Speedway

Don Swayze

Don Swayze
Swayze in 2010
Born
Donald Carl Swayze

(1958-08-10) August 10, 1958 (age 66)[citation needed]
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActor
Years active1980–present
Spouses
Marcia Swayze
(m. 1985; div. 1993)
Charlene Lindstrom
(m. 2014)
Children1
Parents
RelativesPatrick Swayze (brother)
Lisa Niemi (sister-in-law)

Donald Carl Swayze (born August 10, 1958[citation needed]) is an American character actor, noted for acting in dramatic series and soap operas as well as several feature films, and theatrical work.

Early life

Swayze was born in Houston, Texas, the middle child of Patsy Swayze (née Karnes; 1927–2013), a dance teacher; and Jesse Wayne Swayze (1925–1982), an engineering draftsman. Patsy owned a dance studio where neighborhood students took dance lessons. Donald and his older brother Patrick Swayze (1952–2009), both attended and graduated from Frank Black Junior High School and then Waltrip High School in northwest Houston. He also had an older sister, Vickie Lynn (1949–1994). Furthermore, Donald also has one younger brother, Sean Kyle (born 1962), and one younger sister Bora Song "Bambi" (born 1966), who was adopted by the Swayzes’.

Career

Film

Swayze's film work has included an appearance as a dancer in the 1980 film Urban Cowboy, as Ruben in the film Father for Charlie, and as Mark in the film Shy People, along with a role alongside Corey Feldman in a movie called Edge of Honor where he played the part of a "Homicidal Lumberjack". He had a brief (2 minute) cameo appearance role as Obnoxious Guy in The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold (Video 2006) - IMDb. He also played Col. Sherman Rutherford in a western–noir hybrid titled Heathens and Thieves in 2012.[1] He also starred in the film Death Ring, and as the Alamo courier James Bonham in Alamo: The Price of Freedom, an IMAX film shown in San Antonio, Texas.

Television

Swayze played ‘pug’ in Street Hawk 1984 Episode 12, and Tommy Jenks in Matlock’s The Thoroughbred in 1989. He performed the role of James (Jim) Mackey in the seventh episode of season five on the Netflix series Longmire. He appeared in two soap operas: The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives. In 2010, Swayze guest-starred in six episodes in a recurring role as Gus, a werewolf, on the HBO series True Blood.[2][3] His television drama work includes multiple appearances in Murder, She Wrote, The X-Files, NYPD Blue, NCIS, Carnivàle, and dozens of other programs. Swayze had a role as an intellectually disabled man suspected of murder in an episode of the television drama Matlock. In 1989 he portrayed a member of a gang that held hostages in the hotel in the Western drama Paradise. He played Jesse James in a season-two episode of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. He played the demon Lucius in an episode of Charmed in 2005. He had a recurring role on Criminal Minds, specifically the episodes "The Big Game" and "Revelations", in which he played Charles Hankel, the father and alternate personality of serial killer Tobias Hankel. On Cold Case, Swayze played the adult Grant Hall. Swayze had a small guest appearance on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia as a crazy boat captain. He has also appeared on Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction,[clarification needed] and The Bridge. Swayze also appeared in an episode of Sons of Anarchy.[4] In 2017, he joined the cast of General Hospital for a stint in the role of Buzz.[5] Additional roles include a non-speaking role as rapist William Dollar on L.A. Law. In 2019, Swayze appeared in the season premiere of American Horror Story: 1984, the ninth installment of the FX horror anthology television series American Horror Story, and played Dennis Seacrest, a murderous henchman working for George Hearst, in Deadwood: The Movie that same year.

Stage

In 2001, Swayze was on stage as Pedro in Man of La Mancha at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center.[6] In 2005, he played Roy in the comedy Lone Star at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. In the fall of 2011, he co-starred with Anne Archer in an original stage play titled Jane Fonda: In the Court of Public Opinion at the Edgemar Theater in Santa Monica, California; he played U.S. Army Sgt. Don Simpson (retired), a wounded veteran of the Vietnam War.

Personal life

Don Swayze is an avid cyclist and skydiver, and races cross country mountain bikes in his spare time. Don is married to Charlene Swayze. Don and Charlene have established an animal therapy ranch in San Diego County, California known as Swayze Ranch. Charlene has also established the Swayze Foundation.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1987 Shy People Mark
Death Blow: A Cry for Justice Andy
1988 Alamo: The Price of Freedom James Bonham Short
1989 Driving Force Nelson
Trapper County War Walt Luddigger
1991 Edge of Honor Ritchie
Payback Jeremy
1992 Death Ring John Blackwell Video
1993 Body of Influence Biker
Eye of the Stranger Rudy
Beach Babes from Beyond Gork
Broken Trust Sgt. Barnes
1994 The Other Man Curran
Forced to Kill Dwayne
Pontiac Moon Local
1995 Digital Man Billy
1996 Squanderers Scott
1998 Evasive Action Ian Kellen
2000 The Prophet's Game Joseph Highsmith
2003 Lady Jayne: Killer Fred
2004 Knuckle Sandwich Larry
2005 Waterborne Otis
2006 The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold Obnoxious Guy Video
The Visitation Abe
2007 The Colony State Dept. Official #1" Short
2008 Prairie Fever James Video
2009 Powder Blue Bouncer
2010 Quit Ward
2011 Miss Feet Jesus Short
2012 Lizzie Daniel Allen
Heathens and Thieves Sherman
Ambush at Dark Canyon Chale Lord
2014 Iniquitios John Duncan Short
The Appearing Sheriff Hendricks
Nellie Nellie Mr. Townsend Short
2015 The Night Crew Big Willy
2019 Beneath the Leaves Whitley Senior
2024 On Swift Horses Terence
2025 Honey Don't! TBA Post-production
TBA All Saints Day Kier Connolly

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1984 I Married a Centerfold Actor #2 TV movie
1985 Street Hawk Pug Episode: "Follow the Yellow Gold Road"
J.O.E. and the Colonel Max Carney TV movie
1986 Prince of Bel Air Darryl
Tall Tales & Legends Groom Episode: "My Darlin' Clementine"
The Fall Guy Stretch Episode: "War on Wheels"
1st & Ten Clay Daniels Episode: "A Second Chance"
L.A. Law William Dollar Episode: "Pilot"
1988 Dead or Alive Brewer TV movie
1989 Paradise Langston Episode: "A House Divided"
Matlock Tommy Jenks Episode: "The Thoroughbred"
Hunter Lyle Episode: "On Air"
1990 The World According to Straw Abalone TV movie
1991 Dragnet Pete Brown Episode: "The Vandals"
The New Adam-12 Don Episode: "Families"
1991–1993 Murder, She Wrote Gus Tardio / Edge Potter 2 episodes
1992 Columbo Albert Wagner Episode: "No Time to Die"
1993 Dark Justice Fitzimmons Episode: "Crash Course"
Renegade John Poe / T-Bone 2 episodes
Beyond Suspicion Duke TV movie
1995 A Father for Charlie Reuben Cantwell
NYPD Blue Alex 2 episodes
Lois & Clark: The New
Adventures of Superman
Jesse James Episode: "Tempus Fugitive"
Walker, Texas Ranger Harry Peterson Episode: "The Guardians"
Land's End Thomas Dwayne Boller Episode: "A Line in the Sand"
1998 The Magnificent Seven Gage Lawless Episode: "Inmate 78"
Babylon 5: Thirdspace Raider Leader TV movie (uncredited)
Profiler Gelb Episode: "Do the Right Thing"
1999–2000 Movie Stars Don Swayze 14 episodes
2000 Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction William Pope Episode: "Anatole"
2000–2002 V.I.P. Merrick 2 episodes
2001–2004 The Division Gary Gold / Elvin 'Tupelo' Seaforth
2002 The X-Files Terry Pruit Episode: "Hellbound"
2003 Tremors Orville James Episode: "Water Hazard"
2003–2005 Carnivàle Tattooed Man 6 episodes
2004 Karen Sisco Jackie Episode: "No One's Girl"
2004–2021 NCIS Logan Clay / Peter Walker 2 episodes
2005 CSI: Miami Norm Buford Episode: "Nothing to Lose"
Charmed Lucius Episode: "Little Box of Horrors"
Without a Trace Randy Stone Episode: "Lost Time"
2006 Love, Inc. Troy Episode: "Major Dad"
My Name Is Earl Bail Bonds Man Episode: "The Bounty Hunter"
Shark Beau Dawkins Episode: "Déjà Vu All Over Again"
2007 Mystery Woman: In the Shadows Bishop TV movie
Criminal Minds Charles Hankel 2 episodes
Cold Case Grant Hall - 2007 Episode: "Shuffle, Ball Change"
2008 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Dave Bohr Episode: "The Theory of Everything"
2009–2017 Family Guy Patrick Swayze (voice) 2 episodes
2010 True Blood Gus 6 episodes
The Young and the Restless Shaw Roberts 5 episodes
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Ray Episode: "The Gang Buys a Boat"
Passenger Kylek 2 episodes
2011 Days of Our Lives Pawn Broker / Rip 3 episodes
2012 Wilfred Shady Guy Episode: "Letting Go"
2013 Southland Gus Jameson Episode: "Under the Big Top"
Hawaii Five-0 Lloyd Grimes Episode: "Ho'opio"
The Bridge Tampa Tim 4 episodes
2014 Blood Type James Ryder Episode: "A Rare and Precious Commodity"
Sons of Anarchy Carl Egan Episode: "The Separation of Crows"
2016 Longmire Jim Mackey Episode: "From This Day Forward"
2017 General Hospital Buzz Episode #1.13720
Tucker's War Charlie Caleb Carson 2 episodes
Decker General Coover Episode: "Space Wall"
2019 Deadwood: The Movie Dennis Seacrest TV movie
American Horror Story: 1984 Ed Gibson Episode: "Camp Redwood
2020 Sons of Thunder Angie D. 5 episodes
The Rookie Sgt. Sharp Episode: "Under the Gun"
2021 Lucifer Gas Station Owner Episode: "Pin the Tail on the Daddy"
2022 Magnum P.I. Melvin Muchado Episode: "Run, Baby, Run"
NCIS: Hawaiʻi Joe Episode: "Primal Fear"
2023 Perry Mason Man at Business Meeting Episode: "Chapter Fifteen"

References

  1. ^ Heathensandthieves.com
  2. ^ More True Blood Casting News and Over a Dozen New Images
  3. ^ "Don Swayze plays "Gus" in four episodes of True Blood S3". February 10, 2010. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  4. ^ Swayze, Don (28 October 2014). "The Separation of Crows". Sons of Anarchy. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  5. ^ "GENERAL HOSPITAL Casts Don Swayze in Mysterious New Role!". Soaps In Depth. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  6. ^ Everett, Todd. "Inside the Box". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times.