'I think of being in his arms'

Dirty Dancing co-star recalls 'real cowboy' Patrick Swayze, who died on Monday

Dirty Dancing co-star recalls 'real cowboy' Patrick Swayze, who died on Monday

Patrick Swayze's Dirty Dancing co-star Jennifer Grey recalled "being in his arms when we were kids" as Hollywood stars and movie fans alike on Tuesday mourned the actor's death at the age of 57.

Swayze, who continued to work long after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer nearly two years ago, even starring in a new cable TV series The Beast, succumbed to his illness on Monday at his home, surrounded by family.

classic: A still from the cult movie Dirty Dancing (1987)

Grey (49), his co-star in the 1987 breakout hit Dirty Dancing, remembered the Texas-born Swayze as a "rare and beautiful combination of raw masculinity and amazing grace."

"Gorgeous and strong, he was a real cowboy with a tender heart," said Grey, who played opposite Swayze as a shy teenager, Frances 'Baby' Houseman, who falls for his character, sexy dance instructor Johnny Castle, in the film.

Fearless fighter

"He was fearless and insisted on always doing his own stunts, so it was not surprising to me that the war he waged on his cancer was so courageous and dignified," Grey said.

"I think of being in his arms when we were kids, dancing, practicing the lift in the freezing lake, having a blast doing this tiny little movie we thought no one would ever see," she added.

Swayze earned a Golden Globe nomination for Dirty Dancing and also for his role as Demi Moore's deceased lover, Sam, in the 1990 love story Ghost.

"Patrick you are loved by so many, and your light will forever shine in all of our lives," said Moore.

His other Ghost co-star, Whoopi Goldberg, who won an Oscar for playing the psychic, who helps Sam's spirit reconnect with Moore's character, said, "I believe in 'Ghost's' message, so he'll always be near."