- Bill is the first actor whose character has been killed by an Alien (as Private Hudson in Aliens), a Predator (as Jerry Lambert in Predator 2), and a Terminator (as the punk leader in The Terminator).
- Aside from being an actor, Bill has worked as an art director and set dresser for the film Beach Blanket Bango as Pete Lautrec in 1975 and as a unit manager for Bajadros de narcos in 1998.
- In 2003, Paxton won the Filmmaker's Showcase Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. He also won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for Aliens in 1987.
- Bill performed for the film soundtracks of Tombstone (1993), The Evening Star (1996), and Club Dread (2004).
- Paxton made his feature film directorial debut with Frailty in 2001. He also starred in the film opposite Matthew McConaughey.
- Bill attended Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth, Texas.
- Paxton was a writer for the short films Fish Heads (1982) and Scoop (1983). He directed both shorts.
- In 2008, Bill Paxton was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the "Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama" category for his performance in Big Love. He was also nominated for the same role the previous year.
- Bill's parents are Mary Lou Gray and actor JohnLane Paxton, who was also a lumber company executive.
- On September 11 2001, he and long-time friend James Cameron were on a ship in the North Atlantic, directly above the wreck of the Titanic when they learned about the events of the World Trade Center.
- He learned to speak German while he was preparing for his part in the Pat Benatar video, "Shadows of the Night."
- While he was in the 7th grade, he contracted rheumatic fever. He had to be hospitalized for a month and bed-ridden for four months. He also had to take regular doses of penicillin until he was 18.
- He appeared on Limp Bizkit's video clip for the song "Eat You Alive" on September 2003. Bill also appeared in the following music videos: "How Can the Laboring Man Find Time for Self-Culture?" (1986) and "Reach" (1988) as Martini Ranch and "Touched by the Hand of God" (1987) by New Order.
- Bill is married Louise Newbury since 1987. They have a son, James (b. 1994), and a daughter, Lydia (b. December 19, 1997).
- His nicknames are Wild Bill and Knuckles. Director James Cameron gave Bill the nickname Knuckles during the filming of True Lies when he prevented a local bar fight from ensuing.
- His height is 5' 11" (1.80 m).
- Bill stars in a commercial for Direct TV as his character from Twister.
- He is consistently being mistaken for fellow actor Bill Pullman.
- Bill Paxton: You know, when it's time to pick the peaches, I'm out there picking. A lot of times as an actor, you're just walking around with your thumb up your ass. It's tough to stay disciplined and to have a life, and not to be miserable between jobs. I love spending time with my family, but after a while, if you're not working, you feel like a bum.
- Bill Paxton: When I got into film making I don't know whether I was a fortune seeker or seeker of fame, I loved the idea of making movies and telling stories. I chose it as something I wanted to do and what sustains me is the work, not the money.
- Bill Paxton: I've seen so many actors who reach a certain prominence, and then they do a couple of films that don't get accepted by the public or are critically panned and the next thing you know, they're out the door. It's really sad, and you kind of have to project yourself; you've got to guide your own career. In the old days the studios guided your career. Now it's all up to you.
- Bill Paxton: I've always loved movies about con men. I think con men are as American as apple pie.
- Bill Paxton: My heroes have always been guys like Keaton, Chaplin, Clint Eastwood who figured out how to empower themselves.
- (on making huge films)
Bill Paxton: I think what I'm looking for are timeless themes... If you can find timeless themes you can make movies that are as relevant now as they will be in a thousand years. Size is irrelevant.
- Bill Paxton: I've always wanted to make films but what I discovered early on is that everybody's got a different story in life and there are a lot of ways to carve a path through any profession.
- (on him being a caddie when he was younger)
Bill Paxton: I made all my money around golf courses as a kid. My dad was a member of the club and my big thing was really looking for golf balls. It was like being on an Easter egg hunt every day. Me and my dog Poochy would scour the course when I was eight years old. I relate to this story of a kid growing up next to a golf course because I grew up next to a golf course in Fort Worth, Texas. It was Shady Oaks Country Club, Ben Hogan's home club. It was almost like having Harry Vardon out there on the third hole.
- (on the television industry)
Bill Paxton: Good work is hard to come by in this business. If you're smart enough to realize that, you're going to have a good time when you're working. And I think all of us are hep to that.
- (on supporting the troops)
Bill Paxton: I support the troops. This is tough time right now. I think a lot of people in our industry are afraid to speak out. I had a drink with Sean Penn the other night. He went over to Baghdad in December just to see for himself what was going on. And that guy is as American as anybody I ever met.
- (on his TV show "Big Love", where he plays a husband of three different women)
Bill Paxton: Here I am, finally getting to do a great love story --- times three.
- (on dealing with the physical trials of making the film "Twister")
Bill Paxton: Fortunately, I'm oven-tempered for flexible strength.
