Patrick Swayze's Career Regret: The Role That Got Away
The Dirty Dancing star never got over losing one specific movie role early in his career - a part he believed was written specifically for him and would have changed everything.
Success in Hollywood can be measured many ways. Some actors chase awards. Others want box office numbers. Patrick Swayze managed something rarer - he became the face of multiple movies that defined entire generations.
Dirty Dancing turned into pure '80s magic in 1987. Critics weren't impressed initially, but audiences couldn't get enough of the dance-filled romance. Ghost followed three years later, a supernatural love story that somehow became the third biggest movie ever made at the time. Add Road House, The Outsiders, and Donnie Darko to his resume. Most actors would kill for just one of these roles.
The Houston Connection
Yet Swayze carried one professional regret until his death at 57. Early in his career, a perfect opportunity slipped through his fingers. Urban Cowboy hit theaters in 1980, telling the story of a Texas guy in Houston who loved to dance. For Swayze, born and raised in Houston with years of classical ballet training behind him, the character seemed custom-built.
The timing couldn't have been worse. He was stuck in Los Angeles filming Skatetown, USA, a roller disco musical that screamed late-'70s desperation. Meanwhile, John Travolta landed the Urban Cowboy lead fresh off his Grease success.
Adding Insult to Injury
The parallels between Swayze and Travolta's careers made losing the role sting even more. Swayze had just finished playing Danny Zuko in the Broadway version of Grease. Travolta got the movie version. Now Travolta was taking another role that felt tailor-made for the Houston native.
The situation got more painful. Swayze's mother, Patsy, worked as choreographer on Urban Cowboy. She hired Lisa Niemi, Patrick's partner and future wife, to assist her. So while Swayze ground through a forgettable disco movie in LA, his family was making the film he desperately wanted to star in.
'It tore me up to think of what I could have done with that character and how it would have launched my career,' Swayze later recalled. 'Country dancing was in my DNA, and as much as I liked John, I hated giving someone else tips on how to play a role I was born for.'
Professional Grace
Once Skatetown wrapped, Swayze rushed back to Houston. Any resentment toward Travolta melted away when they met face-to-face. Swayze even helped his rival learn dance moves for the role he'd wanted so badly.
The missed opportunity haunted him despite later success. Urban Cowboy represented more than just another movie - it was the perfect intersection of his background, skills, and dreams. Sometimes the roles that get away hurt more than the ones that never existed at all.