By Mark Wineka
mwineka@salisburypost.com
For eight days in September 1986, Patsy Reynolds of Salisbury played an extra in the movie “Dirty Dancing” and, on occasion, found herself chit-chatting with its stars, Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.
It was with sadness that Reynolds heard the news of the 57-year-old Swayze’s death Monday from pancreatic cancer.
“He was such a kind person,” Reynolds said Friday, “even to the extras like me.”
As they filmed scenes at Lake Lure, Grey began having problems with mascara running into her eyes and stinging them. She shouted out several times for help from the nurse on the set.
“I went running and said, ‘I can fix this,’ ” Reynolds said.
All it took was Reynolds’ expert work with a damp Q-tip.
From then on, instead of shouting “Nurse, nurse,” when the mascara started to run, Grey yelled “Patsy, Patsy,” Reynolds said.
Swayze also took up calling for Patsy when Grey’s mascara stopped the action.
“Dirty Dancing” was released in 1987 and became an international phenomenon that summer, launching Swayze into stardom. Reynolds casually followed his career and found inspiration from his public confrontation with his own mortality.
Judging from a Barbara Walters interview earlier this year, Reynolds said Swayze and his wife seemed devoted to one another.
Swayze was determined that his wife understand that the cancer was part of their life together and that she would have to move on after his death, Reynolds said.
Reynolds auditioned for a speaking part in “Dirty Dancing” but was handed a non-speaking role as an extra instead. A Latin instructor at Catawba College, Reynolds also had been doing some commercials and print-ad modeling at the time.
Her modeling agency suggested that she audition for the movie, which she no longer watches unless someone wants to know where to look for her in the final edited copy.
Reynolds shows up in the concluding scene, as Swayze’s character, Johnny Castle, is teaching a dance called the dirty mambo. In a green dress, Reynolds is part of the crowd watching the demonstration.
The camera scans the front row as he is teaching the dance, and Reynolds is the last person on the left in that row.
Her green dress can be seen at other times during that part of the film.
After she was home, Reynolds received a call that the famous “Nobody puts Baby in a corner” dancing scene had to be reshot. Reynolds’ mother was visiting her in Salisbury, and she asked whether she could make the trip with her back to Lake Lure.
When they arrived, the filmmakers had a chair ready for Reynolds’ mother and some tea for her to drink. Swayze and Grey also checked in on the set’s new visitor.
“It was so precious and sweet, really nice,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds went on to have bit parts in three other movies, although one role ó a speaking part ó eventually was written out.
The commercials and small movie roles proved to be “some of the most fun parts of my life,” she said.
Reynolds said she wasn’t surprised that Swayze continued working on his television series, “The Beast,” despite his diagnosis. He battled the illness for 20 months.
“I think we’ve lost a dear man,” Reynolds said.