Hanks heads tributes to co-star Bill Paxton
TOM Hanks has led tributes to his Apollo 13 co-star Bill Paxton, who has died aged 61.
Paxton, also known for films including Titanic, Twister and Aliens, died on Saturday from complications following surgery.
Hanks tweeted: “Bill Paxton was, simply, a wonderful man. A wonderful man... Hanx.”
Their co-star Bryce Dallas Howard tweeted: “One of the kindest souls that ever was. We shared some very happy moments on Apollo 13. This is truly devastating. Love to his family.”
Her father Ron Howard, who directed the space adventure, said: “Crushing. RIPBillPaxton A gr8 talent & spirit. His passion contributed so much 2 Apollo13 & all his wrk. “We’ll miss the hell out of U Bill.” Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis, Paxton’s co-stars in the 1994 action film True Lies, also expressed their sadness at his death.
Schwarzenegger tweeted: “Bill Paxton could play any role, but he was best at being Bill – a great human being with a huge heart. My thoughts are with his family.”
Curtis sent her love and support to the actor’s family. She said: “Nooooo. Bill Paxton is gone. Such a funny, talented, loving human.” Paxton, from Texas, was also in The Terminator and Weird Science. He won an Emmy for the television mini-series Hatfields & McCoys, alongside Kevin Costner.
He will be remembered as Brock Lovett in 1997’s Titanic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
It was the highest-grossing film of all time. Four years after appearing the multi Oscar-winner Paxton joined its director James Cameron on an expedition to the Titanic wreck.
A film about this trip, Ghosts Of The Abyss, was released in 2003.
Paxton was starring in a US cable thriller called Training Day at the time of his death.