James Paxton continues his father’s legacy with a small role in Twisters.
Twisters doesn’t contain any legacy characters that tie the film’s story into Twister, but the new blockbuster’s cast does have a deep connection to the star of Jan de Bont’s beloved 1996 movie. Twister starred beloved actor Bill Paxton, who sadly passed away back in 2017. In honor of the late star, as well as the original Twister, Twisters actually features a cameo from Paxton’s 30-year-old son, James.
This week, Entertainment Weekly confirmed James Paxton’s involvement with Twisters, who plays a small role in the film as a “disgruntled motel guest.” While speaking to the outlet, Paxton revealed that it took him a while before he was actually sold on appearing in the legacy sequel.
“Well, initially, my agents sent me an audition, and I had to read for a role,” Paxton said. “Some time went by and I didn’t really hear anything, so I had made peace with, ‘Oh, I guess maybe it’s not going to work out.’ And then, I heard from my team that they were offering a role.”
“It took me a little bit of time to process it, just given the context of my dad and his significance in the original and him not being here,” he continued. “It’s an emotional thing. It wasn’t something that I could really decide immediately, It took a little time just to process it, just the magnitude of it.”
Paxton ultimately agreed to take on the role in Twisters as a way to not only honor his father, but bring the spirit of the original to the sequel’s set.
“I wanted to be a conduit for his spirit there and cheer everyone in this production on to success because I know he would be. I wanted to do something that really honors his presence in this new chapter and really do something for him. And I realized there’s a lot of amazing people involved in this that I would love to get to know. And so it ended up feeling like the right thing to do, to be representative of Dad there.”
In Twisters, after surviving a devastating encounter with a tornado, former storm chaser Kate Cooper monitors extreme weather from behind a computer screen. When an opportunity arises to test cutting-edge equipment, Kate heads to the Midwest to track twisters, putting her on a collision course not only with the deadly phenomena, but also with social-media star Tyler Owens. As the storms in Oklahoma intensify, the pair must unite and combine their unique skills to survive the most extreme weather imaginable.
Twisters stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Sasha Lane, Daryl McCormack, Kiernan Shipka, Nik Dodani, Katy O’Brian, and Maura Tierney. Lee Isaac Chung directed the sequel from a script by Mark L. Smith. Twisters releases in theaters on July 19th.
A new image reveals that way that Twisters will pay homage to original star Bill Paxton. The upcoming Twisters is a standalone sequel to the 1996 disaster movie, which starred Paxton (who died at age 61 in 2017) and Helen Hunt and became the second highest-grossing movie of the year worldwide. The new movie is not set to feature any meaningful connections to the storyline of the original hit or any legacy characters, instead featuring a new cast led by Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos.
Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that the movie will still pay homage to the late Twister star Bill Paxton, revealing how via an exclusive image from the new movie. Check it out below:
The image shows Glen Powell’s Tyler Owens and Daisy Edgar-Jones’ Kate Cooper seemingly arguing with a worker behind a counter while accompanied by the character Cody, who is played by Paxton’s son, James Paxton. James describes his role as a “cameo” and says it is “an Easter egg for the fans of Dad.” Read his full quote below:
“It’s really a cameo, so it’s an Easter egg for the fans of Dad and the original. I did this one for Dad.”
“I wanted to be a conduit for his spirit there and cheer everyone in this production on to success because I know he would be. I wanted to do something that really honors his presence in this new chapter and really do something for him. And I realized there’s a lot of amazing people involved in this that I would love to get to know. And so it ended up feeling like the right thing to do, to be representative of Dad there.”
James Paxton’s Twisters Cameo Honors A Longstanding Hollywood Tradition. Many Late Stars Have Had Family Members Step Into Their Major Franchises.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
