Powers Boothe, one of Hollywood’s greatest villains, died on 14th May. He was 68 years old. Known for his performances in films such as Tombstone, Sin City, Sudden Death, Frailty, and TV shows Guyana Tragedy: Jim Jones’ Story, Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D, Nashville, Deadwood and others, Boothe started his career on stage as a Shakespearean actor.
“For the first 10 years I acted, all I did was Shakespeare, and the show I did in New York that brought me out to Hollywood was a flat-out comedy, but they never let me do comedy.” Boothe was born in Texas, the Lone Star state. His first Broadway appearance was on the show Lone Star & Pvt. Wars, a comedy based on Texas’ machismo.
He got his first big break with the TV series The Guyana Tragedy: The Jim Jones’ Story, based on the life of cult leader Jim Jones. He won an Emmy Award for the role, at a time when the Screen Actors’ Guild were picketting the awards ceremony.
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Boothe has said he likes playing villain roles. “Villains last longer in people’s minds, and they’re more fun to play.” His favourite performance is as the character Frost, in the 1994 film Mutant Species. The next year, he played General Alexander Haig, in Nixon. Nixon won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by Ensemble Cast, and Boothe, along with Anthony Hopkins and others accepted the award.
A private service will be held in Texas, his home state.
Image Courtesy: Hollywood Reporter