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

2. Dad Meiks - Frailty (2001)

Paxton's feature directorial debut, 2001's Frailty also saw the actor take the lead as a father-of-two who believes he must commit a series of murders in order to destroy demons disguised as human beings.

Though Dad Meiks is, inherently, a bad person (he is a murderer, after all), Paxton is able to make the character one you'll feel sympathetic towards, playing him in such a way that you can't help but feel sorry for the man.

All he wants to do is look after and protect his children - that's why he's killing "demons" - and although he's being manipulated by his religious beliefs (he's visited by an angel, who compels him to begin his demon-hunting quest), he's only doing what he thinks is right, and Paxton smartly focuses on this aspect of the character.

It's a dark tale that's not as easy to watch as the other awesome performances on this list, but it packs a fantastic third-act twist and a strong performance from a pre-Oscar-winning Matthew McConaughey.