In 2003, years after the Titanic film was released to the public, actor Bill Paxton opened up about how he went on a submersible ride to experience everything firsthand as well.
The interview was ahead of the documentary Ghosts of the Abyss release. The documentary showed director James Cameron discussing his inspiration for the film and taking several people, which included Paxton, on unscripted dives to the Titanic’s site.
“Each dive, I had to kind of look myself in the mirror and go ‘OK, are you ready for this?’” Paxton said in the 2003 interview. “It’s one of those things where Jim [Cameron] asked me in passing to go and…the opportunity of a lifetime. I jumped at it,” the actor explained.
“But then you start thinking about physically what’s going to be required of you to get into a three-man, deep-sea Russian submersible for a 13-hour dive,” he shared. “To go down two and a half miles to a place where the sun has never penetrated. And you’re starting to think ‘OK, I’ve got young kids. I need to get them to an age where they can support themselves before I do something this crazy.’”
“Jim is an infectious guy. And also, God, who wouldn’t go on this adventure?”
He even went on to even talk about how comfortable the inside of the submersible he dived in was. He said it was “relatively comfortable,” before noting that “certainly there are things that can go wrong.”
“If they do go wrong, it’s not going to matter anyway. And it’s going to happen so quickly that you’re not even gonna know it happened, probably,” he noted. “These are the thoughts you have going in.”
He even explained how to him, “the price of admission” seemed “kind of low” given the “great experience” you got in return.
“You approach the bow, and then you rise up over it. And you’re looking down on the ship, and you are a ghost of the abyss. And the images stay with you. The images, they really have an effect,” he said before he talked about the “personal story” attached to the sunken ship.
Posted by R.I.P Bill Paxton on Sunday, June 13, 2021
“I think all of us at some time in our dreams or even our waking moments have pictured ourselves: What would it have been like to be on that deck? Knowing that the lifeboats had gone away. What were you gonna do? Contemplating your own fate. It’s this ultimate parable of, how would you measure up?” he questioned, calling the Titanic “a perfect tragedy.”
“You think about the people on the water. You think about the people on the boats looking back and seeing the stern of that ship come up out of the water like a city rising up out of the sea,” the actor said. “You think about the people in the water. I swam in the water out there, which was a very disconcerting experience because you think there’s that much ocean underneath you.”
It was clear that the actor knew of all the risks before going into the experience. As for the five men aboard the submersible that dominated headlines in the last week, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that they discovered “presumed human remains.”
He thrived on the fringes of society, scavenging for meals in dumpsters, but somehow he rose to fame as a legendary actor and became a father to four children
Michael J. Fox has faced significant challenges in recent years, particularly due to his long-standing battle with Parkinson’s disease. This struggle has not become easier with time, but his story remains one of remarkable resilience.
Born on June 9, 1961, in Edmonton, Canada, Michael’s childhood was marked by frequent relocations due to his father’s service in the Canadian Armed Forces. His mother worked as a payroll clerk, providing stability in their blue-collar home. Eventually, the family settled in Burnaby, British Columbia, where Michael discovered his love for acting during junior high. He joined the drama division at school and quickly showcased his talent, landing a role in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation series Leo & Me, thanks to encouragement from his theater teacher.
Determined to pursue acting, Fox moved to Los Angeles at 17, dropping out of high school. With support from his family, especially his father, who drove him to California, Michael was committed to making his dreams a reality. He later reflected on his decision, acknowledging that he came from humble beginnings: “I was living on the margins… dumpster diving for food”, he recalled in a 2023 interview.
His breakthrough came with the role of Alex P. Keaton in the hit sitcom Family Ties, followed by his iconic portrayal of Marty McFly in Back to the Future. Interestingly, Michael’s mother initially opposed his involvement in Back to the Future, worried about his demanding schedule. Yet, he went on to succeed, even if it meant enduring exhaustion.
During his time on Family Ties, he met Tracy Pollan, who played his love interest on the show. Although they didn’t start dating immediately, they eventually fell in love and married in 1988, welcoming four children together: Sam, Schuyler, Aquinnah, and Esmé.
Michael originally didn’t have the “J” in his name. When he learned there was another actor named Michael Fox in the Screen Actors Guild, he added the initial as a tribute to his favorite actor, Michael J. Pollard.
After a successful career, Michael retired from acting in 2020, stating that his struggle with speech made it difficult to perform. Following his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, he initially turned to alcohol but eventually sought help and publicly disclosed his condition in 1998. Since then, he has become an advocate for Parkinson’s research, founding the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which has raised over $750 million for the cause.
Michael J. Fox’s life is a testament to perseverance. Despite the obstacles he faced, he has become a beloved figure in Hollywood and an inspiration to many. His journey exemplifies the power of determination and passion, reminding us all of what can be achieved against the odds. Let’s celebrate not only his remarkable talents but also the inspiring story he continues to share with the world.
Leave a Reply