Bill Paxton passed away on Feb. 25. The actor, who was known for his characters in hit movies like "Apollo 13," "Twister" and "Aliens," was 61.
His death was made public after his family released a statement on Sunday, Feb. 26. TMZ has learned that the actor had a heart surgery but developed post operation complications and this led to a fatal stroke.
Part of the statement that was released to the press reads: "It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery." In the last part of the note, his family stated, "We ask to please respect the family's wish for privacy as they mourn the loss of their adored husband and father."
The actor's family also mentioned that their beloved had an illustrious career that spanned for four decades. They mentioned Bill as a great father and husband, a dedicated actor and prolific director at some points in his career.
In any case, although Bill Paxton did not publicly revealed about his surgery, there were close friends who knew about it and one of them was Doug Liman, the director who worked with the actor in the 2014 film entitled "Edge of Tomorrow."
Liman told the Daily News that weeks ago, Paxton told him about the surgery. The director shared that the actor was actually worried about it but he still assured him that he will be back and ready to work for the planned sequel for "Edge of Tomorrow" where he was set to reprise his role as Master Sergeant Farell.
It was reported that the actor also sent an email to Liman on Jan. 29 and it reads: "Thanks for the good wishes. It will help me face this ordeal. Don't worry 'Sgt Farrell' will be ready to report for duty."
Now, with the news of his passing, many Hollywood stars expressed sadness and shock over his death while others post heartfelt tributes on their social networking sites. Some of the big names who left messages include Rob Lowe, Charlize Theron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Hanks and more.
Bill Paxton left behind his wife Louise Newbury and two children. R.I.P.
