Bill Paxton, the actor known for starring in films such as “Twister” and “Apollo 13,” died on Saturday due to complications from surgery, according to a family statement. He was 61.
The versatile Texas-born actor was a familiar face on US movie screens, with a string of memorable credits.
“It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery,” a statement from a family representative said.
Paxton first got a start in the 1970s playing minor roles, but he won over audiences in the following two decades. The journeyman actor played notable characters in “The Terminator,” “Weird Science” and “Aliens” in the 1980s, and he grew to have a larger profile in the 1990s in films such as “Tombstone,” “Apollo 13,” “Twister” and “Titanic.”
The actor was nominated for an Emmy Award for the television mini-series “Hatfields & McCoys,” about a bitter blood feud between two families in the aftermath of the US Civil War.
He won a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the cast of “Apollo 13” and was nominated for the same award for his roles in “Titanic” and “Hatfields & McCoys.” He also won Golden Globes nominations for his parts in “Big Love” — for which he was nominated three times — and “A Bright Shining Lie” (1998).
The family requested privacy while they mourn Paxton’s death. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Louise Newbury, and two children.
Several actors who knew Paxton were devastated by the loss and shared their thoughts on social media.
