Summary
- After Road House in 1989, Patrick Swayze continued acting in hits like Ghost, Point Break, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, and Donnie Darko, before passing away in 2009.
- Sam Elliott maintained a successful acting career after Road House, starring in popular shows like The Ranch and the Yellowstone prequel, 1883. He became the only Oscar-nominated star from Road House when he received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance in the 2018 A Star Is Born remake.
- In addition to Swayze, several other Road House stars have since passed, including Ben Gazzara, Red West, Jeff Healey, and Sunshine Parker.
After starring in the original Road House movie in 1989, most of the cast continued acting for many years. 1989's Road House stars 36-year-old Patrick Swayze as Dalton, a tough bouncer who makes some enemies while trying to keep the peace at a rowdy bar in Missouri called the Double Deuce. The action movie has achieved cult classic status over the past few decades, and in 2024, a Road House remake was released starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
In 2006, a sequel called Road House 2 was released that featured none of the original characters or actors from the 1989 movie.
Although there are many differences between Swayze's 1989 Road House and 2024's Gyllenhaal remake, this latest iteration generated renewed interest in the original Road House. All this added attention naturally sparked curiosity about what happened to the charming cast of the first movie after its release in 1989 and where they are today. Some of the stars of Road House are still acting to this day, while others have sadly since passed away.
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Road House (1989) Cast |
|
|---|---|
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Name |
Role |
|
Patrick Swayze |
James Dalton |
|
Kelly Lynch |
Dr. Elizabeth "Doc" Clay |
|
Sam Elliott |
Wade Garrett |
|
Ben Gazzara |
Brad Wesley |
|
Marshall Teague |
Jimmy Reno |
|
Kevin Tighe |
Frank Tilghman |
|
Red West |
Red Webster |
|
Jeff Healey |
Cody |
|
Kathleen Wilhoite |
Carrie Ann |
|
Sunshine Parker |
Emmet |
Road House 1989 Ending Explained: What Happens To Dalton & The Double Deuce
Road House has been known as mindless action and fun for years, but the true meaning of its ending actually reveals surprisingly deep messages.
10 Patrick Swayze As James Dalton
Swayze Continued Acting After Road House (1989) Until He Passed Away In 2009
Patrick Swayze was best known for playing Johnny Castle in 1987's Dirty Dancing when he starred in the lead role of Dalton in Road House in 1989. However, some of Swayze's best movies were released in the '90s, including the supernatural romance film Ghost (1990) with Demi Moore, for which he was nominated for Best Actor at the Golden Globes. After starring in films like Point Break (1991) and City of Joy (1992), Swayze received another Golden Globe nomination for his performance as a drag queen in the 1995 road trip comedy To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.
In 2001, Swayze starred in Donnie Darko with then-19-year-old Jake Gyllenhaal, who would go on to play Swayze's original Road House character, Dalton, in the 2024 remake. Swayze continued acting throughout the 2000s in films like Waking Up in Reno (2002) and 11:14 (2003). In 2007, Swayze was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer shortly after shooting the pilot for his new series, The Beast, which he continued filming while he received treatment. On September 14, 2009, Swayze passed away at the age of 57. His final film role was in 2009's Powder Blue alongside his brother Don Swayze.
Swayze made a cameo appearance in the 2004 Dirty Dancing prequel, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.
9 Kelly Lynch As Dr. Elizabeth "Doc" Clay
Lynch Has Continued Acting Since Road House (1989)
After playing Dalton's love interest, Dr. Elizabeth Clay aka "Doc," in Road House in 1989, Kelly Lynch starred in Gus Van Sant's crime drama Drugstore Cowboy later that same year. She went on to star in Desperate Hours (1990) and Curly Sue (1991) before marrying her current husband, screenwriter Mitch Glazer, in 1992. Throughout the remainder of the '90s, she starred in Three of Hearts (1993), The Beans of Egypt, Maine (1994), Virtuosity (1995), Mr. Magoo (1997), and Homegrown (1998).
Lynch received her first Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead for her work in Drugstore Cowboy. Her next nomination was for her performance in the 1994 indie drama The Beans of Egypt, Maine.
Lynch continued acting throughout the 2000s, playing supporting roles in films like Charlie's Angels (2000), Joe Somebody (2001), and The Jacket (2005). From 2004 to 2005, Lynch had a recurring role as Ivan Aycock in the first two seasons of Showtime's The L Word and returned for the series finale in 2009. Her television work continued in the 2010s when she played Laurel Cooper in seasons 2 and 3 of the 90210 reboot from 2010-2011. She also starred in Glazer's drama series Magic City from 2012-2013.
After starring in season 1 of David E. Kelley's crime drama series Mr. Mercedes in 2017, Lynch took a six-year break from acting. During this time, she only played one minor role in Sofia Coppola's film On the Rocks in 2020. Lynch officially returned to the screen in 2023 for one episode of season 2 of the Apple TV+ series Physical but has not acted since.