Who doesn’t loveBill Paxton? The actor had a long and varied career, appearing in some of the most famous movies of the ’80s and ’90s (he has the distinct pleasure of being one of the few people in the world to be killed onscreen by a Terminator, an Alien,anda Predator) and worked steadily until his untimely death in 2017. For the majority of his career, Paxton was more often than not a supporting player. The actor got to be the lead in a few smaller films likeOne False MoveorA Simple Plan, but overall Paxton was either part of an ensemble or second or third fiddle. Except, of course, the 1996 blockbusterTwister,where Paxton shares top billing with his co-starHelen Hunt. The movie was a giant box-office success that even earned its own ride at Universal Studios for 17 years. The film didn’t quite catapult the actor into super stardom, but thankfully it didn’t really matter, because Paxton refused to waste the opportunity and carried this movie on his shoulders with ease.
‘Weird Science’ and ‘Aliens’ Are Proof Bill Paxton Was a Star
Paxton started getting small roles in the early ’80s in films likeStreets of FireandThe Terminator(the first of many projects with directorJames Cameron) but his first prominent role was theJohn HughescomedyWeird Science, where he plays Chet, the ultimate big brother from hell. The actor damn near steals the film as he extorts and berates his younger brother Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell-Smith), all with a specifically hilarious doofus energy, spewing lines like “How about a greasy pork sandwich served in a dirty ashtray?” The following year, he would land his biggest role to date as Private Hudson in a little action flick calledAliens. The actor deftly jumped from jerk, to wimp, to hero through the course of the movie, and went on to become one of the most beloved characters of the franchise.
Over the next few years Paxton worked steadily, co-starring in movies likeKathryn Bigelow’s vampire classicNear Dark, the action sequelPredator 2, and theWalter Hill-directedTrespass, none of which lit up the box-office but instead would all enjoy cult status as the years went on. Honestly, it wasn’t until the mid-90s when Paxton would actually enjoy some box-office glory withTombstone,True Lies, andApollo 13between 1993-1995.Apollo 13in particular proved to be a real turning point for the actor, as the film was his biggest hit to date with over$170 million at the domestic box-officeand even went on to garner nine Oscar Nominations including Best Picture.
All of which leads up toTwister. The film itself follows Bill Harding (Paxton) and Jo Harding (Hunt), a couple of storm chasers about to finalize their divorce on the same day they attempt to make history by releasing “Dorothy,” a device that will allow them to gather more information than ever before about tornado formations. Right off the bat, directorJan de Bont(hot off the success of surprise summer hitSpeed) introduces these two characters and their motley crew (which includesPhillip Seymour Hoffman,Alan Ruck, and directorTodd Field) as a group of good people trying to do a good thing, all while dealing with everything life has to throw at you. It’s a very smooth and easy way to get the audience on board with these characters. It’s also a good indicator of its earnest tone, which, if not done right, could easily be rejected by audiences. But that’s where Paxton comes in.
Bill Paxton Could Sell the Outrageousness of ‘Twister'
The actor has a naturally earnest demeanor that fits perfectly into a movie like this. The first time we see his character, he’s a bit uptight and uncomfortable as he talks about Jo with his new fiancé, played byJami Gertz, but the second he pulls up to the work site and sees the old crew, Paxton is one of the boys again, shooting finger guns with a big ol' grin on his face at Hoffman before he even gets out of his truck. It’s immediately believable that Paxton was able to wrangle these wild storm chasers with his good-boy charm and passion for the cause. The film’s set pieces are impressively put together by the director and crew as well, showcasing special effects that are honestly still quite impressive to this day, thanks in large partbecause of the mix of CGI, practical effects, and sound design. However, one of the biggest reasons it remains as watchable as it does today is because of Paxton and Hunt.
The pair easily makes some of the weaker dialogue entirely believable, while also delivering an almost endless amount of exposition with ease. All this, plus you get to hear Bill Paxton yell “You slime!” to his rival, played byCary Elwes(followed by “what a weiner,” which is just incredible). The one scene where Paxton really brings the goods though is when his character begins toread the sky, seemingly communicating with Mother Nature herself. Yes, this sounds extremely goofy on paper and could totally misfire in execution, but Paxton sells it. He already had a career showcasing him fighting aliens, causing havoc through Texas as a vampire, and even stealingJamie Lee CurtisfromArnold SchwarzeneggerinTrue Lies. So, ofcoursehe can read the sky! But seriously, not just anybody can sell such a silly idea with a straight face and not come out looking like a fool, but Paxton was just that good.
RELATED:Here’s a Twist: ‘Twister’s Director Wasn’t Consulted About the Sequel
Twisterwas released in May 1996 andgrossed $241 million domestically and $494 worldwideon a $92 million budget, an undeniable blockbuster. Unfortunately, the film didn’t exactly launch Paxton onto Hollywood’s A-List the same way it did for Hunt, who would go on to win aBest Actress OscarforAs Good As It Getsthe following year. Instead, the actor had to settle for co-starring in a little film calledTitanic.Interestingly enough, the success of that film also did little to propel Paxton to bigger heights (granted, he is nowhere close to being a lead in that film), but that didn’t keep Paxton from trying.
For the rest of his career, Paxton remained busy, starring in movies fromSam Raimi,Robert Rodriguez, andSteven Soderberghjust to name a few. The actor even tried his hand at directing a few times. His feature debut,Frailty, is often regarded asone of the best-directing debutsfor an actor ever. Paxton even got to headline his own drama series calledBig Love, about a polygamist family in modern-day Utah, that ran for five seasons on HBO. While it’s true he never really got the chance to lead a film ofTwister’s size again, the actor had at least proven to audiences that he could do it (not that we ever doubted him).
