Bill Paxton Remembered by 'Training Day' Co-Stars as Fate of CBS Series Remains Unknown

Stacy Lambe
Updated

Bill Paxton's death at 61 years old from complications related to surgery on Feb. 25 delivered an unexpected blow to friends, family and fans alike. But perhaps no one is more surprised than the cast and crew of CBS' TV adaptation of Training Day, which starred Paxton as the morally ambiguous Detective Frank Roark. The show premiered on Thursday, Feb. 2 and is only four episodes into its mid-season run.

On Sunday, co-star Justin Cornwell, who plays Officer Kyle Craig, shared a cute photo of the two Training Day stars as the fate of the series remains unknown. "We were just two guys on top of the world. Rest easy my friend," he posted on Twitter.

Julie Benz, who plays Holly Butler, also shared a photo of her with her former co-star. "Rest In Peace my sweet friend," she wrote.

Meanwhile, Drew Van Acker, who plays Detective Tommy Campbell, recalled memories from the time he shared with Paxton onset of the series. "Bill..buddy..I'll never forget the countless stories you shared and how you made us all laugh. You have forever made a dent in the world," he wrote.

"We are truly devastated at the passing of our friend Bill Paxton. He was a tremendously talented actor, and a wonderful man beloved by the entire "Training Day" cast and crew," executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer said in a statement to ET. "Bill's extraordinary body of work ensures that he will never be forgotten. Our heartfelt condolences to Bill's family and friends. He will be missed more than we can possibly express."

In a separate statement to ET, filmmaker and Training Day executive producer Antoine Fuqua offered his condolences. "Bill was someone whose goodness and compassion was evident from the moment you met him. He was an immense talent and the type of guy you wanted to spend as much time with both in front of, and behind, the camera. My heartfelt condolences to his family."

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CBS and Warner Bros. Television also issued a joint statement to ET about Paxton, but did acknowledge any plans for the show.

"We are shocked and deeply saddened this morning by the news of Bill Paxton's passing. Bill was, of course, a gifted and popular actor with so many memorable roles on film and television," the statement reads. "His colleagues at CBS and Warner Bros. Television will also remember a guy who lit up every room with infectious charm, energy and warmth, and as a great storyteller who loved to share entertaining anecdotes and stories about his work. All of us here offer our deepest sympathy to his wife, Louise, and his two children."

CBS also confirmed that all 13 episodes of the first season had been filmed prior to Paxton's death. The next new episode is slated for Thursday, March 3.

Ahead of the show's premiere, Paxton and his co-stars gave ET an exclusive first look at adapting the 2001 film starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke for TV. The series, which follows new characters, takes place 15 years after the events of the film.

"When I read the pilot, there was a lot of action in the pilot and I thought 'Oh my god, are you ready for this?'" Paxton said at the time.

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Prior to Training Day, Paxton had a successful run on HBO as the patriarch of a fictional fundamentalist Mormon that practices polygamy. The series, which ran for five seasons, earned Paxton three Golden Globe nominations for his portrayal of Bill Henrickson. He immediately followed that series with History Channel's three-part miniseries Hatfields & McCoys, which earned Paxton a primetime Emmy nomination.

On Sunday, HBO recognized its former longtime star, tweeting: "We are saddened to hear of the passing of Bill Paxton. Big Love was a seminal series for HBO due to Bill's extraordinary talent and grace."

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