Become a fan of Slashdot on Facebook

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×
Movies Sci-Fi Entertainment

Science Fiction Actor Bill Paxton Dies At Age 61 (ew.com) 142

Bill Paxton died Saturday at the age of 61 after complications from surgery. An anonymous reader remembers Paxton's work with some YouTube clips: Bill Paxton starred in a surprising number of cult science fiction favorites. After playing both the blue-haired punk rocker who confronts The Terminator and the mean older brother in John Hughes' nerd comedy Weird Science, Paxton was cast as private Hudson in Aliens, the soldier who at one point wails "Game over, man!" Sigourney Weaver called his performance "brilliant," while James Cameron said Paxton's character released some of the audience's tension. [For Hudson's climactic final showdown with the aliens] "Bill made up different dialogue on every take, and he was yelling it over a machine gun, so none of it actually recorded."

Paxton also appeared in Predator 2, Apollo 13, Twister, and James Cameron's Titanic. Most recently he provided the voice of the executive Kahn in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and had a recurring role as Hydra agent John Garrett in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Science Fiction Actor Bill Paxton Dies At Age 61

Comments Filter:
  • GAME OVER MAN (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward

    For real.

  • by nmb3000 ( 741169 ) on Sunday February 26, 2017 @05:39PM (#53935295) Journal

    Game over, man :(

    • Re:Sad (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Lisandro ( 799651 ) on Sunday February 26, 2017 @05:45PM (#53935331)

      Think for a second how good of an actor you have to be to deliver that line and make it instantly memorable. Even more, he ad-libbed it.

      May he RIP.

      • Re:Sad (Score:5, Interesting)

        by invid ( 163714 ) on Monday February 27, 2017 @10:01AM (#53938301)
        I remember first seeing that scene in the theater and laughing and hearing audience members already repeating his line right there, because while we had seen plenty of situations in movies and tv where the characters were in hopeless situations, it was the first time we saw a character lose it like that. I think we, in the audience, were thinking, "Finally someone reacting like a real person would in a crazy movie scenario."
      • by Evtim ( 1022085 )

        And let's not forget his apt comment to the most beloved quote form Aliens [I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure]:
        - Fucking A!
        In my head both quotes are always linked...if I say the Ripley's line I always add Hudson's as well...

    • Sad he seems to be only remembered for sci-fi.

      • Which sucks cause Training Day, his new show, actually had a lot of potential. Wonder if they'll pivot it in the second season to concentrate on the interplay between Law and Cornwell or just cancel it.

        • I see on IMDB that the ordered episodes for the season were complete before Paxton died.
          http://www.imdb.com/title/tt49... [imdb.com]

          I haven't watched the show so I don't know where they were going with the character. I have a suspicion that the show will not continue without Paxton if his character was seen as a major player in the plot.

          I've seen Paxton's work and it's sad to see him go so soon.

        • I saw A Simple Plan when it came out and thought he was amazing in it - sort of a dark Fargo-esque morality tale. He never seemed to get leading roles like that, I guess because he was perceived as making top dollar movie stars look better since every movie he's been in, he's improved it tremendously. Anyway, from what I've read he seemed like a decent guy and I loved his work. His poor family must be devastated. RIP

      • by nasch ( 598556 )

        Two of his most famous roles are in Twister and Big Love.

      • by AK Marc ( 707885 )
        Yeah, and they didn't even list his best sci-fi role, Apolo 13. Or is that non-fiction?
  • I love the guy but he's been on plenty more than Predator and Aliens.

    Personally i though he was a damn underrated director. The Greatest Game Ever Played is a solid movie, but Frailty is a bona fide modern classic IMHO.

  • The only actor to... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by skam240 ( 789197 ) on Sunday February 26, 2017 @05:48PM (#53935341)

    The only actor to be killed by an Alien, Predator, and Terminator!

    • I thought this too... until reading up on Bill Paxtons death I discovered this trivia is wrong [blumhouse.com].

      As others have pointed out below...

      -Lance Henrikson was Bishop in Aliens. Impaled by a Xenomorph and in the next movie (Alien 3) asked to be shutdown because he was too badly damaged.

      - He was killed by a Predator in Aliens vs. Predator

      - He was also killed in The Terminator.

      So, really it was true until Aliens vs. Predator.... If you count the irreparable damage in Aliens and 'killed' in Alien 3.

    • by T.E.D. ( 34228 )
      He was also killed by an iceberg in Titanic, and turned into a giant farting blob in Weird Science.
  • Hey, maybe you haven't been keeping up on current events, but we just got our asses kicked, pal!
    One of my favorite movie lines of all time!

  • I mean come on. He was an actor, and a well liked and respected one. He wasn't a "Science Fiction Actor." He had notable roles in Titanic, Twister, True Lies, Apollo 13, Big Love, Frank & Jesse and many many other movies. Science Fiction represents a small part of his resume and you're calling him a Science Fiction actor?
  • An accident? An accident? Do you realize it's snowing in my room goddammit!
  • Hudson, this little girl...

    Well why don't you put her in charge

    • Hudson: this can't be happening man, this isn't happening
    • Alverez: Alright, we got seven canisters of CN20 nerve gas, I say we role them in there and nerve gas the whole fucking nest
    • Hicks: it's worth a try be we don't know it will have any effect
    • Hudson: lets just bug out an call it even, what are talking about this for
    • Ripley:I say we take off nuke the entire site from orbit...it's the only way to be sure
    • Hudson: (draws a breath) Fuckin A
  • Hudson [youtube.com]
  • We must never forget Slipstream [wikipedia.org]. On second thought, maybe we should forget it. It was terrible.
  • ...and who could forget this memorable tribute (Bill Paxton Pinball) https://features.slashdot.org/... [slashdot.org]

  • "The 'vette makes 'em wet."
  • He was in just as much, if not more, non SciFi films. So what's the point of the title?

    • I'm not sure as to the purpose of listing his Sci-Fi movies, but don't forget his role as the loudmouth sergeant in the Sci-Fi film, 'Edge of Tomorrow'.
  • Bill Paxton's characters quotes are THE quotes I think of when I think of memorable movie quotes. (He's #2 in my book behind the Simpsons).
    "This little girl survived longer than that with no weapons and no training." "Why don't you put her in charge."
    "knives. sharp sticks"
    Thank you Bill Paxton for your impact on my life. I'm saddened that this happened.
  • Well, I guess that's one way to get out of this chicken-shit outfit.

Don't tell me how hard you work. Tell me how much you get done. -- James J. Ling

Working...