Titanic star Bill Paxton has sadly passed away at the age of 61.
The actor starred in a huge number of films and his long, illustrious career included films such as Aliens and Twister.
The actor's family have released a statement today (February 26) confirming the news and revealing he died from complications during a recent surgery.
"It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery," the statement read.
"A loving husband and father, Bill began his career in Hollywood working on films in the art department and went on to have an illustrious career spanning four decades as a beloved and prolific actor and filmmaker.
"Bill's passion for the arts was felt by all who knew him, and his warmth and tireless energy were undeniable."
The actor has a string of Hollywood credits under his name, including '80s and '90s classics Predator 2, Apollo 13, True Lies, The Good Life and Edge of Tomorrow.
In Titanic, Paxton played treasure hunter Brock Lovett who's searching the wreck of the Titanic to find a rare diamond known as the Heart of the Ocean and leads him to Rose Dawson Calvert, providing the framing narrative for the film.
More recently Bill had worked on the upcoming adaptation of The Circle alongside Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, John Boyega and Karen Gillan, and is due out later this year.
He had also enjoyed a prolific television career and was nominated for four Golden Globes and an Emmy award, with three of the Golden Globe nominations being for his portrayal of Bill Henrickson in Big Love over five seasons.
Paxton's Emmy nomination followed his performance in Hatfields & McCoys, while he also featured in several other television shows, including as training officer John Garrett in Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
At the time of his death, Paxton was leading the cast in Training Day alongside Justin Cornwel. The CBS crime thriller serves as a follow up to the Oscar-winning 2001 film of the same name.
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Tasha is a freelance writer for with a particular interest in the representation of women in film and TV. After graduating with a Literature degree then journalism qualifications with News Associates a few years further back than she’d like to admit, Tasha began her freelance career. She’s worked as a writer, editor and commissioning editor for a number of publications including Digital Spy. She is also a theatre critic. LinkedIn
