The 1980s were good to Bill Paxton, as he appeared in "Weird Science," "Commando," and "Aliens." The '90s were even better. Those who caught him in "Titanic" — in which his Brock Lovett character tries to balance being a historian with being a treasure hunter — might also have caught him in "Tombstone," "Apollo 13," or "Twister."
Paxton also holds an unusual sci-fi record: He is the only actor whose character was killed by a Terminator, a Xenomorph, and a Predator. James Cameron happens to be responsible for that record, having directed Paxton in "The Terminator" and "Aliens" as well as "Titanic." Of course, Lovett definitely survives to the end of the credits.
He later found a sweet spot on HBO's "Big Love" and won an Emmy for his work on the miniseries "Hatfields & McCoys." Paxton's role as the villainous John Lovett on "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." also turned heads.
"[Starring on 'Big Love'] is kind of like winning a trifecta for me," Paxton said in a 2009 interview with TheEnvelope.com. "I had always wanted to play a romantic part, but to do a romantic part times three has been a dream come true and also a pretty big challenge."
Paxton died in 2017 after complications from surgery, and his family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital that treated him.
