Biography
After receiving his start playing larger than life goofs in the 1980s, actor Bill Paxton transformed himself from oddball character parts to a dramatic performer with considerable gravitas in acclaimed features and on television series. Paxton first gained significant notice as the bullying Chet in "Weird Science" (1985), before famously playing loud-mouthed Private Hudson for James Cameron in "Aliens" (1986). In the following decade, he was …
Bill Paxton SlideShow
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Career Milestones
| Left Los Angeles to study acting in New York | ||
1974 | Worked as a set decorator for Roger Corman's New World Pictures | |
1975 | Feature debut as an extra in Jonathan Demme's "Crazy Mama" | |
1980 | Directed and starred in the cult short "Fish Heads" for "Saturday Night Live" (NBC) | |
1981 | First released film, Ivan Reitman's "Stripes" | |
1981 | Made film debut in the slasher film, "Mortuary" (released in 1983) | |
1983 | Made his TV debut on the unsold CBS pilot "Great Day" | |
1984 | First worked for director James Cameron, playing a small role in "The Terminator" | |
1985 | Cast in a memorable role as the sneering older brother Chet in John Hughes' "Weird Science" | |
1986 | Played the loud-mouthed Private William Hudson in Cameron's "Aliens" | |
1990 | Co-starred in "Predator 2" with Danny Glover and Gary Busey | |
1992 | First lead role in a feature, "One False Move"; co-written by Billy Bob Thornton | |
1993 | Co-starred in "Indian Summer," written and directed by Mike Binder | |
1994 | Re-teamed with Cameron for a supporting role in "True Lies" | |
1995 | Co-starred with Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon in the Ron Howard directed "Apollo 13," about the ill-fated lunar mission of the same name in 1970 | |
1996 | Co-starred with Helen Hunt, as 'storm chasers' researching tornadoes, in "Twister" | |
1997 | Appeared in the modern-day wraparound sequences of Cameron's Oscar-winning blockbuster "Titanic" | |
1997 | Feature producing debut, "Traveler"; also starred | |
1998 | Co-starred with Billy Bob Thornton in "A Simple Plan" | |
1998 | Portrayed John Paul Vann in the HBO movie "A Bright Shining Lie" | |
2000 | Portrayed the captain of an American submarine in the WWII thriller "U-571" | |
2001 | Made feature directorial debut with "Frailty" | |
2002 | Cast in "Spy Kids 2: The Island Of Lost Dreams" | |
2004 | Cast in the comedy "Broken Lizard's Club Dread" | |
2004 | Starred in "Thunderbirds," based on the cult British television show from the 1960s; directed by Jonathan Frakes | |
2005 | Directed "The Greatest Game Ever Played," a golf drama based on the true story of the 1913 U.S. Open | |
2006 | Played a corrupt Miami businessman in "Haven" | |
2006 | Starred in the HBO drama "Big Love" as a Utah man who practiced polygamy; earned Golden Globe (2007, 2008, 2009) nominations for Best Actor in a Drama Series | |
2012 | Co-starred with Kevin Costner in The History Channel miniseries "Hatfields & McCoys" | |
2012 | Joined an all-star cast including Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas and Antonio Banderas in the action thriller "Haywire," directed by Steven Soderbergh | |
Awards
1996 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in Apollo 13 |
1998 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television in A Bright Shining Lie |
1998 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in Titanic |
2006 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in Big Love |
2007 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in Big Love |
2009 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in Big Love |
2012 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor In a Miniseries or Movie in Hatfields & McCoys |
2012 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in Hatfields & McCoys |