Paxton finds romance (times three) in ‘Love’

The actor’s own domestic situation is far more mundane. He and his wife, Louise, have been married for two decades and have a son, 12, and a daughter, 8. The couple met when he spotted her in a London bus queue, ran for the double-decker and brashly introduced himself.

While TV represents a career change for Paxton, 50, the setting for “Big Love” dovetails with the big-screen projects he holds dearest — and with his assessment of culture in general.

“I feel like I’m a regionalist and a populist who’s never fit in among the intellectuals,” Paxton said. “I think there’s where the heart of American art is. My greatest roles have been in regional films, whether it was ’One False Move’ or ’Frailty’ or ’Simple Plan’ or ’Traveller.’

“These are the richest roles I’ve been able to play,” he said of the films, which are set not in Los Angeles or New York but in places like small-town Arkansas, Texas and North Carolina.

He’s even more rhapsodic discussing fine arts in the American heartland.

There’s the Fort Worth area where he grew up, “the third-largest cultural fine-arts complex in the whole country. Nobody knows that,” Paxton said. He ticks off more examples: Tulsa, home to “one of the greatest museums in this country,” the Gilchrist, and museum-rich Iowa.

“My dad taught me, ‘Wherever you go, seek out their cultural treasures and you will be surprised,”’ Paxton said, who speaks warmly of John Paxton as his “advance man. He kind of gave me a little bit of a road map.”

Paxton’s dad, who was in the lumber business, is an avid art collector who exposed his children to the world of theater and film and who piqued his son’s interest in acting.

The family also happened to intersect with famous figures: As a youngster in Kansas City, John Paxton lived next door to the artist Thomas Hart Benton.

In Texas, golf great Ben Hogan was a member of the Shady Oaks club to which Paxton’s dad belonged and the two were friends. Bill Paxton recalled gathering golf balls as a youngster for Hogan.

“I was kind of afraid of him because I knew he was a great champ,” he said.

Paxton himself proves easily approachable. When a waiter — an aspiring actor, no surprise — handed him compliments along with the lunchtime check, the young man got more than thanks in return. Paxton promptly offered him a valued acting teacher’s name and phone number.

“I had a friend who worked (on a movie) with you and said you were really nice and made sure he got a line and screen credit,” the dazzled waiter said.

Paxton, man of the people.

MORE FROM DRAMA

'The Tudors' turns bloodier in season 2

'The Tudors' turns bloodier in season 2 Michael — or is it Kevin — returns to 'Lost' Typo puts 'ER's' Julianna Margulies back on TV 'Wire' creator reflects on show's end Quiz: Is there a true fan in the ‘House’? How well do you know ‘CSI’s’ Gil Grissom?   Add Drama headlines to your news reader: