Bill Paxton: 5 Awesome Performances (And Five That Sucked)

5 Awesome Performances

5. Chet - Weird Science (1985)

Weird Science Chet Bill Paxton
Universal Pictures

Though he's ludicrously funny in a handful of films, you never really hear people talk about Paxton as a comedic talent.

That's probably due to the fact that his two most famous roles, or the roles the general public will know him for - Twister and Titanic - are light on laughs, but dig a little deeper into his catalogue of films and you'll find that humour is one of his more underappreciated traits.

Possibly his funniest role came in John Hughes' Weird Science. As Chet Donnelly - protagonist Wyatt's older brother - he slipped into the role of 'douchebag elder sibling' perfectly, delivering quotable insult after quotable insult, managing to transform into a complete jerk while still remaining likable.

Perhaps out of fear of being typecast, Paxton stepped away from roles like this in the future, but it was Weird Science that helped him refine those comedic chops that he'd put to good use as his career progressed.

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

Danny has been with WhatCulture for almost nine years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. He has been writing and video editing for 10+ years, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers and uploading them to YouTube (they're admittedly a bit rusty by today's standards). If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order or to tell you about the making of 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, Danny is the person to ask.