James Paxton Remembers His Late Father Bill Paxton: 'Forever Smiling with You'
Bill Paxtons son is remembering his late father.
On Friday, 23-year-old actor James Paxton shared a touching tribute to his father on Instagram.
“Forever smiling with you,” he wrote, captioning a selfie of he and his father standing courtside at a basketball game.
On March 17, James posted a throwback photo of the two - showing Bill pushing his then-infant son on an oversized toy train.
“I’ll love you forever, Dad,” James wrote. “Could never possibly put into words how I feel about you.”
I'll love you forever, Dad. Could never possibly put into words how I feel about you.
A post shared by James Paxton (@thisisjamespaxton) on Mar 17, 2017 at 5:15pm PDT
Bill died of a stroke last month after complications arose during heart surgery to replace a valve and correct an aortic aneurysm.
According to the death certificate, Bill had surgery on Feb. 14 and died 11 days later, on the 25th, after suffering a stroke. He was 61.
“It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery,” a family representative said in a statement at the time. “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. We ask to please respect the family’s wish for privacy as they mourn the loss of their adored husband and father.”
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In his final PEOPLE interview before his death, Bill talked about working with his son on the set of Bill’s CBS show Training Day - which premiered Feb. 2 and picked up 15 years after the 2001 Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke film of the same name.
“I was thrilled to have my son guest-star on the eighth episode of Training Day,” Bill said of James, who recently costarred in Eye Witness on USA. “He plays the son in a father-son robbery team, and my character, whose dad was also a criminal, tells him, We’re both our father’s sons, but that doesn’t have to define us.’ It was surreal saying that to him.”
At the time of the chat, Bill was eagerly anticipating getting to spend more time with his family since filming on Training Days first season was complete. The actor fondly recalled his last big vacation with Louise, whom he married in 1987.
“The summer before last, I went on a walking tour with my wife [Louise] through Wales,” he said. “We thought these would be nice and leisurely walks, but they were intense 10- or 14-mile hikes. After a couple of days, we were just a wreck. But it was also one of the best holidays we’d had in a long time. The blisters were worth it.”
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He also looked forward to television time with his 19-year-old daughter, Lydia.
“I loved watching Stranger Things with Lydia,” said Bill, who had also binge-watched the entire series of Downton Abbey after a surgery last spring. “I got so engrossed in it,” he explained of the period drama. “I was devastated when I got to the end.”
Bill had a lengthy career in Hollywood. He was beloved for his roles in the films Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), Tombstone (1993), Apollo 13 (1995), Twister (1996) and Titanic (1997) - and in 2012, the former star of HBO’s Big Love won an Emmy for his work in the TV mini-series Hatfields and McCoys.
His final big-screen role will be in the thriller The Circle, alongside Emma Watson and Tom Hanks. It hits theaters April 28.
