Secrets of Dirty Dancing

One man for the job

When it came to casting Johnny, screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein knew that there was only one man that she wanted for the job and that was Patrick Swayze. She explained “No other actors were ever considered for Johnny except Patrick. It was always him and only him.”

She added “We went after him, and when I met him, I said, ‘Now that I know you, if you decide not to do this, it’s hard for me to think that I’ll make the film.’” Luckily, the actor was eager to take the gig and Bergstein couldn’t have been more pleased with the outcome of the film.