James Cameron surrounded himself with some of the industry’s most talented personnel when he decided to make Aliens. Among actors like Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerrit and John Hurt. Among these actors was the legendary Bill Paxton, who passed away in 2017 due to post-surgery complications.
Paxton was a frequent collaborator of Cameron, starring in films like Aliens and Titanic, having met Cameron while both were working on ultra-small budget projects, under the director Roger Corman (The Fantastic Four, The Pit and Pendulum). After Paxton’s passing, Cameron expressed the one regret that nursed when it came to Paxton.
James Cameron regretted not saying this to Bill Paxton before surgery
At Paxton’s memorial, the whole cast and crew of Aliens were there to pay their respects to the actor. Among them, was James Cameron, the director of many films like Aliens, Avatar and Titanic. Among the things that were said during the memorial, Cameron revealed to all present what he had wanted to tell Paxton, and that he regretted the fact that he never got to say it. The director said:
“I am not a warm and fuzzy guy, but the biggest regret of my life is that the night before Bill went into surgery, I regret that I didn’t tell him that I loved him”
James Cameron might not be as warm and fuzzy as he would like to be, but the man understands, loves and respects all the people he has worked with, especially those who have added value to his personal and professional lives. The director said these heartfelt words with the cast and crew of Aliens present, all of whom felt Praxton’s loss and wished that they had more time with him.
The cast still mourns the passing of the Bill Paxton
The entire cast and crew had taken quite the hit after Paxton’s death. Sigourney Weaver, in an interview for the Netflix Series The Movies That Made Us, revealed how much the entire cast and crew, especially her, felt the loss of such a beloved friend. She says:
“And to this day, I think it hasn’t really sunk in. You know, if I thought of going to see everyone again, I would have to remind myself that Bill was not going to be a part of that”
Aliens went on to be one of Cameron’s most successful films until Titanic overtook it. Paxton’s memory lives on in the work that his colleagues and crew do in the industry, as they remember the actor and his work and endeavour to make films that are not only commercially successful but also speak to the human nature of cinema.
