He appeared in films such as Weird Science (1985), Near Dark (1987), Aliens (1986), Tombstone (1993), True Lies (1994), Apollo 13 (1995), Twister (1996), and Titanic (1997).
Paxton starred in the HBO drama series Big Love (2006–2011), for which he earned three Golden Globe Award nominations during the show's run.
He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for portraying Randall McCoy in the History channel miniseries Hatfields & McCoys (2012).
In February 2022, Paxton's family reached a partial settlement with General Anesthesia Specialists Partnership for $1 million.