Lisa Niemi

Lisa Niemi

American actor and director
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Lisa Niemi
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Lisa Anne Haapaniemi Swayze DePrisco (born May 26, 1956), also known by her stage name, Lisa Niemi, is an American writer, director, actress and dancer. She is the widow of actor, singer, and dancer Patrick Swayze. They were married for 34 years, from 1975 until his death in 2009.

Early life

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Lisa Anne Haapaniemi was born in Houston, Texas, the only daughter of six children born to Edmond Haapaniemi, then Director of Water Safety Services at the Red Cross, and registered nurse Karin Haapaniemi Niemi has said her father and her mother's profession were her inspiration and encouragement. She graduated from the Houston Ballet Dance Company in 1974. She shortened her surname from Haapaniemi to just Niemi in 1977 for her theatre stage name.

Career

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Films

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Niemi Swayze wrote, directed and starred in the 2003 film One Last Dance alongside Swayze. One Last Dance was based on Without a Word, a successful play written 18 years before which had won six Drama Critics Awards. Niemi said, "It was basically based on our experiences as concert dancers in New York, and it affected people a lot."

She co-starred in Steel Dawn (1987) with Swayze and co-starred in Beat Angel (2004). Niemi also appeared in Letters from a Killer, Next of Kin, Younger and Younger, Live! From Death Row, She's Having a Baby and Slam Dance. Patsy Swayze choreographed the films Urban Cowboy and Grandview, U.S.A. Niemi directed Dance, a 1990 film.

Television

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Niemi co-starred as Carla Frost in 23 episodes of the TV series Super Force from 1990 to 1991. She once again directed her husband, this time in an episode of his TV series The Beast. The episode, titled "My Brother's Keeper", aired on April 9, 2009. It was his last performance before his death.

Books

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On September 29, 2009, Niemi Swayze released a memoir, The Time of My Life (ISBN 9781439158586), which became a New York Times Best Seller, and had been co-written by Patrick Swayze, and was finished just shortly before his death. On January 2, 2012, Niemi Swayze released her New York Time Best Selling memoir, "Worth Fighting For."

Personal life

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At the Houston Ballet Dance Company, Niemi met the owner and director's son, Patrick Swayze; the two eventually began dating when she was 15 years old. Niemi and Swayze were married on June 12, 1975 until Swayze's death from pancreatic cancer on September 14, 2009. Shortly after they wed, the couple moved to New York City to pursue their dance careers until the late 1970s, when they relocated to Los Angeles, California. In addition to dancing and filmmaking, they ran a construction business and raised horses together. The Swayzes had no children.

In 1985, Niemi Swayze began living on a 5-acre (20,000 m2) homestead near the Angeles National Forest, along with a "menagerie of dogs, prized Arabian horses and rodeo cattle." She also had a 20,000-acre (81 km2) ranch in New Mexico.

She is a licensed pilot and flew Swayze to the cancer treatments prior to his death. While filming One Last Dance in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Niemi was made an honorary citizen of the Canadian city. After her husband's death, she became the Chief Ambassador of Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. In July 2011, she was honored with the title of dame and invested in the Royal Order of Francis I. On December 28, 2013, it was announced that she was engaged to Albert DePrisco, a jeweller. On May 25, 2014, Lisa and DePrisco were married

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Lisa Niemi was born on Saturday, 26 May 1956 in Houston, Texas, USA. Her full name at birth was Lisa Anne Haapaniemi. She is best known as a dancer. Niemi's country of citizenship (nationality) is American. For university, she studied at Harness Ballet Theater School, New York. She is 5' 4" (163 cm) tall with a slim build. She has blue eyes and blonde hair (color). Her net worth is reported to be $40,000,000 US dollars. Lisa Niemi is 69 years old and her zodiac star sign is Gemini.

You can find people similar to Lisa Niemi by visiting our lists Screenwriters from Texas and Actresses of Finnish descent.

Full name at birth
Lisa Anne Haapaniemi
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Claim to fame
Will Roger's Follies, Super Force, Steel Dawn
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Date of birth
26 May 1956
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Place of birth
Houston, Texas, USA
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Age
Occupation
Dancer, Actress
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Occupation category
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Nationality
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PERSONAL DETAILS

Height
5' 4" (163 cm)
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Build
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Hair color
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Eye color
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Gender
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Ethnicity
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Sexuality
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Zodiac sign
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ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Net worth
$40,000,000 USD
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High school add_black high school
University
  • Harness Ballet Theater School, New York
  • Houston Jazz Ballet
  • Joffrey Ballet Company
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Talent agency add_black talent agency
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Partner: Albert Deprisco (Married)
Jun 2012-
Lisa Niemi Swayze and Albert Deprisco
Love is supposed to start with bells ringing and go downhill from there. But it was the opposite for me. There's an intense connection between us, and as we stayed together, the bells rang louder.
  • Met her husband when she was 15 and a student of his mother's.
  • Niemi is the Finnish word for cape, as in Cape Cod.
  • Sister-in-law of actor Don Swayze.
  • Daughter-in-law of choreographer Patsy Swayze.

Lisa Niemi is known for her role in the documentary Bonnie (2022) as thanks.

She is also known for her role in the TV mini series documentary Superstar (2021) as Self.

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