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 |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Relatives | Don Swayze (brother-in-law) |
Lisa Niemi Swayze (born May 26, 1956) is an American writer, dancer, and director. She is also an actress and choreographer. She is known as the wife of the famous actor and dancer Patrick Swayze.
Contents
Early Life and Dance
Lisa Anne Haapaniemi was born in Houston, Texas. She was the only daughter in a family of six children. Her family was Finnish American.
Lisa graduated from the Houston Ballet Dance Company in 1974. She later shortened her last name from Haapaniemi to Niemi in 1977. This was for her stage name in the theater.
A Career in Arts
In the 1970s, Lisa Niemi and her husband, Patrick Swayze, moved to New York City. They both wanted to have careers in dance.
Films and Directing
Lisa Niemi Swayze wrote, directed, and starred in the 2003 film One Last Dance. She acted in it alongside her husband. The movie was based on a play she wrote earlier called Without a Word.
She also acted in other films like Steel Dawn (1987) with Patrick Swayze. Other movies she appeared in include Beat Angel (2004) and Next of Kin. Lisa also directed a film called Dance in 1990.
Television Roles
From 1990 to 1991, Niemi played Carla Frost in 23 episodes of the TV series Super Force. She also directed an episode of her husband's TV series The Beast. This episode, called "No Turning Back," aired in 2009. It was Patrick Swayze's last acting role.
Writing Books
On September 29, 2009, Lisa Niemi Swayze released a memoir called The Time of My Life. A memoir is a book about a person's own life. This book became a New York Times Best Seller. Patrick Swayze helped write the book before he passed away.
In 2012, she released another memoir titled Worth Fighting For. This book also became a New York Times Best Seller.
Personal Life
Lisa Niemi met Patrick Swayze when she was 14 years old. They met at the Houston Ballet Dance Company. They got married on June 12, 1975, when she was 19. They were married until Patrick's death in 2009.
After they married, the couple moved to New York City. They worked on their dance careers there. Later, they moved to Los Angeles, California. Besides dancing and filmmaking, they also had a construction business. They also raised horses together. Lisa and Patrick did not have any children.
Lisa Niemi Swayze is a licensed pilot. She flew Patrick to his medical treatments before he passed away. After her husband's death, she became an important leader for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. This group helps people with pancreatic cancer.
On December 28, 2013, Lisa got engaged to Albert DePrisco, who is a jeweler. They were married on May 25, 2014.
