Whenever I think of most actors they can be identified by a singular role. It speaks to Bill Paxton's range of skill that literally dozens of performances spring to mind at the mere mention of his name. The venerable character actor, leading man, and director has passed away at the age of 61.
Paxton was a staple of so many films that he became a favorite of many a director. He's also become synonomous with catch phrases that many of us use on a regular basis. "Game over, man! Game over!", will forever be part of the cinephile's lexicon. The Terminator, Aliens, Titanic, Twister; Paxton and "blockbuster" went hand-in-hand for a lot of years, but we can't forget his exemplary work on dramas such as Apollo 13 and Frailty, the latter which he directed. My first exposure to Paxton's gift for comedy was as the a-hole brother Chet in Weird Science. Little did I know that thirty years later I'd be weeping for that guy in the final season of HBO's underrated Big Love.
Paxton's last film role will be in James Ponsoldt's The Circle, due out later this year. He's gone but his impact will continue to be felt many years from now.
