My Take
Lisa Niemi is one of those figures who spent years quietly building a serious career — dancer, choreographer, screenwriter, actress — while the world mostly filed her under "Patrick Swayze's wife," which is both understandable and a little unfair. She trained hard, co-wrote and starred in Steel Dawn alongside Patrick, and brought genuine craft to everything she touched. Her 2011 Royal Order of Francis I is a reminder that her work was recognized beyond the Hollywood bubble. After Patrick's death in 2009 she wrote a deeply personal memoir about their relationship and his final year, and it read as the work of someone with real literary instincts, not just a celebrity cashing in on grief. A Gemini from Houston with range she rarely got full credit for.
Overview
Lisa Niemi Swayze (born Lisa Anne Haapaniemi) is an American writer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and director. She is the widow of actor and dancer Patrick Swayze.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Lisa Niemi
- Name (Japanese)
- リサ・ニエミ
- Reading
- りさ・にえみ
- Born
- May 26, 1956 (age 70)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Monkey
- Origin
- Houston, Texas, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- choreographer / dancer / screenwriter / film actor / television actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 2011 Royal Order of Francis I
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.