Apollo 13 and Twister actor Bill Paxton dies at 61

Hollywood actor Bill Paxton, best known for his roles in Apollo 13 and Twister, has died at the age of 61.

The US star died of complications following surgery, his family said in a statement.

Paxton appeared in dozens of films over four decades, including such blockbusters as Titanic, True Lies and Aliens.

More recently he starred in the HBO TV series Big Love, about a polygamous Mormon family, which earned him three Golden Globe nominations.

"It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery," said the statement, which called Paxton a "loving husband and father".

"Bill's passion for the arts was felt by all who knew him, and his warmth and tireless energy were undeniable.

"We ask to please respect the family's wish for privacy as they mourn the loss of their adored husband and father."

Paxton was a Texas native, and as a boy he was in the crowd that welcomed John F Kennedy on the morning on 22 November 1963, hours before the President was killed in Dallas.

He later narrated the documentary JFK: The Day That Changed Everything.

He got his start in films in the art department on Roger Corman movies in the 1970s before getting a chance to go in front of the camera.

He quickly became a favourite of director James Cameron through the 1980s and 1990s.

In Titanic, Paxton played a treasure hunter, and he was an astronaut in the Ron Howard space adventure about Apollo's attempted Moon landing.

For his role in Apollo 13, Paxton won a Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture in 1996.

To sci-fi fans, he held the unlikely record of being the only actor to be killed by a Predator, a Terminator and an Alien.

Paxton was famously genial and well-liked in the industry. Tributes started pouring in from celebrities, as Hollywood prepared for its biggest night of the year, with the Oscars held later on Sunday.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, who starred with Paxton in Cameron's Terminator and True Lies, tweeted: "Bill Paxton could play any role, but he was best at being Bill - a great human being with a huge heart. My thoughts are with his family."

Tom Hanks, his co-star in Apollo 13, tweeted: "Bill Paxton was, simply, a wonderful man. A wonderful man... Hanx."

HBO said "he was as warm, smart and fun as one could be".

Storm chasers in the US paid a unique tribute, spelling out the actor's initials on a live map tracking the location of storm spotters. The result was achieved using GPs coordinates and coordinated through Spotter Network.

Paxton's turn as a storm chaser in the disaster movie Twister remains one of his most famous roles. His co-star Helen Hunt said Paxton "acted his heart out. What a talented man".

Chloe Sevigny, who was also on the cast of Big Love, remembered Paxton as someone who "had a smile on his face and could entertain any room with his wonderful stories of his many amazing years in Hollywood".

Rob Lowe tweeted: "Devastated by the sudden loss of my close friend and one of the finest actors in the business, Bill Paxton. Renaissance man, raconteur and uniquely American national treasure.

"In his memory, on this Oscar Sunday, watch One False Move or A Simple Plan to see this lovely leading man, at his finest."

Aaron Paul, of Breaking Bad fame, called Paxton "one of the greatest guys that I have ever met. I feel lucky to have called him my friend".

Paxton was married and had two children.