Born May 17, 1955, in Fort Worth, Texas, Bill Paxton moved to Los Angeles at age 18 and got his start working as a set dresser for B-movie king Roger Corman. After appearing in the Corman-produced Crazy Mama (1975), Paxton headed to New York University to study under acting coach Stella Adler.Returning to Los Angeles in 1980, Paxton continued to employ his set-dressing skills to earn extra money between acting gigs. It was while moonlighting on the 1981 sci-fi film Galaxy of Terror that he met James Cameron, who would later direct Paxton in a string of blockbusters that includes Aliens (1986), True Lies (1994) and Titanic (1997).
Equally comfortable in popcorn flicks such as Twister (1996) and smaller, serious films such as A Simple Plan (1998), Paxton began a run as the head of a polygamous family on HBO'S "Big Love" in 2006. He's received three Golden Globe nominations for the role.
FrailtyFenton Meiks (Matthew McConaughey) approaches FBI agent Wesley Doyle (Powers Boothe) to confess his disturbed family's role in a series of notorious Texas murders in this gripping thriller, which is actor Bill Paxton's directorial feature debut. Meiks's long-tormented conscience unleashes a twisted... Read More
Apollo 13Technical troubles scuttle the Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1971, risking the lives of astronaut Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) and his crew in director Ron Howard's chronicle of this true-life story, which turns a failed journey into a thrilling saga of heroism. Drifting more than 200,000 miles from Earth,... Read More
U-571It's 1942 and the Nazis are winning the war at sea, thanks to the Enigma encoding device that makes the German ciphering system unbreakable. A group of American submariners undertakes a mission to steal the Enigma in this Oscar-winning thriller. Among those facing tremendous risks for the greater... Read More
Big LoveIn a Salt Lake City suburb, store owner and polygamist Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) manages his expanding business and expansive family -- three wives, nine children and three houses -- while attempting to keep the cat in the bag. Wives Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn), Nicki (Chloë Sevigny) and Margene... Read More
TwisterIn this dizzying, effects-driven drama, two scientists (Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton) chase tornadoes in their quest to record and study them. Taking a backseat to the wild and visually mesmerizing storms are subplots concerning a failing marriage, childhood trauma and corporate ethics. The film... Read More
R | ||
Tornado Alley (2011) | NR | |
Curiosity (2011) | TV-14 | |
His Highness Hollywood (2008) | NR | |
The Good Life (2007) | R | |
Big Love (2006) | TV-MA | |
PG | ||
Club Dread (2004) | R | |
Thunderbirds (2004) | PG | |
Haven (2004) | R | |
Resistance (2003) | R | |
PG | ||
Frailty (2002) | R | |
NR | ||
NR | ||
Vertical Limit (2000) | PG-13 | |
U-571 (2000) | PG-13 | |
Mighty Joe Young (1998) | PG | |
A Simple Plan (1998) | R | |
A Bright Shining Lie (1998) | R | |
Titanic (1997) | PG-13 | |
Traveller (1997) | R | |
Twister (1996) | PG-13 | |
The Evening Star (1996) | PG-13 | |
PG | ||
The Last Supper (1995) | R | |
Frank & Jesse (1994) | R | |
True Lies (1994) | R | |
R | ||
Indian Summer (1993) | PG-13 | |
Boxing Helena (1993) | NR | |
Future Shock (1993) | PG-13 | |
Trespass (1992) | R | |
One False Move (1991) | R | |
The Dark Backward (1991) | R | |
Predator 2 (1990) | R | |
Navy Seals (1990) | R | |
R | ||
Next of Kin (1989) | R | |
Slipstream (1989) | PG-13 | |
R | ||
R | ||
Weird Science (1985) | PG-13 | |
An Early Frost (1985) | NR | |
The Terminator (1984) | R | |
Streets of Fire (1984) | PG | |
Impulse (1984) | R | |
The Lords of Discipline (1983) | R | |
R | ||
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