Conheci Patrick Swayze pessoalmente em 1991, durante o lançamento do filme "Caçadores de Emoção" (Point Break). Voltei a falar com ele em 1995 quando lançou "Three Wishes" e em 1998 por causa de "Black Dog".
Em todas essas vezes, que tive oportunidade de conversar com ele, a sensação era sempre a mesma: esse cara é um sujeito legal. Comentário banal? Não acho. Gostaria de que quando não esteja mais aqui, as pessoas que me conheceram possam pelo menos dizer isso de mim -- era um cara legal. E Patrick era isso mesmo. Gostava da esposa, amava seu trabalho e abraçava cada projeto com paixão e determinação. A intensidade que suas personagens apresentam na tela, era a mesma com que ele encarava sua vida e seu trabalho.
Fiquei triste ao saber da notícia de sua morte. Morte prematura e cruel. A garra com que encarava seus desafios cotidianos, não foi suficiente para vencer a terrível doença. Sinceramente lamento. Patrick, como suas personagens, merecia um final mais feliz. Mas ninguém pode negar que ele lutou até o fim com um verdadeiro mocinho da tela. Não fugiu da luta e mostrou disposição até a última bala do revólver. Que descanse em paz.
Aqui a transcrição de uma entrevista de TV que fiz com ele sobre o filme "Black Dog" em que fazia um caminhoneiro heróico.
WLAD - PATRICK, WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THIS PROJECT ?
PATRICK SWAYZE - I'd been looking for an action movie that wasn't just about blood and guts and had some kind of dramatic element and I love big trucks and when I read the script it was a page turner. You know, it was like a real E Ticket ride and, you know, because then all an audience has to do is sit down in the seat and kick back and the movie will take off and after playing a drag queen and wearing panty hose, I figured I'd better - better get macho fast otherwise people will start wondering about me but it doesn't make me a bad person so there.
WLAD - WHAT "BLACK DOG" HAS DIFFERENT FROM MOST ACTION FILMS THAT ARE RIGHT NOW ON THE MARKET?
PATRICK SWAYZE - BLACK DOG is an honest action movie, you know. I'm not a character who's a Superman or is Mr. Kung Fu or Rambo. I'm just a normal, everyday guy who happens to be one hell of a truck driver and - and I think the reason I liked the movie is I think it's identifiable or able to be identified with by any man in the world or any woman - with all of us, if you threaten my family, I will stop you. If you try to harm my family, I'll kill you if I have to and I think that's something that we all carry with us; that, you know, it's our job; it's our function to protect the beings that we love and especially if they're in danger because of your mistake, you know. He makes a mistake. He makes a bad decision and almost pays for it.
WLAD - IN THIS FILM ALSO WE HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE TWO GREAT SINGERS WORKING AS ACTORS -- MEATLOAF & RANDY TRAVIS -WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT SINGERS TAKING THE PLACE OF ACTORS?
PATRICK SWAYZE - If they can do the job, more power to them. I mean, that's one neat thing about the film is there are a lot of really nice performances. Randy Travis puts forth a really wonderful complete full character and Meatloaf, actually, I don't know if people realize the level of background Meatloaf has. We call him Me-ate-lo-wof (phonetic). He has a great deal of talent as an actor so if they were bogus and they weren't doing the job, it might have, you know, gotten under my skin but they - not only are they wonderful guys but they're talented musicians and as actors.
WLAD - NOW I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT BRAZIL. IF I AM NOT WRONG, LAST TIME WE TALKED YOU MENTIONED YOU WERE GOING TO BRAZIL. HAVE YOU BEEN THERE?PATRICK SWAYZE - Yes.
WLAD -WHAT DID YOU DISCOVER OVER THERE?
PATRICK SWAYZE - Oh, I discovered a wonderful place and I love the people. There's a sense of joy and a sense of fun that exists and people also are very good at what they do. I was shown around, my wife and I, were shown around Brazil by many people that raise Arabian horses. People like Giselle, who was taking care of us there and so we got to have a great time. We were there to do publicity on a film, but we got to see some Arabian horses' farms and - and see a lot of the country by helicopter. We squeezed a lot in in a short amount of time. It was great.
