These Patricks are famous, but they're not all saints!

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It's a common Irish name, but who has made Ireland's patron saint proud? We asked a hundred reasonably well-informed folks at a major Irish American event to give us a list of at least ten famous Patricks. Here, in no particular order, are the winners.

Patrick Swayze

Swayze was an actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best-known for his roles as romantic leading men in the films "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost" and as Orry Main in the "North and South" television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1991. Diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer in January 2008, Swayze told Barbara Walters a year later that he was "kicking it." His last role was the lead in an ill-fated A&E TV series, "The Beast," which premiered on January 15, 2009. Due to a prolonged decline in health, Swayze was unable to promote the series.
Swayze died Sept. 14, 2009.

Patrick Stewart

Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart was born July 13, 1940 and is an English film, television and stage actor. He has had a distinguished career in theater and television for around half a century. He is most widely known for his television and film roles, as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" films.

Patrick Bergin

Patrick Connolly Bergin was born in Dublin February 4, 1951. He is an actor best known for playing the menacing husband of Julia Roberts' character in the thriller "Sleeping with the Enemy." Bergin also appeared as Robin Hood in a 1991 TV movie. He recently played the role of psychotic Provisional Irish Republican Army gunman in "Johnny Was," opposite Vinnie Jones and Roger Daltrey. Bergin was once a math teacher.

Patrick McGoohan

Patrick Joseph McGoohan was born March 19, 1928 and died January 13, 2009. He was an American-born actor, raised in Ireland and England, with an extensive stage and film career, most notably in the 1960s television series "Danger Man" (renamed "Secret Agent" when exported to the US), and "The Prisoner." McGoohan wrote and directed several episodes of "The Prisoner" himself, occasionally using the pseudonyms Joseph Serf and Paddy Fitz. He subsequently appeared in David Cronenberg's "Scanners," and in Mel Gibson's "Braveheart" as Edward Longshanks.

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Nster.com