Bill Paxton
American actor (1955–2017)
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Why this is trending
Interest in “Bill Paxton” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-07-21.
Categorised under Entertainment, this article fits a familiar pattern. Entertainment topics frequently surge on Wikipedia following major media events, premieres, or unexpected celebrity developments.
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Key Takeaways
- William Paxton (May 17, 1955 – February 25, 2017) was an American actor, filmmaker and musician.
- Paxton starred in films Near Dark (1987), Tombstone (1993), Apollo 13 (1995), Twister (1996), Mighty Joe Young (1998), A Simple Plan (1998), U-571 (2000), Vertical Limit (2000) and played supporting roles in Weird Science (1985), Predator 2 (1990), Edge of Tomorrow (2014), and Nightcrawler (2014).
- He made his directorial debut with the 2001 horror film Frailty , in which he also starred, earning him Saturn Award nominations for Best Director and Best Horror Film.
- He was nominated for an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for portraying Randall McCoy in the History Channel miniseries Hatfields & McCoys (2012).
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Source summary
WikipediaWilliam Paxton (May 17, 1955 – February 25, 2017) was an American actor, filmmaker and musician. A versatile character actor known for his distinctive Texan drawl and everyman screen persona, he was a four-time Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award nominee, among other accolades.
Paxton starred in films Near Dark (1987), Tombstone (1993), Apollo 13 (1995), Twister (1996), Mighty Joe Young (1998), A Simple Plan (1998), U-571 (2000), Vertical Limit (2000) and played supporting roles in Weird Science (1985), Predator 2 (1990), Edge of Tomorrow (2014), and Nightcrawler (2014). He was a close collaborator of director James Cameron, appearing in his films The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), True Lies (1994), and Titanic (1997). He made his directorial debut with the 2001 horror film Frailty, in which he also starred, earning him Saturn Award nominations for Best Director and Best Horror Film.
On television, Paxton starred as Bill Henrickson on the HBO drama series Big Love (2006–2011), for which he earned three Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor – Television Series Drama during the show's run. He was nominated for an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for portraying Randall McCoy in the History Channel miniseries Hatfields & McCoys (2012).
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