Patrick Swayze (1952 - 2009) - Farewell to “a real cowboy with a tender heart” | Movie Talk | What's on TV

We've been saddened here at Movie Talk to learn of the death of Patrick Swayze after a long struggle with pancreatic cancer. Most of the many tributes and obituaries that have been pouring out today describe him as "Dirty Dancing actor Patrick Swayze", which overlooks what a varied 30-year acting career he had. In an attempt to redress the balance we've put together this gallery of some of his best film and TV appearances - from The Outsiders and Red Dawn to his recent role in The Beast. And, yes, we've put Dirty Dancing in there too, and it's that film's Jennifer Grey who remembers him as "a real cowboy with a tender heart".

A film critic for over 25 years, Jason admits the job can occasionally be glamorous – sitting on a film festival jury in Portugal; hanging out with Baz Luhrmann at the Chateau Marmont; chatting with Sigourney Weaver about The Archers – but he mostly spends his time in darkened rooms watching films. He’s also written theatre and opera reviews, two guide books on Rome, and competed in a race for Yachting World, whose great wheeze it was to send a seasick film critic to write about his time on the ocean waves. But Jason is happiest on dry land with a classic screwball comedy or Hitchcock thriller.