Totenkindly
@.~*virinaĉo*~.@
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2007
- Messages
- 52,155
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Dead at 61. Surgery complications.
Yeah, I know. He wouldn't win any major awards for his acting. I haven't seen his recent TV work (like on Big Love or later). And sometimes he could be clumsy and goofy on screen. But he had his fingers in a lot of films prominent in our cultural awareness from 1980 or so onwards and seemed likable and enthusiastic.
He seemed to be best at making bit parts (supporting roles in ensemble casts) stick out in humorous ways. This was apparent even in The Terminator, where his two minutes of screen-time reflected a wannabe swaggering punk goth whose clothes end up being worn by Arnold. And pretty much any self-professed geek is acutely aware of his role as the braggadocio-dripping Hudson in "Aliens" (1986?) who ends up being whiny and irritating for much of the movie, yet manages to compose himself as the everyman hero by the end.
He had a really great turn as one of a clan of vampires in 1987's "Near Dark" with a few other cast members from Aliens; he takes the swagger act up to a terrifying 11 on the dial in probably the movie's best scene, the massacre at the Texas diner in the film's middle section. He just owns the place.
He seemed to settle into more general fare in the 90's and beyond and develop some nuance. I remember being surprised by the solidity of this movie called "Frailty" that he directed and starred in; my expectations had been low, but the movie actually worked. And then he was in Apollo 13 and some other less-genre-oriented pics.
Bill brought a lot of energy and amusement to the cultural tapestry. Sometimes his roles seemed a bit goofy, other times they bring fond laughter. And he was always earnest. RIP.
Yeah, I know. He wouldn't win any major awards for his acting. I haven't seen his recent TV work (like on Big Love or later). And sometimes he could be clumsy and goofy on screen. But he had his fingers in a lot of films prominent in our cultural awareness from 1980 or so onwards and seemed likable and enthusiastic.
He seemed to be best at making bit parts (supporting roles in ensemble casts) stick out in humorous ways. This was apparent even in The Terminator, where his two minutes of screen-time reflected a wannabe swaggering punk goth whose clothes end up being worn by Arnold. And pretty much any self-professed geek is acutely aware of his role as the braggadocio-dripping Hudson in "Aliens" (1986?) who ends up being whiny and irritating for much of the movie, yet manages to compose himself as the everyman hero by the end.
He had a really great turn as one of a clan of vampires in 1987's "Near Dark" with a few other cast members from Aliens; he takes the swagger act up to a terrifying 11 on the dial in probably the movie's best scene, the massacre at the Texas diner in the film's middle section. He just owns the place.
He seemed to settle into more general fare in the 90's and beyond and develop some nuance. I remember being surprised by the solidity of this movie called "Frailty" that he directed and starred in; my expectations had been low, but the movie actually worked. And then he was in Apollo 13 and some other less-genre-oriented pics.
Bill brought a lot of energy and amusement to the cultural tapestry. Sometimes his roles seemed a bit goofy, other times they bring fond laughter. And he was always earnest. RIP.
