Bill Paxton, the effortlessly talented actor and filmmaker, has passed away at the age of 61.
The term “character actor” is often thrown around and applied to anyone who works in a variety of movies, but few had the skill of Paxton, or carried the kind of respect and admiration from fellow actors and directors, and fans, that he did. Paxton became an early favorite of James Cameron, who cast him in “The Terminator,” “Aliens,” “True Lies,” and “Titanic,” and brought him along in the documentary, “Ghosts Of The Abyss.”
The breadth of Paxton’s work cannot be underestimated, nor his ability to shine no matter the genre. From Westerns (“Tombstone“) to thrillers (“One False Move“) to blockbusters (“Twister“) to true-story dramas (“Apollo 13“) and more, he made it look easy, equally able to support an ensemble, or carry a TV series on his shoulders, as he did leading HBO‘s acclaimed “Big Love.”
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Paxton also tried his hand behind the camera, directing two feature films: the cult favorite “Frailty,” in which he starred along with Matthew McConaughey; and the golf drama, “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”
The filmmakers Paxton worked with in his career is impressive, notching gigs with Cameron, Steven Soderbergh, Ron Howard, Walter Hill, Doug Liman, and more. Paxton was recognized for his work from his colleagues, with Golden Globe nominations for his turn in “Big Love” and an Emmy nod for his work in the TV limited series “Hatfields & McCoys,” among other honors.
Bill Paxton was currently starring the TV series “Training Day” at the time of his passing, and his final film role was in the upcoming “The Circle,” directed by James Ponsoldt. He will be greatly missed.