Bill Paxton starred opposite Justin Cornwell in the crime drama “Training Day,” adapted from the 2001 Denzel Washington film. 

In “Training Day,” Paxton played an LAPD detective whose unconventional police work draws the attention of an undercover investigator in his unit. 

‘’I’m a frustrated romantic actor,” Paxton told The Associated Press in 2006.  “I wanted to play the Bud part in ‘Splendor in the Grass,’ I wanted to play Romeo -- the great, unrequited, tragic love stories. I’ve gotten to mix it up a bit with the ladies, but the romance has been a subplot, running from the tornado or whatever.

“I feel like I’m a regionalist and a populist who’s never fit in among the intellectuals,” he added. “I think there’s where the heart of American art is. My greatest roles have been in regional films, whether it was ‘One False Move’ or ‘Frailty’ or ‘Simple Plan’ or ‘Traveller.’”

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Bill Paxton first worked behind the scenes on such low-budget fare as “Death Game,” “Eat My Dust” (Ron Howard’s directorial debut), and “Galaxy of Terror.” He also directed and edited the music video for Barnes & Barnes’ comic song, “Fish Heads,” which was broadcast on “Saturday Night Live.”

After small roles in “Stripes,” “The Lords of Discipline” (billed as “Wild Bill Paxton”) and “Streets of Fire,” Paxton was featured as the leader of a gang of punks who encounter a time-traveling robot (Arnold Schwarzenegger) in the 1984 classic “The Terminator.”

Bill Paxton and Jenette Goldstein as members of the U.S. military battling aliens in outer space in James Cameron’s sci-fi hit, “Aliens” (1986).

Bill Paxton as Severen, one of a group of vampires wandering the American West, in Kathryn Bigelow’s “Near Dark” (1987).

Bill Paxton joined with Charlie Sheen and his “Terminator” costar Michael Biehn in the 1990 film, “Navy SEALs.”

Bill Paxton and Maria Conchita Alonso are LAPD detectives who discover their city has been invaded by an alien in “Predator 2” (1990).

In Carl Franklin’s 1992 crime thriller “One False Move,” Bill Paxton starred as an Arkansas police chief searching for a crew of murderous drug dealers. The film costarred Billy Bob Thornton, Cynda Williams and Michael Beach.

In “Tombstone” (1993), about Wyatt Earp and the Gunfight at the O.K. Corrall, Bill Paxton starred as Morgqan Earp opposite Sam Elliott (Virgil Earp), Kurt Russell (Wyatt Earp), and Val Kilmer (Doc Holliday).

Bill Paxton was back opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in the action comedy “True Lies” (1994), as a used car salesman posing as a secret agent.

Astronauts Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) try to return to Earth after an accident strikes their spacecraft headed for the moon, in “Apollo 13” (1995).

Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt starred in the disaster film “Twister.”

In “The Evening Star” (1996), a sequel to “Terms of Endearment,” Bill Paxton gets into a romantic relationship with Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine).

In James Cameron’s Oscar-winning “Titanic” (1997), Bill Paxton played treasure hunter Brock Lovett, whose salvage operation on the shipwreck of the Titanic uncovers artwork that leads to Rose (Gloria Stuart), a survivor of the 1912 disaster.

Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton in the crime drama “A Simple Plan” (1998), in which the discovery of more than $4 million in cash leads to double-crosses and murder.

Bill Paxton and his giant costar in “Mighty Joe Young” (1998).

Bill Paxton received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his performance in the TV movie “A Bright Shining Lie” (1998), adapted from Neil Sheehan’s book, about Lt. Col. John Paul Vann’s experiences in Vietnam.

Bill Paxton as a mountain climber trying to conquer K2 after an earlier attempt killed other members of his expedition, in the 2000 adventure “Vertical Limit.”

Bill Paxton directed and starred in the psychological thriller “Frailty” (2002), about a father who believes he has been charged by God to destroy demons in disguise. With Vincent Chase (pictured) and Matthew McConaughey.

In the HBO series “Big Love” (2006-2011), Bill Paxton starred as a Mormon polygamist married to Jeanne Tripplehorn, Ginnifer Goodwin and Chloe Sevigny. Paxton earned three Golden Globe nominations for his performance.

Bill Paxton received an Emmy nomination as Randolph McCoy in the TV miniseries “Hatfields & McCoys.”

Bill Paxton and Denzel Washington in the action comedy drama “2 Guns” (2013).

Bill Paxton played a pitching coach in the real-life sports drama “Million Dollar Arm” (2014).

Bill Paxton starred opposite Tom Cruise in the science fiction thriller “Edge of Tomorrow” (2014).

Bill Paxton and Jake Gyllenhaal are competing newshounds out to capture and sell footage of crime scenes to local TV stations in the drama “Nightcrawler” (2014).

Bill Paxton starred as General Sam Houston the mini-series “Texas Rising” (2015).

In the BBC docudrama “The Gamechangers” (2015), Bill Paxton starred as Jack Thompson, an attorney whose interview with a gang member arrested for murder leads to his lawsuit against the creators of the violent computer game “Grand Theft Auto.”

Bill Paxton in the action comedy “Term Life” (2016).

Bill Paxton attends the “Training Day” panel at the 2017 Winter Television Critics Association press event, Monday, January 9, 2017, in Pasadena, Calif. 

In a statement released after Paxton’s death on February 25, 2017, a family spokesperson said, “Bill’s passion for the arts was felt by all who knew him, and his warmth and tireless energy were undeniable.”

       
By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan