William “Bill” Paxton was an actor and director, born on 17 May 1955, in Fort Worth, Texas USA, of English, Scots-Irish, German, Swiss, Austrian and French descent. He is perhaps best known for his roles in films such as “Aliens” (1986), “True Lies” (1994), and “Apollo 13” (1995), but also in TV series like HBO’s “Big Love” (2006-2011) and “Hatfields & McCovs” (2012). He was an active member of the entertainment industry from 1975 until his passing in February 2017.
Have you ever wondered how rich Bill Paxton was? Reportedly, it is estimated that Paxton’s overall net worth was $30 million, with most of his wealth Bill earned by making appearances in films of varied success, some of which have turned out to be blockbusters. His later direction in his career as a director all the more contributed to his net worth growth.
Bill Paxton Net Worth $30 Million
Raised in Fort Worth, Paxton was artistically stimulated by his father, who was a supporter of arts and an occasional actor himself. Bill often went to cultural events and the cinema with his father and siblings, so he showed an early interest in film-making. He matriculated from Arlington Heights High School in 1973, and then went on to study at Richmond College in England, along with his friend Danny Martin, but in 1974, Paxton decided to move to Los Angeles in order to make his way in the film industry. After working on a few side jobs, he obtained his first role, a small part in the movie “Crazy Mama” (1975). Soon after, he enrolled in New York University, where his acting instructor was the famous Stella Adler, but although Bill was amazed by her, he left his studies after the second year and returned to Los Angeles, claiming he didn’t see any point in having the degree.
At the very beginning of the ‘80s, Paxton had some success with “Fish Heads”, a short film he had made. Some of his earliest roles include a short appearance in “The Terminator” (1984) and a supporting role in “Weird Science” (1985). In the 1986 movie “Aliens” he played a sarcastic character, Private William Hudson. Paxton showed his true acting talent as a lead actor in a small thriller “One False Move” (1992), in which he starred with Billy Bob Thornton. This role earned him excellent reviews, which also added to his net worth and then led to his involvement in much bigger films, such as the space-drama “Apollo 13” (1995) and disaster drama film “Twister” (1996). Bill then co-operated with director James Cameron on his films “True Lies” 1994 and “Titanic” (1997), with other notable film appearances being his roles in “A Simple Plan” (1998) and “The Edge Of Tomorrow” (2014).
Paxton also received recognition for some of his television performances. For his lead role in “Big Love” (2006-2011) he received three Golden Globe nominations. His performance in the History Channel’s miniseries “Hatfields & McCovs” (2012) also gained him an Emmy Award nomination, plus increasing his net worth significantly.
Besides being an active actor, Bill also dedicated himself to directing, mostly short films, including “Frailty” (2001), in which he starred, and “The Greatest Game Ever Played” (2005).
Some of his later engagements included the “The Gamechangers” television movie, and “The Circle”, released in late 2015.
In his personal life, Bill Paxton was married to Kelly Rowan for one year(1979-80). He married Louise Newbury in 1987: they have two children, and lived in Ojai, California until his passing from a stroke following heart surgery on 25 February 2017.
Filmmaker's Showcase Award (2003), Saturn Award (1987),Awards Circuit Community Awards (1995)
Nominations
Golden Globe Awards - Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama, Primetime Emmy Awards, CableACE Awards, CFCA Award (2003), OFTA Film/Television Awards, Satellite Awards, , Screen Actors Guild Awards, DVD Exclusive Awards
Movies
The Terminator (1984), Frailty (2001), True Lies (1994), Twister (1996), Titanic (1997), Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
TV Shows
Hatfields & McCoys (2012), Big Love (2006), A Bright Shining Lie (1998), Apollo 13 (1995), Aliens (1986), Tales from the Crypt (1989)
[on his experiences as a director] I have great empathy for my actors. They trust me because they know that I have been on the front end of the camera.
2
Anyone who's worked very hard on a craft or an art to get a certain precision in terms of execution and performance wants to get past all that stuff that holds you up - your ego, all the doubts.
3
[on James Cameron] This guy has more integrity than anyone I ever met in my life.
4
[on auditioning for The Doors (1991)] I read my ass off. At the time I was doing Navy Seals (1990) and I flew up with short hair and a mustache to read for the lead. [Oliver Stone's] response was, "Well, I just don't see it".
5
I support the troops. This is tough time right now. I think a lot of people in our industry are afraid to speak out. I had a drink with Sean Penn the other night. He went over to Baghdad in December just to see for himself what was going on. And that guy is as American as anybody I ever met.
6
I've always loved movies about con men. I think con men are as American as apple pie.
7
I want people to re-evaluate me. My dream would be to make films like Clint Eastwood did... You have to be a self-starter out here at a certain point. It's important to take the reigns or, otherwise, you can be regaled to obscurity so quickly.
8
. . . but it was movies I had always wanted to be in. I'm into the whole thing, not just performing. I love watching what goes on behind the camera. My heroes are Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd -- complete filmmakers.
9
It's very liberating to be naked in front of a hundred people, but there's nothing sexual about lovemaking on a movie set...
#
Fact
1
Working on Texas Rising (2015), he found out that he is actually related to Sam Houston. "Sam Houston and I share common grandparents, going back six generations. His mother would be a great-aunt of mine. That makes Sam Houston and me second cousins four times removed".
2
He has English, and smaller amounts of Scots-Irish, Austrian, German, French, and Swiss, ancestry.
3
Appeared on Limp Bizkit's video, "Eat You Alive". [September 2003]
4
Worked as a parking lot attendant.
5
Utters the very first line of dialog in The Terminator (1984) and, along with Brian Thompson and Brad Rearden, were the first hapless humans to confront the Terminator in the 'flesh'. Paxton was the punk with the blue spiky hairdo.
6
As an eight-year-old, he was in the crowd waving when President John F. Kennedy emerged from the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth, Texas, on the morning of November 22, 1963. There are pictures at the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas where the young Paxton can clearly be seen astride the shoulders of an unidentified man.
7
Is the only other actor, along with Lance Henriksen, to have been killed by a terminator, an alien, and a predator on screen. Bill was also killed by his character's own son in Frailty (2001).
8
Is the only other actor, along with Lance Henriksen, to appear in the Alien, Predator and Terminator film series.
Inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame during their annual induction gala at Austin Studios in Austin, Texas on March 9, 2007 for his career achievement in the motion picture film industry. The Texas Film Hall of Fame inductees are native-born Texans who have achieved excellence in their film career.
12
Was the first choice as Robert Langdon in The Da Vinci Code (2006). He turned the part down because he was already signed for Big Love (2006). Tom Hanks was cast for the film instead. Coincidentally, Hanks served as executive producer on Paxton's show "Big Love (2006).
As a teen, Bill caddied for golf great Ben Hogan in Fort Worth.
24
Bill had rheumatic fever in the 7th grade. It kept him hospitalized for a month and bedridden for four months. He had to take regular doses of penicillin until he was 18.
$30 Million
