Bill Paxton's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) Big Love Bill Henric… Hatfields and McCoys Randall McCoy

Main Movie Roles 2007 - The Good Life 2004 - Thunderbirds 2004 - Club Dread 2004 - Haven 2003 - Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over 2003 - Ghost's Of The Abyss 2001 - Frailty 2000 - Vertical Limit 2000 - U-571 1998 - A Simple Plan 1998 - Mighty Joe Young 1997 - Titanic 1996 - The Evening Star 1996 - Twister 1995 - The Last Supper 1995 - Apollo 13 1994 - True Lies 1993 - Tombstone 1993 - Boxing Helena 1993 - Indian Summer 1992 - One False Move 1992 - Trespass 1990 - Brain Dead 1990 - Predator 2 1990 - Navy Seals 1989 - Slipstream 1989 - Next of Kin 1987 - Near Dark 1986 - Aliens 1985 - Commando 1985 - Weird Science 1984 - Impulse 1984 - The Terminator 1984 - Streets of Fire 1981 - Stripes

BIOGRAPHY:

Bill moved to Los Angeles at 18 where he found work in the film industry as a set dresser for Roger Corman's New World Pictures. He made his film debut in the Corman film Crazy Mama (1975) directed by Jonathan Demme. Moving to New York, he studied acting under Stella Adler at New York University. After landing a small role in Stripes (1981), Bill found steady work in low-budget films and TV. He also directed, wrote and produced award-winning short films including _Fish Heads (1982)_ which aired on "Saturday Night Live" (1975). His first appearance in a James Cameron (I) film was a small role in The Terminator (1984) followed hard by his very memorable performance as Private Hudson in Aliens (1986) and as the nomadic vampire Severen in Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark (1987). Bill also appeared in John Hughes (I)' Weird Science (1985), as Wyatt's sadistic older brother Chet. Although he continued to work steadily in film and TV, his big break did not come until his lead role in the critically acclaimed film-noir One False Move (1992). This quickly led to strong supporting roles as Wyatt Earp's naive younger brother Morgan in Tombstone (1993) and as Fred Haise, one of the three astronauts in Apollo 13 (1995), as well as in James Cameron (I)'s offering True Lies (1994).


TRIVIA:

• Inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame during their annual induction gala at Austin Studios in Austin, Texas on March 9, 2007 for his career achievement in the motion picture film industry. The Texas Film Hall of Fame inductees are native-born Texans who have achieved excellence in their film career.
• As a teen, Bill caddied for golf great 'Ben Hogan' (qv) in Fort Worth.
• Bill's paternal grandfather was friend and neighbor to the great American painter, Thomas Hart Benton.
• Son of 'John Paxton (II)' (qv).
• He has earned the nickname "Wild Bill" among friends and co-stars for his apparently crazed sense of humor and his love for elaborate pranks.
• Was the first choice as Robert Langdon in _The Da Vinci Code (2006)_ (qv). He turned the part down because he was already signed for _"Big Love" (2006)_ (qv). 'Tom Hanks' (qv) was cast for the film instead.
• Co-authored and produced the short, Scoop (1983), which won a Honorable Mention at the 1983 USA Film Festival.
• Bill had rheumatic fever in the 7th grade. It kept him hospitalized for a month and bed-ridden for four months. He had to take regular doses of penicillin until he was 18.