TCA Press Tour: 'Beast' makers talk about Patrick Swayze

Just two days after viewers watched Patrick Swayze tell Barbara Walters during an ABC interview that he's "been going through hell and I've only seen the beginning of it," the actor checked himself into the hospital to be treated for pneumonia.

Swayze, who has been fighting stage 4 pancreatic cancer for the last year, is the star of a new A&E series, "The Beast," which premieres on Jan. 15.  Swazye was diagnosed after he had shot the pilot.  The illness kept him from attending the press tour on Friday to promote the drama with his co-star Travis Fimmel ("Tarzan") and the writers and producers of the show.

''One thing I'm not gonna do is chase staying alive,'' Swayze told Barbara Walters in his first interview since the diagnosis. ''You spend so much time chasing staying alive, you won't live.''

His colleagues attested to that, and a lot more, during a Q&A  with the TV press. The following are excerpts (questions are paraphrased) of comments by "The Beast" co-creators William Rotko and Vincent Angell; show runner John Romano;  pilot director Michael Dinner; and Fimmel.

Q: In light of today's sad news, where is your head at today?

Fimmel:  It's just been an absolute inspiration for me and I'm sure the other guys.  He's an amazing guy.  You can't help but to respect him.  And I can't say enough good stuff about the guy.  He's an inspiration.  He makes a little thing seem so not important.

Angell: We would, you know, as hard as it is to imagine, you forget about it when you're working hours a day and you're on the set with him and, you know, usually most of us would get tired before he would.... And in light of the news today, it's just, I think for him, a bump in the road.  You know, he had a little sniffle, as he said on "Barbara Walters," you know, when we were shooting, and he missed a day of work.  But I think it's, you know, like I said, a bump in the road and we're all wishing him well.

Q: A lot of people who have seen the show think it's one of his best performances. Do you think those challenges brought out something different in him as an artist?

Romano:  Everybody  who writes, produces, directs the show, they're aware that he is bringing the force of his own personal  struggle into that performance.  That's what you're seeing. And when you say how good his performance is, you're seeing what we see.  And all of us who write and do the show, we work in the shadow of a tremendous act of courage.  And you probably feel a little this morning when you heard that he couldn't show up this morning, as much as he wanted to. That's how we do the show, but he does it five days a week, 12 hours a day.  Directors like Michael drive you crazy in the middle of the night in lousy weather.  Patrick loves putting it up there.  And, yes, that's the source of it, and I think you're sniffing that out.  It's the truth.

Q: After he was diagnosed, did you consider making the show with a different actor?

Rotko: The answer's no.  When we found out Patrick had cancer, you know, it was four hours after we found out we got picked up.  Then we dealt with the issue of Patrick.  From the moment Patrick found out he had cancer, from the first phone calls with some of the Sony executives that are present today, he said, "I'm going to do this show." And I think you probably -- if you all watched the Barbara Walters special, you see the type of cowboy personality that he has, and that was his approach, and we immediately glommed on to that.  We never considered another actor for the part.

Q: Can the show continue with a second season even if Patrick is unable to work? (Production on the first season is complete.)

Romano: Believe it or not, we have experienced mornings like this in the making of the show.  So for
us, we have nothing before us that says that we just can't continue making the show we're making starring Patrick Swayze and Travis Fimmel.  We're all aware how the show may need to grow around him.  My feeling is that, as I said, we're talking our cues from Patrick, and I gotta tell you, the only rough conversations I ever have with Patrick is when he reads a script and says, "Are you writing me down?  I'm not climbing enough walls in this episode.  Do you think I can't do it?"

Q: Travis, when you work with Patrick, can you see the physical strain?

Fimmel: No.  As I say, you can hardly tell with the guy.  He's such a man, you know.  The sickest thing about him on the set is probably his jokes.

--Maria Elena Fernandez

Comments

[Jim]

I was not a Swayze fan, but now I am! He is real CLASS!!!

[Sam W]

My family learned of Mr Swayze's pancreatic cancer the day of our mother's funeral who died of it. We are all praying and pulling for him.

[Bill]

Outside of my family and friends who have waged similar battles, I have never rooted harder for another person to find renwed health, inner strength and some kind of peace with his ordeal. A genuinely good guy, valient worker and a deep talent. This sucks. But Patrick should be so proud of how he has lived the past year. What an example.

[anna]

god speed in getting well

[Boyd Oldford]

you are the greatest actor, hope things get better for you and your lovely whife. God bless you for always.

[vince summers]

in december of 2007 my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.by august of 2008 he was gone life is but a twinkling of an eye a vapor my grandfather used to say.i wish i had somthing profound to say to mr swayze but all i can say is to let your soul be your pilot.

[PauvrePapillon]

I wonder why Barbara Walters did not ask Patrick Swayze about CyberKnife. Here is a report from a source that certainly appears credible. From Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School…

"More than 50,000 people, including Actor Patrick Swayze, have turned to it to treat hard to reach cancers. Cyberknife RadioSurgery uses real-time, image-guided robotics to accurately target tumors and lesions that may otherwise be untreatable.

"'This is a real breakthrough,' says says Dr. Anand Mahadevan, of the Keith C. Field Cyberknife Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the first center in New England to offer Cyberknife therapy. 'In the past, we've been limited to how much radiation we can give to treat cancers because it scatters around the tumor and causes collateral damage to nearby structures. This therapy pinpoints the exact location, sparing surrounding tissue.'"

http://www.bidmc.harvard.edu/YourHealth/HealthNotes/Surgery/CyberknifeSurgeryWithoutCutting.aspx

For more about CyberKnife, see

http://www.cksociety.org

http://www.accuray.com

[Marilyn]

Mr. Swazye: You are an amazing person. You are in my prayers, with God all things are possible.

[Robyn Coats Bier]

As a person who FELL IN LOVE with Patrick in "Ghost" seen it 15 times cry each and every time ,and also caring for a loved one with pancreatic , I have so much love admiration and Respect for the corage PATRICK has shown through this most trying of times. MY HEART&SOUL AND PRAYERS go out to he and his family. go get em pat LOL

[Elvira Cataldo]

John Romano is my cousin, I and the family are so proud of him and his successfullness. But this is not about him its about how Patrick's battle and what a winner he is. I have always been a big fan but seeing what he has come through and the style in which he's done it, I Bless Him!

[victoria king]

I have alwayz loved Patrick Swayze.The movie dirty danceing was my favorite movie and always wiil.I love you Patrick rest in peace.

[MILISSA JUARES]

PATRICK, MAY BE GONE, BUT HE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN, FOR HIS LIFE INSPIRED ALOT OF PEOPLE, FOR ME AS A EXAMPLE, THE LOVE HE HAD FOR HIS WIFE, MADE ME RELIZE THAT LIFE IS TO SHORT TO NOT BE HAPPY, LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST, AND NEVER TAKE LIFE FOR GRANTED, I ALSO LOST MY EX HUSBAND, OUR DAUGHTER WAS GETTING MARRIED ON DEC 16, HE WAS SO EXCITED AND COULDNT WAIT TO WALK HE DOWN THE AIL, BUT UNFORTUNALITY HE PAST AWAY 3 MONTHS BEFORE, SO TO HIS WIFE AND FAMILY WE FEEL YOUR SORROW AND REMEMBER USE IN OUR PRAYERS,JUST REMEMBER HES IN KNOW MORE PAIN AND HE'LL ALWAYS BE WATCHING OVER USE... GOD BLESS USE!!!! LOVE MILISSA & FAMILY

[rita p]

Mr. Swayze was an amazing actor. I know the pain because I lost my husband the love of my life five years ago to pancreatic cancer. He was gone in less than four months to soon we miss him so much. My prayers are with his wife and family and all his friends.

[Rodney Quiros]

I usually,never post anything on the internet about,actors or musicians passing,but today,i can't help myself,when you look at his career and acomplishments as an actor and family man,you must honor,that,my heart goes out to his family,thanks for the memories,i guess i'll be watching road house tonite on dvd,and who can't deny the talent on To: wong foo,as a crossdresser.Thanks Mr.Swayze,you rest in peace.