Patrick Swayze's wife Lisa Niemi coached him on sex scenes with co-star Kelly Lynch for 'Road House'
Maybe, the current generation isn't all too familiar with Patrick Swayze but in the 80s and 90s, he was arguably Hollywood's biggest star. He had the rugged good looks, the effusive charm, the undeniable acting chops, and the smarts to pick out the roles that accentuated his unique skillset.
It undoubtedly helped that his repertoire extended far beyond what constituted the bread and butter for actors in those days as well. He was the son of Patsy Swayze, who in those days, was Houston's most in-demand ballet instructor.
This meant that his upbringing consisted of grueling ballet sessions under the watchful eye of a perfectionist mother who instilled in him a sense of discipline and determination that ensured he came out of the other end as one of the most technically proficient dancers in the country.
Those years under his mother would prove crucial, as he made his first inroads into Hollywood after landing the lead role in a Broadway rendition of 'Grease', where his performance forced many to stand up and take notice.
And while his initial years in Hollywood would be spent actively avoiding any part that involved showcasing his dancing background due to a fear of being typecast, even he could not say no to 'Dirty Dancing.'
The 1987 romantic dance drama went on to become one of the biggest movies of the decade. Made on a modest budget of $6 million, it grossed $214 million worldwide, generating two multi-platinum albums and multiple singles, including '(I've Had) The Time of My Life', which won both the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Original Song, and a Grammy Award for best duet.
His performance as the smooth and charismatic dance instructor Johnny Castle practically cemented his status as a sex symbol and earned him a wide fan base with female audiences.
On the outside, Swayze painted a picture of confidence and unwavering self-belief that everyone had come to expect of him. Why wouldn't he? He was one of the most in-demand actors on the planet at that point.
But below the surface, he was bubbling with insecurity that would act itself out in the most delicate circumstances. While he was considered a man who oozed sexuality, Swayze reportedly had a problem acting out sex scenes, according to the new REELZ documentary 'Patrick Swayze: Ghosts and Demons.'
That problem came to the fore during the shooting for his 1989 action film 'Roadhouse', where he starred alongside Kelly Lynch.
It's claimed in the documentary that Swayze's wife, Lisa Niemi, took a keen interest in her husband's sex scenes, especially the one he acted out with Lynch, possibly because of the actress's likeness to her.
Niemi is said to have coached Swayze on how he could act out the scene to maximize his chemistry with Lynch and given him other pointers on improve his act in such intimate settings.
Swayze, ever the consummate professional, took the advice to heart, with the result being a steamy and provocative sex scene where he takes her against a rock wall.
Speaking about the scene to A.V. Club in 2012, she said, "They really liked everything about the way that scene looked, with the blonde hair against the rocks behind me, but I was like, 'Isn’t this kind of… mean?' So they put a thin padding under my dress, so you can’t see it. But he’s still slamming me against the rocks, so I had to be careful not to hit my head. Thank God Patrick was so strong. He could’ve carried me around that room forever."
Lynch also revealed she still gets messages about the scene to this day from Bill Murray, who had lauded 'Road House' as an underappreciated film with a complex plot.
"Every time Road House is on and he [Murray] or one of his idiot brothers are watching TV – and they’re always watching TV – one of them calls my husband and says (in a reasonable approximation of Carl Spackler from Caddyshack), 'Kelly's having sex with Patrick Swayze right now. They’re doing it. He's throwing her against the rocks,'" she said.
'Patrick Swayze: Ghosts and Demons' premieres on REELZ on September 7.