Actor Bill Paxton dead at 61

Actor Bill Paxton, whose movie credits include Twister, Apollo 13 and Aliens, has died at age 61, USA TODAY has confirmed.

In a statement issued by Paxton's publicist, a family representative said, "It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery. 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."

Related: Hollywood reacts to Bill Paxton's sudden death

He was currently starring as a rogue cop in the TV show Training Day on CBS.

Paxton was born in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1963, at the age of 8, he was in the crowd to see John F. Kennedy speak in Dallas hours before Kennedy was assassinated. A picture of Paxton, lifted up above the crowd, is displayed at the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas.

Paxton moved to Hollywood when he turned 18, getting his first gig as a set dresser for pop-cinema trailblazer Roger Corman and going on to study acting at New York University.

After connecting with James Cameron, he starred for the filmmaker in 1984’s The Terminator, 1986’s Aliens and 1994’s True Lies.

His best reviews came with roles as Morgan Earp alongside Kurt Russell in 1993’s Tombstone and as astronaut Fred Haise with Tom Hanks in 1995’s Apollo 13.

In recent years, he’d focused on television, starring most memorably as polygamist Bill Henrickson in HBO’s Big Love.

"I love going to work and looking at this mug in the morning,” Jeanne Tripplehorn, one of his three Big Love wives, told USA TODAY in 2007. “When Bill's there, your whole day lights up."