His biggest breakthrough role may have come in 1987 when he wowed us as the tough-talking, smooth-moving Johnny Castle on the iconic coming-of-age cult classic film, Dirty Dancing. But, did you know that not long before this break-out role, Patrick Swayze had a guest-starring stint on the hit sitcom series, MAS*H?
In the 1981 MAS*H episode titled Blood Brothers, Swayze portrays Private Gary Sturgis.
The officer is worried about his buddy who has recently been 𝕚𝕟𝕛𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕕 and is in need of 𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕕.
Swayze’s Private Sturgis is committed to doing whatever he can to help give his friend what he needs.
However, it turns out that Sturgis himself is facing 𝕕𝕖𝕧𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 news as he receives a 𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕝𝕖𝕦𝕜𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒 𝕕𝕚𝕒𝕘𝕟𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕤.
During MAS*H’s eleven-season run from 1972 until 1983, the hit wartime series brought on many big names to make guest appearances.
Some of the guests such as Swayze, who was twenty-nine years old at the time of his appearance, found their biggest moments of stardom came after their MAS*H cameos.
Finding A Role Into Hollywood With ‘The Outsiders’
Patrick Swayze’s appearance on MAS*H came just a couple of years before another one of Swayze’s most recognizable performances, playing one of the “greasers” on the hit film The Outsiders.
In the 1983 film, Patrick Swayze played Darry Curtis, the older brother to C. Thomas Howell’s Pony Boy Curtis, and Rob Lowe’s Sodapop Curtis.
While it would still be a few years after the April 6, 1981, MAS*H episode on which he guest-starred before Patrick Swayze became a household name, the Hollywood actor had already begun his thriving career when he portrayed Private Sturgis.
Swayze’s first professional appearance came with a Disney Theatrical Group performance in Disney on Parade. Following these performances, Swayze set his sights on Broadway. Where he took over the role of Danny Zuko in a production of Grease.
Patrick Swayze’s big-screen debut came in 1979 when he played portrayed Ace in Skatetown, U.S.A.
Patrick Swayze may have still been developing his acting resume when he appeared as Private Sturgis on MAS*H. But, he was having no trouble finding quite a few roles on-screen during the same time period.
Patrick Swayze Finds Break-Out Roles After MASH
The same year the Red Dawn star appeared on MASH, he also appeared in a television movie called Return of the Rebels opposite I Dream Of Jeannie’s Barbara Eden.
In 1983, when Patrick Swayze while portraying his hit role as Darry on The Outsiders, the actor was also featured in a television series titled The Renegades.
Swayze portrayed a gang leader named Bandit in the short-lived series.
Patrick Swayze’s Own 𝔹𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖 With ℂ𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣
In 2007, Patrick Swayze began his own 𝕓𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖 with ℂ𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣. The actor was 𝕕𝕚𝕒𝕘𝕟𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕕 with stage IV 𝕡𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕔 ℂ𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣 after falling ill during the filming of a pilot for a series called The Beast.
The longtime actor and dancer fought the 𝕕𝕚𝕒𝕘𝕟𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕤 as much as he could. Working on his health while undergoing regular 𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕡𝕪 𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤.
However, Swayze lost his 𝕓𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖 with the disease. The actor passed away at the age of fifty-seven on September 14, 2009. Less than two years after his 𝕕𝕚𝕒𝕘𝕟𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕤 .
