Powers Boothe, a renowned screen tough guy, was born on June 1, 1948, in Snyder, Texas, to a sharecropper's family. As a youngster, he was accustomed to hard physical labor, including chopping cotton, before becoming the first member of his family to attend university.
Boothe's academic journey took him to Southern Methodist University, where he studied acting through a fellowship and graduated with a degree in Fine Arts. He began his performing career in repertory with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, laying the groundwork for his future success.
In 1974, Boothe relocated to New York, where he continued his theatrical pursuits in Connecticut and Philadelphia. Five years later, he made his breakthrough on Broadway with a swaggering performance as a Texas cowboy in James McLure's comedy play "Lone Star."
Boothe's Emmy-winning portrayal of Reverend Jim Jones in the miniseries "Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones" (1980) marked a significant turning point in his career, prompting a permanent move to Los Angeles. He went on to secure lucrative screen offers and solidified his status as a leading actor with his well-cast performance as Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe, Private Eye (1983) in HBO's first drama series.
Throughout his career, Boothe's character repertoire included a diverse range of roles, from sheriffs and military brass to FBI agents. He appreciated the fact that playing villains could be "more fun," and his most memorable and likable bad guy was arguably snarling gunslinger Curly Bill Brocius in Tombstone (1993).
Boothe's other notable performances included his portrayal of White House Chief of Staff Alexander Haig in Oliver Stone's Nixon (1995),hawkish Vice President Noah Daniels on 24 (2001),and industrialist power broker Lamar Wyatt in Nashville (2012).
One of his most iconic roles remains that of Cy Tolliver, the owner of the Bella Union saloon and brothel, and chief nemesis of Al Swearingen on HBO's Deadwood (2004). Boothe particularly enjoyed his lengthy soliloquies, which reminded him of his time on the Shakespearean stage.
The tall Texan with piercing eyes was also known for his over-the-top performances as Senator Roark in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014) and Gideon Malick, the sinister head of HYDRA, in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013).
As is often the case with actors of the "hard-boiled school," Boothe was often described as the antithesis of the characters he played on screen. His friend and director Robert Rodriguez fittingly eulogized him as "a towering Texas gentleman and world-class artist."
Powers Boothe passed away in his sleep on May 14, 2017, at the age of 68, after a six-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
