William Paxton was born on May 17, 1955 in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. He is a Golden Globe-nominated American actor and film director.

Paxton has played some distinctive and memorable characters including the sneering older brother Chet in John Hughes' Weird Science; Hudson, the loud-mouthed Colonial Marine in James Cameron's Aliens; astronaut Fred Haise in Ron Howard's Apollo 13; the sadistic vampire Severen in Kathryn Bigelow's film Near Dark; a tornado researcher opposite Helen Hunt in the blockbuster Twister; the treasure hunter who Rose's story is told to in Titanic and the sleazy car salesman in True Lies.

Notable is the performance Paxton delivered in Carl Franklin's critically acclaimed One False Move. Paxton has the distinction of being the only actor who has played characters killed by an Alien, a Predator, and a Terminator. Paxton appeared as a treasure hunter searching for a diamond at the wreckage of the Titanic in the 1997 film. Four years later, he joined James Cameron on an expedition to the Titanic. The film Ghosts of the Abyss, was released in 2003.

He also starred in U-571 (2000), Haven (2004) and The Good Life (2007).

Paxton has been married to Louise Newbury since 1985.

Filmography

• The Second Coming (2008)
• "Big Love" (16 episodes, 2006-2007)
• The Good Life (2007)
• Haven (2004)
• Thunderbirds (2004)
• Club Dread (2004)
• Pat Benatar: Choice Cuts - The Complete Video Collection (2003)
• Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)
• Resistance (2003)
• "Frasier" (1 episode, 2003)
• Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002)
• Frailty (2001)
• Vertical Limit (2000)
• U-571 (2000)
• "Saturday Night Live" (2 episodes, 1980-1999)
• Mighty Joe Young (1998)
• A Simple Plan (1998)
• A Bright Shining Lie (1998)
• Titanic (1997)
• Traveller (1997)
• The Evening Star (1996)
• Twister (1996)
• The Last Supper (1995)
• Apollo 13 (1995)
• True Lies (1994)
• Frank & Jesse (1994)
• Tombstone (1993)
• Monolith (1993)
• "Tales from the Crypt" (1 episode, 1993)
• Boxing Helena (1993)
• Indian Summer (1993)
• Future Shock (1993)
• Trespass (1992)
• The Vagrant (1992)
• One False Move (1992)
• The Dark Backward (1991)
• Predator 2 (1990)
• Navy Seals (1990)
• The Last of the Finest (1990)
• Brain Dead (1990)
• Back to Back (1990)
• Next of Kin (1989)
• Slipstream (1989)
• New Order: Substance (1989)
• Pass the Ammo (1988)
• Near Dark (1987)
• "The Hitchhiker" (1 episode, 1987)
• "Miami Vice" (1 episode, 1986)
• "Fresno" (1986)
• Aliens (1986)
• Pat Benatar: The Visual Music Collection (1986)
• Riding Fast (1986)
• An Early Frost (1985)
• Commando (1985)
• Weird Science (1985)
• "The Atlanta Child Murders" (1985)
• The Terminator (1984)
• Impulse (1984)
• Streets of Fire (1984)
• Pat Benatar: Hit Videos (1984)
• Mortuary (1983)
• Deadly Lessons (1983)
• Night Warning (1983)
• The Lords of Discipline (1983)
• Taking Tiger Mountain (1983)
• Stripes (1981)
• "The Six O'Clock Follies" (1980)
• Fish Heads (1980)
• Crazy Mama (1975)

Awards

• The Actor Outstanding Ensemble Performance in a Motion Picture "Apollo 13" 1995
• Cine Eagle Award "Scoop" 1983