Photos: The life of Bill Paxton (1955-2017)

When he was 8, Bill Paxton (seen peeking above the crowd) watched President John F. Kennedy come to his hometown of Fort Worth on the morning of Nov. 22, 1963. Kennedy was killed later that day in nearby Dallas.

Bill Paxton (left) had a long relationship with director James Cameron, who first cast Paxton as a punk leader in the 1984 sci-fi classic 'The Terminator.'

Bill Paxton (right, with Sigourney Weaver) played Private William Hudson — and had his iconic 'Game over, man!' film moment — in the 1986 sci-fi movie 'Aliens.'

Bill Paxton (right) played astronaut Frank Haise opposite Kevin Bacon and Tom Hanks in 'Apollo 13'

Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt chased tornadoes in the 1996 blockbuster disaster film 'Twister.'

Bill Paxton (right, with Gloria Stuart and Suzy Amis) played a treasure hunter in the iconic 1997 film 'Titanic.'

Bill Paxton starred in and directed the 2001 thriller 'Frailty,' which cast him as a religious fanatic father.

Bill Paxton starred as the patriarch of a Mormon family with multiple wives (Ginnifer Goodwin, Chloe Sevigny and Jeanne Tripplehorn) in the 2006-11 HBO series 'Big Love.'

Bill Paxton earned Emmy and SAG nominations for his portrayal of Randall McCoy in the 2012 History miniseries 'Hatfields & McCoys.'

Bill Paxton co-starred as the mysterious Earl who's after two bank robbers (Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg) in 2013's '2 Guns.'

Bill Paxton was a master sergeant battling aliens in the sci-fi film 'Edge of Tomorrow.'

Bill Paxton rode tall as Sam Houston on the miniseries 'Texas Rising.'