Donald Carl Swayze is an American actor, noted for character acting in dramatic series and soap operas as well as several feature films, and theatrical work.
Early life
Swayze was born in Houston, Texas, the middle child of Patsy Swayze, a choreographer, dance instructor, and dancer, and Jesse Wayne Swayze, an engineering draftsman. He has an older sister, Vickie Lynn, an older brother, Patrick, one younger brother, Sean Kyle, and one younger sister Bora Song "Bambi". Swayze's direct paternal ancestor was Englishman John Swasey from Bridport, Dorset. During the Great Migration, Swasey travelled aboard The Recovery arriving at Massachusetts. He married Katherine Kinge from Essex, eventually having seven children. The grandson Samuel was among early members of the family to use the Swayze spelling.
Film career
Swayze's film work has included an appearance as a dancer in the 1980 filmUrban Cowboy, as Ruben in the film Father for Charlie, and as Mark in the film Shy People, along with a role alongside Corey Feldman in a movie called Edge of Honor where he played the part of a "Homicidal Lumberjack". He also played Col. Sherman Rutherford in a western–noir hybrid titled Heathens and Thieves in 2012. He also starred in the film Death Ring, and as the Alamo courier James Bonham in , an IMAX film shown in San Antonio, Texas.
Television career
Swayze performed the role of James Mackey recently in the seventh episode of season five on the Netflix series Longmire. He appeared in two soap operas: The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives. In 2010, Swayze guest-starred in six episodes in a recurring role as Gus, a werewolf, on the HBO series True Blood. His television drama work includes multiple appearances in Murder She Wrote, The X Files, NYPD Blue, NCIS, Carnivàle, and dozens of other programs. Swayze had a role as an intellectually disabled man suspected of murder in an episode of the television drama Matlock. He played Jesse James in a season-two episode of '. He played the demon Lucius in an episode of Charmed in 2005. He had a recurring role on Criminal Minds, specifically the episodes "The Big Game" and "Revelations", in which he played Charles Hankel, the father and alternate personality of serial killer Tobias Hankel. On Cold Case, Swayze played the adult Grant Hall. Swayze had a small guest appearance on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia as a crazy boat captain. He has also appeared on ', and The Bridge. Swayze also appeared in an episode of Sons of Anarchy. In 2017, he joined the cast of General Hospital for a stint in the role of Buzz. Additional roles include a non-speaking role as rapist William Dollar on LA Law. In 2019, Swayze appeared in the season premiere of , the ninth installment of the FXhorroranthology television seriesAmerican Horror Story.
Stage career
In 2001, Swayze was on stage as Pedro in Man of La Mancha at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center. In 2005, he played Roy in the comedy Lone Star at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. In the fall of 2011, he co-starred with Anne Archer in an original stage play titled Jane Fonda: In the Court of Public Opinion at the Edgemar Theater in Santa Monica, California; he played U.S. Army Sgt. Don Simpson, a wounded veteran of the Vietnam War.
Personal life
Swayze is an avid skydiver and cyclist, and races cross country mountain bikes in his spare time. He was married to the model and actress Marcia Rose Goebel on December 31, 1985, but they divorced in 1993. Together they had a daughter. He is married to Charlene Swayze.
