The Time of My Life by Patrick Swayze & Lisa Niemi

Author:Patrick Swayze & Lisa Niemi [Swayze, Patrick & Niemi, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Entertainment & Performing Arts, Personal Memoirs, Self-Help, Motivational & Inspirational
ISBN: 9781439158616
Google: LinvWBctEXUC
Amazon: 1439158614
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: 2009-09-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

I read the script for Dirty Dancing one evening in our new house. Right away it filled me with emotion—but not the kind it was supposed to. I didn’t like it. It seemed fluffy— nothing more than a summer-camp movie. Lisa read it, too, and she felt the same way.

But at the same time, we both could see the kernel of a great story in there. The ideas behind Dirty Dancing were fantastic. There were elements of class conflict, relationships, sexual awakening, family issues—it had a little bit of everything. And even though the screenplay was weak, with some work it could explore all those elements through a strong story filled with compelling characters.

Potential is a wonderful thing, but would the writer and director be open to rewrites? The next morning, as Lisa and I worked on remodeling our kitchen, we talked about how the script could be better. And despite our initial reservations, we began to get a little excited about it. I was scheduled to go in and read for the part of Johnny Castle, a role that seemed perfect for me. I wanted to win it, but I also wanted to find out if we could really turn this into a great movie or not.

One thing that attracted me to Dirty Dancing was the fact that Emile Ardolino would be directing. Emile didn’t have a mile-long Hollywood resume, but he came from the dance world and had done award-winning work, including a televised presentation of “Baryshnikov at the White House” and a documentary about Jacques d’Amboise called He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin’ that won an Academy Award. Dirty Dancing would be Emile’s first feature film, but he was a class act and really knew dance. If anyone could pull this off, it was Emile.

But I still had reservations about going for the role of Johnny Castle, for one big reason. Even if the script could be vastly improved, I wasn’t sure this movie was the right step to take in my career.

The response to Skatetown, U.S.A. had made it clear that I could have my pick of similar roles—and make a lot of money doing them. But it was also clear that if I did choose that route, I might never be able to escape it. I’d always be seen as a dancer-turned-actor, rather than an actor. So in the eight years that had passed since Skatetown, U.S.A., I had purposefully avoided roles that involved dancing or had any kind of teen-idol flavor. I’d turned down that four-picture deal with Columbia that would have shot me to fame. I’d buried myself in acting classes. And I had been constantly on the lookout for parts that could stretch me as an actor.

Now, with Dirty Dancing, I had a choice. Should I stick to my guns and refuse to take a dancing movie? Or was this a different kind of movie, one that would allow me to dance but also to stretch myself as an actor? I was scared to say yes, scared I’d be undoing what I’d worked for the last eight years to build.

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