Actor Bill Paxton (R) and Louise Newbury arrives at the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on September 23, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty)
On Sunday morning, TMZ reported that actor Bill Paxton has died from complications from surgery. The actor, who was 61 at the time of his death, is survived by his wife, Louise Newbury, and their two children, James and Lydia.
Read on to learn about Newbury.
1. She Met Paxton on a London Bus
Actor Bill Paxton and wife Louise Newbury arrive at HBO’s Post Golden Globe After Party held at the Beverly Hilton on January 15, 2007 in Beverly Hills, California. (Getty)
In his interview with Los Angeles Magazine, Paxton revealed that he met Louise when she was just a teenager. “She knew me when I was struggling. She was a student. We met on a bus in London. I’ve seen her give birth. I was with her when her father died. Then we mixed our blood watching these two kids grow up.”
In his last recorded interview with People, which took place earlier this year, Paxton recalled his last vacation with Newbury.
The summer before last, I went on a walking tour with my wife [Louise] through Wales. We thought these would be nice and leisurely walks, but they were intense 10- or 14-mile hikes. After a couple of days, we were just a wreck. But it was also one of the best holidays we’d had in a long time. The blisters were worth it.”
2. Louise Newbury and Bill Paxton Have Two Children Together
Actor Bill Paxton and Louise Newbury attend the “Titanic 3D” World Premeire at the Royal Albert Hall on March 27, 2012 in London, England. (Getty Images)
Together, Paxton and Newbury have two children: Lydia and James.
Lydia is 19 and attends Duke University. She is set to graduate in 2020 according to her Instagram bio. James, 22, is an actor, and worked with his father on CBS’ Training Day, which had its premiere this month. According to Interview Magazine, James was interested in journalism before he decided to pursue acting. He tells the outlet, “As a little kid you have no inhibitions. In front of a camera you’re just like, ‘Oh, yeah, I got this. I knew I had to go back and study if I was going to do this [professionally]—you still earn your stripes out here, no matter who you’re related to.”
In a statement obtained by TMZ, the family said, “It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery.”
3. Paxton Was Briefly Married From 1979 to 1980 to Kelly Rowan
(Getty)
Before Newbury, Paxton was married to Kelly Rowan. The two married in October 1979 and divorced less than a year later. They had no children together.
While it has been reported that Rowan is the actress best known for starring in The OC, that has not been confirmed.
In an interview with Film School Rejects, Paxton discussed the beginning of his relationship with Rowan. He explained that he and Kelly were very young when they first began dating. “I wanted to run away with Kelly. In fact, we’d talked about running away a couple of times back then. Weirdly enough, her mother broke us up and five years later we met up in New York and I realized that I still had feelings for her. We did run away and get married, but again her mother was too tough…”
4. Their Son James Currently Stars on USA Network’s ‘Eyewitness’
Actor James Paxton attends People’s “Ones to Watch” event presented by Maybelline New York at E.P. & L.P. on October 13, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Getty)
Bill and Louise’s son, James, 22, is an actor, like his father, and currently stars on USA’s Eyewitness. The series follows two teen boys, Lukas (played by Paxton) and Philip, in the aftermath of a murder they witnessed. In the show, Lukas doesn’t want to go to the police with information about the murder because he doesn’t want to come out as gay.
In an October interview with EW, James was asked if it was odd not having his father at his side on set– the two had just worked together on Texas Rising when he booked the role. James said:
Well, we didn’t really get to work together on Texas Rising. He was in [it], but our storylines didn’t coincide at all… He was really cool… I just shot a guest star role on his show, Training Day, that he’s shooting right now. The executive producers approached him about bringing me into the show, because there’s a cool parallel and in this episode we just did [where] my character reminds his character of what he used to be like as a boy. They went, “This is perfect to play it. You’re really family.” I jumped at the possibility, because I’ve always wanted to work with him, and we don’t get to work together and share scenes. I did a scene with him yesterday, and it was one of the proudest moments I’ve had.
James also guest-starred on the eighth episode of Training Day. Speaking with People in his last interview, Paxton said, “I was thrilled to have my son guest-star on the eighth episode of Training Day… He plays the son in a father-son robbery team, and my character, whose dad was also a criminal, tells him, ‘We’re both our father’s sons, but that doesn’t have to define us.’ It was surreal saying that to him.”
5. She Was Married to Paxton for Nearly Thirty Years
Louise Newbury and Bill Paxton attend the 2014 A+E Networks Upfront on May 8, 2014 in New York City. (Getty Images)
Paxton and Newbury were married for nearly 30 years, according to the actor’s interview with Buddy TV. They tied the knot in May 1987.
At the time of his death, Paxton lived with Newbury and their children in Ojai, California– a town about an hour north of LA. In a 2010 interview with Los Angeles Magazine, the actor explained that though he may be a household name, he maintained a relatively low profile over the course of his career. “I’m not heavily scrutinized, I’m not dating a starlet, I’m left alone pretty much.”
