We knew it was coming, but that doesn't make it any easier. Patrick Swayze died tonight after battling pancreatic cancer for nearly two years. The Houston native began his career as a dancer and made his way from Waltrip High School in Oak Forest to the big screen as his star grew throughout the 1980s.

Swayze's career provided some of the best "watch 'em 'til the VHS tape breaks" guilty pleasures of the era. He played tough big brothers in The Outsiders and Red Dawn. Dirty Dancing sent his star soaring as he flexed his musical theater skills with Jennifer Grey. He took down Brad Wesley and his band of thugs as a coffee drinking, Red smoking cooler in Road House and got vengeance redneck style in Next of Kin with Liam Neeson. Ghost garnered him a Golden Globe for his portrayal of a romantic murder victim. And who can forget Swayze as Bodhi the bank robbing big wave surfer in Point Break? Note: we're not ashamed to say that we watch every second of that flick anytime we run across it on the tube.

Rest in peace, Mr. Swayze. We hope you're surfing the big break in the sky.

Filed in News and tagged chippendales, dirty dancing, ghost, outsiders, patrick swayze, point break, red dawn, road house, snl

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