Jake Gyllenhaal Remembers Original 'Road House' Star Patrick Swayze In Sweet Tribute

Gyllenhaal co-starred with Swayze in "Donnie Darko," and is playing a reimagined version of the late actor's role in the "Road House" remake.

Jake Gyllenhaal is celebrating the release of the “Road House” remake with an emotional salute to the late actor who played his character in the 1989 original.

On Sunday, Gyllenhaal shared a throwback photo of himself posing with Patrick Swayze, with whom he appeared in the 2001 thriller “Donnie Darko,” on Instagram. In the accompanying caption, the actor hinted at differences between Swayze’s “Road House” and his performance in the remake, but noted that he was hopeful that his former co-star would still have enjoyed the new film.

“I’ve been thinking back about my time working with Patrick on Donnie Darko, and rewatching this great man in the original Road House plus so many other films. I’ve never stopped being a fan,” Gyllenhaal wrote. “He was such a talent and I continue to have so much respect and admiration for what he put out and into the world.”

He went on to note: “I’ll never forget his kindness to me when I was starting out— he didn’t have to take the time, but he always did. We’ve made a different RH this time around, but hoping it’s one he would’ve had fun watching!”

Swayze died of pancreatic cancer in 2009 at age 57. The three-time Golden Globe nominee was hot off his “Dirty Dancing” success when he appeared in 1989’s “Road House,” which also starred Sam Elliott and Kelly Lynch. The movie followed James Dalton (played by Swayze), a New York bar bouncer who relocates to Missouri to run security at a local bar and ends up saving a small town from a corrupt businessman.