He Knew 'This Is a Very Tough Path': La...

James Paxton is getting candid about his father Bill Paxton's feelings on him becoming an actor

Published Time: 14.07.2024 - 17:31:14 Modified Time: 14.07.2024 - 17:31:14

James Paxton is getting candid about his father Bill Paxton's feelings on him becoming an actor.

The 30-year-old son of the late Aliens star, who makes what he describes as a "cameo" as a motel guest in Twisters, recently told Entertainment Weekly that his dad "was a bit reticent" when he discovered he also had a passion for the craft.

"And at first, Dad was a bit reticent — just because he knows this is a very tough path and there's a lot of ups and downs and adversity that you go through just trying to build a career of longevity in acting and filmmaking," James recalled. "And he said, 'Gosh, if there's anything else you want to do, even just as much or more, a little bit more, do that instead.' And I said, 'Dad, I really want to do this.'"

"And then, two years into auditioning full-time, I booked my first big break, a lead role on Eyewitness, directed by Catherine Hardwicke," James told EW. "It was just a life-changing, career-changing experience because it really set me on a path and gave me legitimacy as my own actor."

Bill shared children James and Lydia with wife Louise before his February 2017 death at age 61. Among the many blockbusters he starred in during his lengthy career, Bill played the role of Bill Harding in 1996's Twister — a moment in his filmography that James is now honoring in Twisters. As he told EW, he "did this one for Dad."

"It took me a little bit of time to process it, just given the context of my dad and his significance in the original and him not b -

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eing her," James told the outlet. "It's an emotional thing. It wasn't something that I could really decide immediately, It took a little time just to process it, just the magnitude of it."

James added that he "wanted to be a conduit for his spirit there and cheer everyone in this production on to success, because I know he would be."

"I wanted to do something that really honors his presence in this new chapter and really do something for him," he said.

Helen Hunt and Jami Gertz rounded out the 1996 film's cast with Paxton, while the latest standalone sequel features the likes of Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Kiernan Shipka and Anthony Ramos.

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James has also previously found ways to honor his father, both in his music and through taking on a role initially intended for his dad alongside Malcolm McDowell in Last Train to Fortune. Speaking with PEOPLE this week about his first single as Love, Pax, "Count Me Out," the actor described music as being a "survival tactic" after his dad's death.

"When my dad passed, music really became my main outlet and I started to write these songs by myself on the guitar. It took a long time to feel confident to even record them," James said of his music, which includes his new single in which he reflected on his journey with grief.

Twisters storms into theaters July 19.