Cinema lovers were shocked all over the world on February 26th, 2017 when it was announced that beloved actor Bill Paxton suddenly passed away due to complications during surgery. This celebrity death hit me particularly hard because he directed, wrote and starred in one of my favorite films: Frailty. It is an understatement to say that his passing is a big blow to not only his friends and family but also to the movie world.
While Paxton is known for stand-out performances in films like Twister and Alien, he often performed in roles ranging from your every day working man in an extraordinary situation to your every day villain.
Keep reading to discover 5 underrated performance by the late Bill Paxton!
A Simple Plan
A Simple Plan is a slow burning thriller about three blue collar workers who discover millions of dollars among the wreckage of a plane crash. The plan that allows them all to keep a piece of the loot should be simple, but it turns out to be everything but that. Bill Paxton plays Hank, an every day working man caught up in a situation many people could only dream about. His quite performance convinces us that even the sweetest dreams can turn in to raging nightmare.
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Hatfields & Mccoys
This well received TV mini-series was well received by both critics and television viewers and it's Paxton's intense performance that had a lot to do with that. Paxton played Randall Mccoy,the head of the Mccoy family that has become legend due to the infamous Hatfields and Mccoy rivalry. He was completely believable as the troubled and bitter father figure who made many mistakes when it came to how he treated his family.This role will transport you back to what was supposed to be a simpler time.
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Nightcrawler
Although Paxton's role in Nightcrawler was brief, his performance as Joe Loder proved that he could easily pull off being the bad guy. You couldn't help but hate the aggressive and ruthless reporter even if he did reach a rather tragic end.
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Tales From The Crypt
Speaking of bad guy roles, Paxton appeared on the small screen as dangerous criminal fresh from jail and hell bent on on getting revenge in an episode of this award-winning HBO series. Like most Tales From The Crypt endings, the main character finds himself in a huge twist ending he could have never seen coming. It was always impressive to see that Paxton would give just as much power to a small television role as he would to a big screen role.
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Frailty
This movie is pure horror/thriller brilliance and it is one of my favorite films of all time! Not only did Paxton star in it, he wrote and directed it. Paxton portrays a single father of two boys who goes on a killing spree because he believes that God has told him to kill demons. The sickening part is that he includes his children in his chilling murders. The entire film is one pulse pounding moment after another, but it's the film's brilliant ending that truly makes it a cult-classic. I've seen this film dozens of times and it gets better with every watch.
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While it is completely heart breaking to see such a cinema power house be taken way too soon, at least we have his more than impressive filmography to keep him in hearts for years to come!
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