Actor Bill Paxton Dead At 61 From Complications Due To Surgery, Rep Says
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Actor Bill Paxton, who appeared in hit films like "Titanic," "Apollo 13,""Weird Science," "Twister," "The Terminator," and HBO series "Big Love" died Saturday from complications to surgery, a family representative said. He was 61 years old.
More: Celebrities Remember Bill Paxton
The family representative issued a statement Sunday on the death. Further details were not provided
"It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery," a family representative said in a statement Sunday. "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, a Texas native, got his start in films in the art department on Roger Corman movies in the '70s before getting a chance to go in front of the camera.
Paxton was currently starring in the CBS drama "Training Day," which premiered Feb. 2. The network has not yet announced whether it will continue to air the completed episodes.
In a statement released Sunday, CBS and Warner Brothers Television said:
"We are shocked and deeply saddened this morning by the news of Bill Paxton's passing. Bill was, of course, a gifted and popular actor with so many memorable roles on film and television. His colleagues at CBS and Warner Bros. Television will also remember a guy who lit up every room with infections charm, energy and warmth, and as a great storyteller who loved to share entertaining anecdotes and stories about his work. All of us here offer our deepest sympathy to his wife, Louise, and his two children."
Paxton is survived by his wife of 30 years, Louise Newbury, and their two children. His first marriage, to actress Kelly Rowan, ended in divorce.
His death adds a sad note to Sunday night's Academy Awards ceremonies. Paxton was never nominated but appeared in several Oscar-winning movies and was beloved and respected throughout Hollywood and beyond.
"On this Oscar Sunday, watch `One False Move' or `A Simple Plan' to see this lovely leading man, at his finest," Paxton's friend Rob Lowe tweeted.
Paxton brought a reliably human dimension to big-budget action adventures and science fiction. He was, sci-fi fans like to point out, the only actor killed by a Predator, a Terminator and an Alien. But Paxton, famously genial and approachable, defined his career less by his marquee status than as a character actor whose regular Joes appeared across the likes of "One False Move," "A Simple Plan" and "Nightcrawler."
""I'm a frustrated romantic actor," he told The Associated Press in 2006. "I wanted to play the Bud part in `Splendor in the Grass,' I wanted to play Romeo -- the great, unrequited, tragic love stories. I've gotten to mix it up a bit with the ladies but the romance has been a subplot, running from the tornado or whatever."
"I feel like I'm a regionalist and a populist who's never fit in among the intellectuals," he added. "I think there's where the heart of American art is. My greatest roles have been in regional films, whether it was `One False Move' or `Frailty' or `Simple Plan' or `Traveller."'
Paxton often spoke warmly of his upbringing, and how his father exposed him early to movies and the stage. His father, John Paxton, also shared his son's knack for being around famous people. A childhood neighbor was the artist Thomas Hart Benton. John Paxton later belonged to the same golfing club as the great Ben Hogan, whom Bill Paxton got to know growing up.
One of the industry's busiest actors, Paxton once said the hardest part of his career wasn't the work itself, but the time in between.
"You know all the time I've been in this business which is a long, long time now, I go from having incredible days like shooting the part of Sam Houston and then all of a sudden I'm home and I'm out of work and it's two o'clock in the afternoon, I'm in my boxer shorts watching Turner Classic Movies," he told the AP in 2015. "And all I can tell you is, thank God for Turner Classic Movies and Robert Osborn
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)