February 25th marked the five-year anniversary of Bill Paxton’s unexpected death. One of the most beloved character actors in the business, he went from being a cult icon thanks to The Terminator and Near Dark to a full-fledged leading man, thanks to the wild success of Twister. One of director James Cameron’s favorite actors (with him memorably showing up in Titanic, True Lies, Aliens and The Terminator), Paxton’s fame grew and grew, with him eventually becoming the lead of HBO’s long-running series Big Love. Always well-liked, everyone was devastated by his sudden passing, and in this episode of WE REMEMBER, we pay tribute to his awesome career and the legacy he leaves behind.
In this video, which is edited by Juan Jiminez, written by Mathew Plale, narrated by Travis Hopson, produced by Taylor James Johnson and executive produced by Berge Garabedian, we go through some of Paxton’s best roles. From Private “Game Over Man” Hudson in Aliens to the psychotic vampire Severen in Near Dark to smaller gems like One False Move, we dig into a career that made Paxton a massive cult icon. The list of classics he was part of truly takes your breath away, and even when the role was small, such as when he played the doomed Morgan Earp in Tombstone, he helped make these movies as well-regarded as they are today.
If you like this episode of We Remember, check out previous episodes below. Let us know in the comments what your favorite Bill Paxton performance is!