[msb-alumni] Prolific Actor in Titanic, Apollo 13, Twister Bill Paxton Dead at 61
- From: Steve <pipeguy920@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2017 12:44:13 -0500
BlankProlific Actor in Titanic, Apollo 13, Twister Bill Paxton Dead at 61
LOS ANGELES Bill Paxton, a prolific and charismatic actor who had memorable
roles in such blockbusters as "Apollo 13" and "Titanic" while also cherishing
his work in "One False Move" and other low-budget movies and in the HBO series
"Big Love," has died from complications due to surgery. He was 61. Caption:
In this May 31, 2015, file photo, Bill Paxton arrives at the Critics' Choice
Television Awards at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. A family
representative said prolific and charismatic actor Paxton, who played an
astronaut in "Apollo 13" and a treasure hunter in "Titanic," died from
complications
due to surgery. The family representative issued a statement Sunday, Feb. 26,
2017, on the death. (Richard Shotwell / Richard Shotwell/Invision/Associated
Press). A family representative issued a statement Sunday on the death but
provided no further details. Paxton, a Fort Worth, Texas, native, appeared in
dozens of movies and television shows and seemed to be around when history was
made both on and off screen. As a boy, he was in the crowd that welcomed
President John F. Kennedy in Texas on the morning of Nov. 22, 1963, hours
before
Kennedy was killed in Dallas. As a young man, he worked in the art department
for "B" movie king Roger Corman, who helped launch the careers of numerous
actors and filmmakers. Paxton's movie credits included some of the signature
works of the past 40 years, from "Titanic" and "Apollo 13" to "The Terminator
and "Aliens. Television fans knew him for his role as a polygamist, with
three wives who expected the best from him, in the HBO series "Big Love," for
which he received three Golden Globe nominations. "Bill Paxton was a
big-hearted,
thoughtful and honorable person," his "Big Love" co-star Chloe Sevigny said in
a
statement. "He always had a smile on his face and could entertain any
room with his wonderful stories of his many amazing years in Hollywood. Paxton
was currently starring in the CBS drama "Training Day," which premiered
Feb. 2. The network has not yet announced whether it will continue to air the
completed episodes. Paxton is survived by his wife of 30 years, Louise Newbury,
and their two children. His first marriage, to Kelly Rowan, ended in divorce.
His death adds a sad note to Sunday night's Academy Awards ceremonies. Paxton
was never nominated but appeared in several Oscar-winning movies and was
beloved
and respected throughout Hollywood and beyond. "On this Oscar Sunday,
watch 'One False Move' or 'A Simple Plan' to see this lovely leading man, at
his
finest," Paxton's friend Rob Lowe tweeted. Paxton brought a reliably human
dimension to big-budget action adventures and science fiction. He was, sci-fi
fans like to point out, the only actor killed by a Predator, a Terminator
and an Alien. But Paxton, famously genial and approachable, defined his career
less by his marquee status than as a character actor whose regular Joes
appeared across the likes of "One False Move," "A Simple Plan" and
"Nightcrawler. "'I'm a frustrated romantic actor," he told The Associated Press
in 2006.
"I wanted to play the Bud part in 'Splendor in the Grass,' I wanted to play
Romeo the great, unrequited, tragic love stories. I've gotten to mix it up
a bit with the ladies but the romance has been a subplot, running from the
tornado or whatever. "I feel like I'm a regionalist and a populist who's never
fit in among the intellectuals," he added. "I think there's where the heart of
American art is. My greatest roles have been in regional films, whether
it was 'One False Move' or 'Frailty' or 'Simple Plan' or 'Traveller.' Paxton
often spoke warmly of his upbringing, and how his father exposed him early
to movies and the stage. His father, John Paxton, also shared his son's knack
for being around famous people. A childhood neighbor was the artist Thomas
Hart Benton. John Paxton later belonged to the same golfing club as the great
Ben Hogan, whom Bill Paxton got to know growing up. One of the industry's
busiest actors, Paxton once said the hardest part of his career wasn't the work
itself, but the time in between. "You know all the time I've been in this
business which is a long, long time now, I go from having incredible days like
shooting the part of Sam Houston and then all of a sudden I'm home and I'm
out of work and it's two o'clock in the afternoon, I'm in my boxer shorts
watching Turner Classic Movies," he told the AP in 2015. "And all I can tell
you is, thank God for Turner Classic Movies and Robert Osborne.
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