Patrick Swayze

With extensive training in ballet including time with New York's Harkness, Joffrey, and Feld dance companies, Patrick Swayze was one of the most graceful silver screen stars since the golden age of movie musicals. His biggest hits were "Dirty Dancing" (1987) and "Ghost" (1990), but he had a career that went far beyond playing romantic leads, starting with a breakout role in "Red Dawn" (1984) and including other films as diverse as "Road House" (1989), "Point Break" (1991), and "Donnie Darko" (2001). Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2008, his final role was as the FBI agent Charles Barker in the television series "The Beast" in 2009. He died at 57 on September 14, 2009.