The late Bill Paxton was one of the most iconic actors of his generation, and he starred in a variety of movies and TV shows, such as James Cameron’s тιтanic. However, I bet you don’t remember that Bill Paxton actually starred in a Limp Bizkit music video 6 years after his appearance in тιтanic. Making his debut in the late 1970s, Paxton made a name for himself for his roles in science fiction and action movies, and the actor had a prominent role in Aliens, with his Private William Hudson character becoming notorious for his “It’s game over, man!” quote.

Although Bill Paxton sadly pᴀssed away in 2017, his memory lives on through his appearances in some of the most popular movies of all time, from Tombstone to Spy Kids to Edge of Tomorrow, demonstrating his incredible range. The actor even had a role in the famous disaster movie 1996’s Twister, which received a standalone sequel in 2024 and featured a cameo from his son as an ode to his previous role. However, despite having such an impressive and wide-ranging filmography, there is one thing we could never have predicted: Bill Paxton appearing in a Limp Bizkit music video.

Bill Paxton Starred In Limp Bizkit’s “Eat You Alive” Music Video

Fred Durst Said Bill Paxton “Was A Close Friend”

In 2003, Limp Bizkit released a music video for the single “Eat You Alive,” a song which peaked at number 16 on Billboard’s H๏τ Mainstream Rock Tracks, and is about a blue-collar worker who obsesses over a higher-class woman. The music video features Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst singing and screaming at a kidnapped Thora Birch (American Beauty, Ghost World) in the woods, surrounded by his band and string lights. However, the most unexpected part is when Bill Paxton appears as part of a mob hunting Limp Bizkit down, as the actor was already famous before the music video was released.

Bill Paxton first appears in the music video around 1 minute and 45 seconds in, leading a mob alongside a sniffer dog. Later in the video, Paxton finds the kidnapped girl, who is clearly transfixed by Fred Durst, before he takes off after the band into the woods. There is no real reason why an actor of Paxton’s caliber is required in “Eat You Alive,” as his role could’ve been played by anyone, so it’s a really strange decision for Limp Bizkit to include him. However, the answer may lie in a Q&A for the premiere of The Fanatic.

Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst directed the indie film The Fanatic in 2019, a movie that starred John Travolta as an obsessed stalker. Weirdly, the theme of Durst’s film is actually quite similar to “Eat You Alive.” In the premiere’s Q&A, Durst said that Travolta’s character was originally written for Paxton, which is “why the film is dedicated to Bill Paxton,” citing, “he was a close friend of mine.” It’s unclear whether this connection came before or after Bill Paxton starred in Limp Bizkit’s music video, but it does offer insight into why Paxton was chosen for “Eat You Alive.”

“Eat You Alive” Wasn’t Bill Paxton’s Only Music Video Appearance

Paxton Had A Larger Career In The Music Industry Than You Think

Surprisingly, “Eat You Alive” wasn’t Bill Paxton’s only music video appearance, as the actor has a history of cameos. Paxton starred in a total of eight music videos in the 1980s for a variety of different artists, seemingly finding work in the early days of his acting career. He made a repeated cameo for Barnes & Barnes at one point, appearing in four music videos in five years, and he actually directed the video for their novelty song, “Fish Heads.” However, with things like The Terminator, Weird Science, and Aliens soon following, Paxton became far too busy with his acting career.

Bill Paxton has additional music industry connections for being in a band called Martini Ranch in the 1980s. While Paxton’s band never really took off, astonishingly, the music video for “Reach” was directed by none other than James Cameron himself. Paxton had appeared in a few James Cameron movies at the time, including The Terminator and Aliens, and would continue to be a long-time collaborator on things like тιтanic. However, it’s still strange how many music videos Bill Paxton appeared in, and how he had ultimate bragging rights for working on videos with James Cameron, Pat Benatar, and Limp Bizkit.

Sources: YouTube, The Fanatic Q&A

Bill Paxton

Birthdate

May 17, 1955

Birthplace

Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Notable Projects

Edge of Tomorrow, тιтanic, Apollo 13