Actor Bill Paxton dead at 61

Actor Bill Paxton dead at 61



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Bill Paxton made anything he appeared in better.



And sometimes it was the smallest moments that elevated the films and shows that Paxton, who died Saturday at 61, after complications from surgery, worked in.



"It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery," Paxton’s family said in a statement. "A loving husband and father, Bill began his career in Hollywood working on films in the art department and went on to have an illustrious career spanning four decades as a beloved and prolific actor and filmmaker. Bill's passion for the arts was felt by all who knew him, and his warmth and tireless energy were undeniable. We ask to please respect the family's wish for privacy as they mourn the loss of their adored husband and father."



Paxton was starring in the CBS show “Training Day” at the time of his death. He’s best known for appearing in films like “Twister,” "Titanic," “Aliens,” “True Lies” and “Apollo 13,” and he was terrific in anchoring the HBO series “Big Love.”



Paxton brought a kind of regular-guy steadiness to his roles, which sounds like damning him with faint praise but isn’t, not at all. For one thing, that’s more difficult than it sounds. For another, his performances grounded his films and shows. “Big Love” had an over-the-top premise: It was about a polygamist cult that Paxton’s character was a part of, off and on, and he had three wives and families. Yet he brought such a down-to-earth humanity to the character that he made it believable and relatable. Yet he shaded the character enough that we saw the dark side, as well.



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But if you really want to see Paxton at his best, I recommend two movies: “Near Dark” and “One False Move.”



“Near Dark” is a vampire movie, released in 1987, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, who would later win an Oscar for directing “Hurt Locker.” Paxton plays Severen, part of a pack of roaming vampires, and what makes his performance so fascinating is that he is the same good guy – until he isn’t. And then he really, really isn’t. A fight scene in a bar between rednecks and vampires remains one of the great takedowns of the yahoo-American cliché posture ever seen on film.



Paxton is better still in “One False Move,” a 1992 film Billy Bob Thornton co-wrote. Paxton plays a small-town Arkansas chief of police named Dale “Hurricane” Dixon. Dangerous LA criminals, led by Thornton’s mastermind, are headed to town, and Hurricane wants to help with the investigation, even while LA detectives are big-footing him. It’s a great, underrated movie, and Paxton is terrific. SPOILER ALERT: There is a scene at the end of the film in which Hurricane has been shot. A boy walks up and says, “Mister, are you dead?” Paxton’s Hurricane looks at him and says, as matter-of-fact as giving the weather report, “Not yet.”



It’s a brilliant moment, one of many in Paxton’s career. RIP.