The Late Bill Paxton’s Connection to Minnesota

The internet was reeling Sunday with the news that veteran actor, Bill Paxton, had passed away. But did you know he had a connection to Minnesota?

Paxton wasn't from here-- he was born and raised in Texas-- but, according to this KARE-11 story, he once filmed a movie here in Minnesota, and was so friendly and approachable that many thought he might have been from here.

The 'here' was the Minnesota town of Delano, located northwest of the Twin Cities, about 2 hours from Rochester. And Paxton was there nearly 20 years ago filming the movie 'A Simple Plan,' along with Billy Bob Thronton and Bridget Fonda, who also starred in the movie.

It all went down, the story says, during the winter months of 1998. Local Delano resident Joe McDonald, who ended up being an extra in the film, recalled that Paxton was a really nice guy.

"You'd hear the comment they thought maybe he was a local because he was so friendly... so we had fond memories of Bill Paxton and the Hollywood crew that came here in the winter of '98," McDonald said in the story.

I don't remember that movie, but I sure do remember Paxton's other roles in movies like Titanic, Aliens and Twister. Here's more on the time he spent here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes...