Monday, 4/21/97 Paxton works behind the camera in ‘Traveller’
Producing, acting in smaller movies grants actor better roles, more
authority
By Aimee Phan Daily Bruin Contributor To keep up with the steady
tradition of successful actors turning from their trade to find
more movie-making experience, Bill Paxton has decided to produce a
movie. After Paxton’s turn in last summer’s "Twister," his recently
elevated star status has given him the opportunity to do both,
acting in this summer’s upcoming James Cameron picture "Titanic"
and producing and starring in this Friday’s "Traveller." Paxton has
a special affection for "Traveller," though, since he has been
involved in the making of the film from the very beginning, after
discovering the script four years ago. "This movie has been a labor
of love from the beginning," Paxton says. "And I’ve been very
encouraged by the reactions from the screenings. I think a lot of
people are understanding why I wanted to make this film." Set in
the rural South, this independent film centers on the Travellers, a
group of Irish grifters who drift in and out of small towns,
conning innocent people out of money. Paxton plays Bokky, a
seasoned Traveller whose plan to swindle a single mother (Juliana
Margulies, "ER") goes awry when he unexpectedly falls in love with
her. Paxton also believed that this was the perfect project to do
after filming the blockbuster "Twister." Paxton has enjoyed great
success in Hollywood with such hits as "True Lies," "Apollo 13" and
"The Terminator." But like many other high-profile actors, he
enjoys taking a break from studio films to make the occasional
independent picture, enjoying the rich characters they offer. "I
knew that after ‘Twister,’ I couldn’t do anything more commercial
or bigger than that," Paxton says. "These independent movies have
created a great renaissance and a lot of opportunities for actors
coming along. For me, I do these films because I get to play these
roles that I never get to play – really beefy roles. The character
of Bokky, you meet him at the first of the movie, and he’s the last
one of the actors you see. It’s all about the main characters who
are telling the story and not relying on special effects." For
Paxton, "Traveller" not only gave him the chance to play a
different kind of character than he was used to, but it also
presented the opportunity to spread his wings in his feature
film-producing debut. After his wife Louise had discovered and
brought the script to his attention, Paxton had been eagerly
awaiting the chance to make the film. At first Paxton simply wanted
to act in "Traveller," but couldn’t even do that because the owner
of the film’s rights couldn’t finance it. After "Twister," though,
Paxton found he had the clout to finance the film. While
"Traveller" marks Paxton’s producing debut, it is also an
introduction of many other artists into the film medium, with
first-time director Jack Green and newcomer screenwriter Jim
McGlynn. Green had previously been successful as an Oscar-nominated
cinematographer for many films, including many of Clint Eastwood’s
features. Paxton had met his soon-to-be-director on the set of
"Twister" where Green was working as the cinematographer. "I had
always admired how Jack had shot his films in this very
straightforward style that always put the story and the actors
upfront," Paxton remembers. "I had gotten to know Jack and how he
was just itching to direct his own movie. So after showing him the
script, I told him ‘If you’ll shoot it, you can make it your
directorial debut.’ And then we totally collaborated on the movie."
Paxton’s hiring of colleagues for his pet project didn’t stop
behind the camera, relishing the chance to give work to old friends
he believed were perfect for the parts. He believes there are a lot
of good character actors out there that haven’t had the
opportunities he’s had to use their talent and find success in
Hollywood. "This movie not only created an opportunity for myself,
but I was able to create a lot for my colleagues and artists that I
really admired," Paxton says. "There are so many talented people
out there; it’s so sad because this town is so impersonal. It has
nothing to do with you. There are 10,000 guys that will take my
place tomorrow, but it’s hard not to take it personally. We are the
product that we’re selling." Paxton didn’t always pursue Hollywood
success in front of the camera, though. Like many aspiring actors,
he got his foot into the film industry through the back door,
painting and preparing film sets. Since Paxton’s start was behind
the camera as a set dresser, he was excited to return behind the
camera in the significantly elevated status of producer and
participate in the casting, production and post-production of the
film. "This movie is kind of my declaration of independence,"
Paxton admits. "If this movie can make its money back and then
some, it could put me in a position to be able to go out and
produce another film. I loved producing. If I don’t produce again,
it will be a little like going to medical school for four years and
just performing one operation." Since the post-production of this
film took up most of his time this year, Paxton hopes to move on to
more stimulating projects, preferring to alternate between big
budget studio films like this summer’s "Titanic" and smaller, more
intimate films like "Traveller." He admits though, that balancing
these two ideals will be difficult, thanks to the politics of show
business. "It’s kind of the best of times and the worst of times
for me in some ways," Paxton admits. "I’ve had a couple of projects
fall through lately, so I’m looking for a job right now. I only got
to act three weeks in the last twelve months because I’ve been so
busy finishing ‘Traveller.’ But the investors of ‘Traveller’ are
quite willing to roll it over and do it again if this film is
successful. We’ve got a script we’re working on right now that I
would love to do." So while Paxton does appreciate the chance to
work extensively behind the scenes, he prefers to keep his options
open for a while. "My whole background is a filmmaker’s background
more than a classical actor’s background," Paxton recalls. "I’ve
always wanted to make films, and a natural evolution would be to
eventually direct films. But right now, the acting’s the thing and
that’s what people know me as, so I think I would like to continue
trying to produce films I can act in." FILM: "Traveller" will be
released this Friday. OCTOBER FILMS Bill Paxton plays an Irish con
artist named Bokky in Jack Green’s "Traveller" and also produces
the independent film.