REMEMBERING Patrick Swayze

Friends and coworkers tell Us what made the beloved actor special and why he's still revered 15 years after his untimely death

- KEVIN DICKSON

Fifteen years ago, the world lost one of its greatest cinema idols of all time, Patrick Swayze. Since then, his blockbusters continue to delight audiences, bringing new generations under the spell of the ruggedly handsome leading man who was equally at home kicking ass in an action flick or melting hearts in a rom-com. “He was smart, funny, articulate [and] insanely talented in so many different disciplines,” his longtime assistant Rosemary Hygate tells Us. “The world lost an amazing human when he passed too young.”

Behind the scenes, Swayze’s story was infinitely more complex. His private life was also shaped by hardship, loss and addiction that never eclipsed his global success. It’s a testament to his character that in the years since his untimely death, in 2009 at age 57, he’s remembered by those who loved him as unfailingly decent, kind and fair.

“When you go see a Patrick Swayze film, you know before a single frame is shown that no matter what, he’ll take care of business and he’ll take care of you,” former manager Kate Edwards tells Us. “It’s that promise and commitment to the viewer that keeps us coming back again and again, and it’s why he’ll remain a movie star forever.”

Finding His Way

Born in Houston, Texas, in 1952, Swayze grew up in a household with a devoted father, Jesse, and a difficult, exacting mother, Patsy. A dance teacher, Patsy forced her children to follow in her footsteps. “Mom was an amazing teacher but a demanding one,” Swayze recalled in his 2009 memoir, The Time of My Life. “We kids worked hard to win her approval in a series of competitions we didn’t realize we could never win.”