Lisa Niemi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lisa Niemi
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Niemi in 1990
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Lisa Anne Haapaniemi
May 26, 1956 Houston, Texas, U.S.
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| Other names | Lisa Niemi Swayze |
| Education | Houston Ballet Dance Company |
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| Years active | 1975–present |
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| Relatives | Don Swayze (brother-in-law) |
Lisa Niemi Swayze, born Lisa Anne Haapaniemi on May 26, 1956, is an American writer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and director. She is also known as the wife of the famous actor and dancer Patrick Swayze, who passed away in 2009.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Lisa Anne Haapaniemi was born in Houston, Texas. She was the only daughter among six children in her family. Her parents, Edmond Melvin Haapaniemi and Edna Karin Haapaniemi, were of Finnish American background. Her father worked for the American Red Cross, and her mother was a registered nurse. Lisa has shared that her parents' jobs inspired her.
In 1974, Lisa graduated from the Houston Ballet Dance Company. A few years later, in 1977, she shortened her last name from Haapaniemi to Niemi for her stage career. The name "Haapaniemi" means "Aspen Cape" in English, while "Niemi" means "Cape."
Career Highlights
In the 1970s, Lisa and her husband, Patrick Swayze, both pursued careers in dance in New York City.
Films and Directing
Lisa Niemi Swayze has worked on several films. She wrote, directed, and starred in the 2003 movie One Last Dance. Her husband, Patrick Swayze, also starred in it. This film was based on a successful play Lisa had written 18 years earlier, called Without a Word. That play won six Drama Critics Awards. Lisa explained that the movie was inspired by her and Patrick's experiences as dancers in New York.
She also acted in other films, including Steel Dawn (1987) with Patrick Swayze, and Beat Angel (2004). Her other acting roles include Letters from a Killer, Next of Kin, Younger and Younger, Live! From ... Row, She's Having a Baby, and Slam Dance. In 1990, Lisa also directed a film simply titled Dance.
Television Work
On television, Lisa Niemi Swayze played Carla Frost in 23 episodes of the TV series Super Force from 1990 to 1991. She also directed an episode of her husband's TV series The Beast. This episode, called "No Turning Back," aired on April 9, 2009. It was Patrick Swayze's last acting performance before he passed away.
Published Books
Lisa Niemi Swayze is also a successful author. On September 29, 2009, she released her first memoir (a book about her life) called The Time of My Life. This book became a New York Times Best Seller. Patrick Swayze helped write the book, and it was finished shortly before his death.
Later, on January 2, 2012, Lisa released another memoir titled Worth Fighting For. This book also became a New York Times Best Seller, showing her talent as a writer.
Personal Life
Lisa Niemi met Patrick Swayze when she was 14 years old at the Houston Ballet Dance Company. Patrick's mother owned and directed the company. Lisa and Patrick got married on June 12, 1975, when she was 19. They stayed married until Patrick's death on September 14, 2009, from pancreatic cancer.
After they married, the couple moved to New York City to continue their dance careers. In the late 1970s, they moved to Los Angeles, California. Besides dancing and making films, they also had a construction business and raised horses together. Lisa and Patrick Swayze did not have any children.
In 1985, Lisa Swayze began living on a 5-acre homestead near the Angeles National Forest. There, she cared for many animals, including dogs, Arabian horses, and rodeo cattle.
Lisa is also a licensed pilot. She used her piloting skills to fly Patrick to his cancer treatments before he passed away. While filming One Last Dance in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Lisa was made an honorary citizen of the city. After her husband's death, she became the Chief Ambassador of Hope for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, helping to raise awareness and support for cancer research. In July 2011, she was honored as a Dame of the Royal Order of Francis I of the Two Sicilies.
On December 28, 2013, it was announced that Lisa was engaged to Albert DePrisco, a jeweler. They married on May 25, 2014.
