Actor Patrick Swayze will start soon filming a television series called "The Beast" in which he stars alongside Aussie actor and former Tarzan star Travis Fimmel. The drama is produced by A&E and Sony Pictures Television. Swayze plays an FBI agent with a checkered past, NYT reports, also quoting an e-mail from the actor in which he says he can’t wait to get to work.

Former "Dirty Dancing" star Patrick Swayze seems to be maintaining a positive mood since being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year. He announced he was suffering from pancreatic cancer in March this year. When the shocking news of his disease first struck, Swayze's personal doctor revealed that the actor had all the reasons to be optimistic, dismissing rumors that his prognosis was dire.

People with pancreatic cancers have a pretty grim prognosis, but it appears that having lots of money betters their chances. For example, Steve Jobs recovered after surgery for a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2004. NYT reports that Swayze's treatment at the Stanford University Medical Center includes both widely available chemotherapy drugs, as well as experimental drugs.

Swayze and his wife Lisa Niemi, who are rumored to have renewed their wedding vows recently, are celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary this month. They have been married since 1975. Last month, Swayze and Lisa Niemi made a nice public outing to watch the Los Angeles Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs in the second game of the NBA Western Conference playoff series at L.A.’s Staples Center.

Swayze first charmed his way into the public’s heart with his portrayal of good-hearted rebel Johnny Castle in 1987’s “Dirty Dancing,” soon followed by the Academy Award nominated “Ghost.”