Actor James Paxton was still a toddler when his father, Bill Paxton , starred as storm chaser-turned-TV weatherman Bill Harding in the 1996 blockbuster, Twister .

Now 30, James Paxton is set to make a cameo in the hotly anticipated sequel, Twisters, which hits theaters next week.

His brief appearance in the film as a motel guest named Cody is intended as a tribute to the elder Paxton, who died in 2017 at age 61.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly in an interview published Thursday, James Paxton opened up about the significance of taking on a project so closely associated with his fathers legacy.

I wanted to be a conduit for his spirit there and cheer everyone in this production on to success because I know he would be, he told the outlet. I wanted to do something that really honors his presence in this new chapter and really do something for him.