He was a prolific character actor, appearing in dozens of film and television roles over several decades, memorably as a father figure in a number of films, including The Black Stallion (1979) and Gremlins (1984).
Born in Duncan, Oklahoma, Axton spent his preteen years in Comanche, Oklahoma, with his brother, John. His mother, Mae Boren Axton, a songwriter, co-wrote the classic rock 'n' roll song "Heartbreak Hotel", which became a major hit for Elvis Presley. Some of Hoyt's own songs were later recorded by Presley. Axton's father, John Thomas Axton, was a naval officer stationed in Jacksonville, Florida; the family joined him there in 1949.
Axton graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1956 and left town after Knauer's Hardware Store burned down on graduation night, a prank gone wrong.

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