While watching Predator 2 for the first time in ages recently, one thing became absolutely clear - Bill Paxton was a golden god, and the world of acting is a poorer place without him.
Paxton was so good in the 1980s, and made everything better. It didn't matter if he was in films by one of the greatest action movie directors ever, or low budget trash made by his pals, he was always magnificent, and always so magnetic.
From the first time I saw him in Aliens, I thought he was the absolute greatest. He's a blowhard who loses his shit, but you still always like the guy, and you're sad when he goes out, but you're still glad he died a hero. It's the best possible fate for this wonderful turkey, and I quote the gospel of Hudson on a daily basis.
In Near Dark he steals every scene he is in, even when surrounded by some truly terrific co-stars, and then he does it again in the second Predator film. He's a rare actor that can be funny with his arrogance, with that awesomely goofy grin. Because when it all gets stripped away, you can really see the fear in his eyes, and he feels like a real person.
He did chill out a little as he got older, and never really captured that early charm again. His one big leading role in a blockbuster was in Twister where he was terribly restrained, and there was no sign of that cocky smile in Titanic (he is, of course, great in True Lies, with one of the great pissing yourself scenes in cinema history).
There was a good middle aged period, where the arrogance was stripped away and there was more fear in those eyes, but he was still a charming motherfucker, you could believe he could handle multiple wives in that Big Love thing.
It's an outright tragedy that we will never get to se him in the old man roles he was destined for, but the light and enthusiasm and soul he always bought to all of his roles will shine forever.
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