Career Highlights

• At 18, Bill Paxton began working for director Roger Corman as a set designer on his films
• Bill rose to prominence in the role of Chet in Weird Science.
• He currently stars in the acclaimed HBO series Big Love.

Bill Paxton first moved to Los Angeles when he was 18 and found work in the film industry as a set dresser. His film debut came in 1975 in the Corman film Crazy Mama. Paxton then moved to New York to study acting under Stella Adler and found steady work in low-budget films and television.

Paxton starred in several films in through the 70s and 80s but his big break came in 1992 in the critically acclaimed film-noir One False Move. This led to many other strong roles in movies such True Lies, Apollo 13, Twister and Titanic. He currently stars in the HBO series Big Love. The Greatest Game Ever Played is Paxton’s second feature film as a director. The movie tells the story of Francis Ouimet, amateur golfer who was expected to do poorly at the 1913 U.S Open.

Bill Paxton sat with ThinkTalk Host Lila Meredith to provide career advice for aspiring actors and directors. Bill discusses his early days trying to break into the film industry, including his humble days as a set designer. The interview was originally filmed in the Fall of 2005.