I was saddened to hear that actor Bill Paxton died yesterday due to complications from surgery. More proof, in case anyone needed any, that celebrities aren’t any more bulletproof than the rest of us. They too get sick and leave us far too early. Paxton was only 61.
Vampire marks will always remember Bill from his role as the psychologically unhinged Severen in the cult classic NEAR DARK. His was the coolest character, I thought, getting to wear the leather jacket and the sunglasses and the constant smirk, just oozing menace out of his pasty pores. If you haven’t seen NEAR DARK, by all means check it out. For me personally, there are also, among Paxton’s more memorable performances, his roles in TOMBSTONE (I do love me a good Western), the TV miniseries HATFIELDS AND MCCOYS from a few years back, and the underrated Horror flick FRAILTY (which he also directed). With the whole paparazzi/tabloid rag industry making its bread and butter off celebrity scandals, reporting on it ad nauseum every time some star makes even the slightest social or ethical transgression, I can’t recall ever hearing or reading anything negative about Bill Paxton. I didn’t know him personally, of course, and I don’t know much about his life off-screen. I only know he was a talented actor, seemed like a sweet guy, and he will be missed.