respectively — will also discuss what it was like to share the big screen with Swayze.
The network will lead into the documentary, premiering at 9 p.m. on Aug. 18, with back-to-back airings of Ghost and Dirty Dancing.
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