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Paul Walker

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This article is about the American actor. For other people named Paul Walker, see Paul Walker (disambiguation).

Paul Walker
Walker at the premiere of Fast & Furious in London, 2009
Born
Paul William Walker IV

(1973-09-12)September 12, 1973
Glendale, California, U.S.
DiedNovember 30, 2013(2013-11-30) (aged 40)
Santa Clarita, California, U.S.
Cause of deathCar crash
Burial placeForest Lawn Memorial Park
Hollywood Hills, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1975–2013
ChildrenMeadow Walker
RelativesCody Walker (brother)

Paul William Walker IV[1] (September 12, 1973[2] – November 30, 2013) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Brian O'Conner in the Fast & Furious franchise.

Paul Walker began his career as a child actor in the 1980s, gaining recognition in the 1990s after appearing in the television soap opera The Young and the Restless; he received praise for his performances in the teen comedy She's All That and the comedy-drama Varsity Blues (both 1999), and rose to international fame by starring in The Fast and the Furious (2001).

He also starred in the commercially successful road thriller Joy Ride (2001), becoming an action star. He followed this with the box-office disappointments Into the Blue (2005) and Running Scared (2006), although he earned praise for his performance in the survival drama Eight Below and for his portrayal of Hank Hansen in Flags of Our Fathers (both 2006). Outside of these, Walker largely appeared in low-budget action films, but starred in the commercially successful heist film Takers (2010).

Walker died in a single-vehicle collision on November 30, 2013, as a passenger in a speeding car.[3] His father and daughter filed separate wrongful death lawsuits against Porsche, which resulted in settlements.[4] At the time of his death, Walker had not completed filming Furious 7 (2015); it was released after rewrites and stand-ins, including his brothers Cody and Caleb, both of whom filled in for him, were used to complete the film while the song "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth was commissioned as a tribute.[5]

Early life and education

Walker was born on September 12, 1973, in Glendale, California.[6] His mother, Cheryl (née Crabtree), was a fashion model,[7] and his father, Paul William Walker III, was a sewer contractor and former amateur boxer who was a two-time Golden Gloves champion.[8][9] Walker's paternal grandfather, William, had a short-lived boxing career as "Irish" Billy Walker, while another raced factory cars for Ford in the 1960s.[7]

Walker was raised in the Mormon religion,[8] and had four younger siblings: Aimee, Ashlie, Caleb, and Cody. He spent most of his early life in the Sunland neighborhood of Los Angeles and graduated from high school at Village Christian School in 1991.[10][11] Walker subsequently attended several community colleges in Southern California, majoring in marine biology.[12]

Career

Walker began a modeling career as a toddler, starring in a television commercial for Pampers at age two. He continued to appear in commercials, most notably for Showbiz Pizza in 1984,[13] before beginning an acting career on television that year, appearing in the teen anthology series CBS Schoolbreak Special. Walker continued to work in television until 1996, across a number of genres; he appeared in two episodes of the fantasy drama Highway to Heaven between 1984 and 1986, and secured his first leading role in 1987, appearing as Jeremy Beatty in the sitcom Throb. He continued to feature on sitcoms in the early 1990s, with guest roles in Charles in Charge, Who's the Boss?, and the short-lived What a Dummy. In 1993, he portrayed Brandon Collins on the soap opera The Young and the Restless; he and co-star Heather Tom, who played Victoria Newman, gained fame, and were nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress in a Soap Opera at the Youth in Film Awards. Walker's final television role was on Touched by an Angel, although he appeared as himself, alongside his sister Ashlie, as contestants on a 1988 episode of the game show I'm Telling!, in which they finished in second place.

Walker began his film career in 1986, appearing mainly in low budget B films. His first role was in the horror comedy Monster in the Closet, and a year later, starred in The Retaliator (retroactively subtitled Programmed to Kill), a science fiction film. In 1994, he returned to film, starring in Tammy and the T-Rex, but secured his first feature film role in the comedy Meet the Deedles in 1998; although commercially and critically unsuccessful, it allowed Walker to secure supporting roles in the films Pleasantville (1998), Varsity Blues (1999), She's All That (1999), and The Skulls (2000).[citation needed]

"[Walker] is that guy. As a director, [Walker is] completely supportive of my vision of what the film is. And even better, he's completely game for it."

—Wayne Kramer, who directed and cast Walker in Running Scared (2006).[14]

In 2001, Walker's breakthrough role was starring opposite Vin Diesel in the action film The Fast and the Furious; it was commercially successful, and subsequently launched a media franchise. The film also established Walker as a film star and leading man, as his performance garnered the MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Team (shared with Diesel) in 2002. Walker starred in the critically successful thriller Joy Ride (2001), also focusing on car-related action, and reprised his role as Brian O'Conner in the 2003 sequel 2 Fast 2 Furious. After this, he starred either in low-budget or commercially unsuccessful films for a time, notably Timeline (2003) and Into the Blue (2005).

Picture of Fast Five cast (from left) Dwayne Johnson, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, Vin Diesel, and Walker with Natalie Morales for NBC's Today Show taken in April 2011

Walker portrayed Hank Hansen in Clint Eastwood's war film Flags of Our Fathers (2006) and starred in the survival drama Eight Below, both released in 2006. Eight Below garnered critical acclaim and opened in first place at the box office, grossing over US$20 million during its opening weekend.[15] Walker then starred in the independent film The Lazarus Project, which was released on DVD on October 21, 2008.

Walker in 2011

Despite initial reluctance, Walker reprised his role as Brian O'Conner after seven years, in Fast & Furious (2009). The film became the highest-grossing film in the franchise up until that point.[16] He then reprised his role in the fifth and sixth installments of the franchise, which were commercially successful, while his performances were praised. Walker was nominated for Choice Movie Actor – Action at the 2011 Teen Choice Awards for the former, and nominated for Choice Movie: Chemistry (with Diesel and Dwayne Johnson) and won his second MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo with Diesel for the latter. Walker also starred in the heist film Takers (2010),[17] and returned to modeling in 2011, appearing as the face of fragrance brand Cool Water.[18] In 2012, he founded the film production company Laguna Ridge Pictures, which signed a first-look deal with Fast & Furious distributor Universal Pictures.[19]

After his death in 2013, four films starring Walker were released; the thriller film Hours (2013), the action film Brick Mansions (2014), itself a remake of the French film District 13 (2004). He also served as executive producer on the film Pawn Shop Chronicles (2013), while Furious 7, originally slated for release in 2014, was pushed back to recreate Walker's likeness. The filmmakers hired Peter Jackson's Weta Digital visual effects house to complete this,[20] using existing reference materials, Walker's brothers Caleb and Cody, as well as co-star John Brotherton, as stand-ins,[21] and outtakes or older footage,[20][22][23] to create an accurate remodel of Walker's face. The film was then released in 2015,[24] and Walker won the award for Choice Movie Actor: Action at the 2015 Teen Choice Awards, and was nominated for Choice Movie: Chemistry (shared with Diesel, Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, and Ludacris).

Walker was also set to play Agent 47 in the film adaptation Hitman: Agent 47 (2015), but died before production began.[25] It was later revealed Walker declined the role of Superman in Superman Returns (2006), allegedly due to the "Superman curse" and the celebrity associated with the role.[26]

Personal life

Raised in a Mormon household, Walker became a non-denominational Christian as an adult.[27] He lived in Santa Barbara with his dogs.[8][28] He and Rebecca Soteros, a childhood friend with whom he had an on-and-off relationship, had a daughter named Meadow Rain Walker.[29] Meadow lived with her mother in Hawaii for 13 years and, in 2011, moved to California to live with Walker.[30] Vin Diesel, Walker's close friend, is the godfather of Walker's daughter.[31][32]

In addition to Diesel, Walker was also close friends with fellow Fast & Furious co-star Tyrese Gibson.[33][34]

He held a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Ricardo "Franjinha" Miller at Paragon Jiu-Jitsu[35][36] and was awarded his black belt by Miller posthumously.[37] Walker founded the humanitarian aid nonprofit charity Reach Out Worldwide (ROWW) with financial adviser Roger Rodas in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.[38][39] He traveled to a number of disaster-stricken areas to supply aid until his death.

Walker drove a R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec in 2 Fast 2 Furious. He later owned the car.

Walker had an interest in marine biology, and joined the board of directors of The Billfish Foundation in 2006.[40] He fulfilled a lifelong dream by starring in the National Geographic Channel series Expedition Great White (retroactively retitled Shark Men), which premiered in June 2010.[41][42] Walker spent 11 days catching and tagging seven great white sharks off the coast of Mexico. The expedition, led by Chris Fischer, founder and CEO of Fischer Productions, and Brett McBride and Michael Domeier of the Marine Conservation Science Institute, took measurements, gathered DNA samples, and fastened real-time satellite tags to the great white sharks, in order to study migratory patterns, especially those associated with mating and birthing, over a five-year period.[43]

A car enthusiast, Walker competed in the Redline Time Attack racing series in which he raced on the AE Performance Team driving a BMW E92 M3. His car was sponsored by Etnies, Brembo Brakes, Öhlins, Volk, OS Giken, Hankook, Gintani, and Reach Out Worldwide.[44] Walker had been preparing for an auto show prior to his death.[45] Walker owned Always Evolving, a Valencia high-end vehicle performance shop, where Rodas, a pro-am racer,[46][47] acted as CEO.[48] Walker had a large collection of about 30 cars, a portion of which he co-owned along with Rodas.[49] In January 2020, 21 vehicles owned by Walker were sold for a combined $2.33 million during spirited bidding at an annual car auction in Arizona.[50]

Death

The site of Walker's death on Hercules Street in Santa Clarita, 2015

On November 30, 2013, at about 3:30 p.m. PST, Walker, 40, and Roger Rodas, 38, left an event for Walker's charity Reach Out Worldwide for victims of Typhoon Haiyan,[51] with Rodas driving his red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT.[52] Traveling between 80 mph (130 km/h) and 93 mph (150 km/h) in a 45 mph (72 km/h) speed zone on Hercules Street in Valencia, a neighborhood of Santa Clarita, California, Rodas lost control of the car and crashed into a concrete lamp post and two trees off the road, catching fire within seconds after impact.[51][53] According to forensic evidence gathered from the scene, both men were knocked out by the impact. Rodas died instantly from multiple physical trauma while Walker died within seconds from the combined effects of physical trauma and burns. Both of their bodies were burned beyond recognition.[52]

The curve where Walker and Rodas died is a popular spot for drifting cars.[54] No alcohol or other drugs were found in either man's system,[55] and neither mechanical failure nor road conditions appeared to play a role.[56] Police found no evidence of drag racing.[57] The investigation concluded that the car's speed and age of the tires were the primary reasons for the crash.[58]

Grave of Paul Walker at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills

With Furious 7 in the middle of filming at the time of Walker's death, Universal announced an indeterminate hiatus on the production, citing a desire to speak with his family before determining what to do with the film.[59]

Numerous friends and movie stars posted tributes to Walker on social media.[60] His remains were cremated and his ashes were buried in a non-denominational ceremony at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.[61] His life was later chronicled in the documentary I Am Paul Walker, which was released on August 11, 2018.[62]

Lawsuits

In December 2014, Walker's father filed a wrongful death claim against Rodas's estate, seeking the return of or "a proportionate share" of revenue generated by a group of automobiles that were jointly owned by both Walker and Rodas.[63]

In September 2015, Walker's daughter filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Porsche, claiming that the Porsche Carrera GT had numerous design defects including a history of instability, and that its seat belt placement can cause harm upon impact.[64] However, Porsche denied any wrongdoing and blamed Walker, stating: "The perils, risk, and danger were open and obvious and known to him, and he chose to conduct himself in a manner so as to expose himself to such perils, dangers, and risks, thus assuming all the risks involved in using the vehicle."[65]

Walker's father and daughter both reached separate out-of-court settlements with Porsche.[66]

In April 2016, U.S. District Court Judge Philip S. Gutierrez ruled in favor of Porsche in a separate lawsuit filed by Rodas's widow Kristine.[67][68]

Filmography

Main article: Paul Walker filmography

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
2002 MTV Movie Award Best On-Screen Team The Fast and the Furious Won[a]
2011 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Actor – Action Fast Five Nominated
2013 Choice Movie: Chemistry Fast & Furious 6 Nominated[b]
2014 MTV Movie Award Best On-Screen Duo Won[a]
2015 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Actor: Action Furious 7 Won
Choice Movie: Chemistry Nominated[c]
  1. ^ a b Shared with Vin Diesel
  2. ^ Shared with Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson
  3. ^ Shared with Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Dwayne Johnson, Ludacris

References

  1. ^ WGN News at Nine. Chicago, IL. November 30, 2013. Event occurs at 21:32 CST (32 minutes). WGN-TV/WGN America.
  2. ^ Rebecca Flint Marx (2013). "Paul Walker – Biography". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 4, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  3. ^ Urquhart, Conal (January 3, 2014). "Paul Walker died after crashing at over 100mph, coroner's report reveals". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  4. ^ "Paul Walker's daughter settles wrongful death lawsuit with Porsche". ABC News. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  5. ^ Merry, Stephanie; Yahr, Emily (December 10, 2015). "Golden Globes nominations 2016: Complete list". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  6. ^
  7. ^ a b Hobson, Louis B. (June 17, 2001). "Paul Walker kicks it into high gear". Canoe.ca. Archived from the original on September 22, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  8. ^ a b c Keck, William (September 27, 2005). "Fame lets Paul Walker dive in". USA Today. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  9. ^ Atkin, Hillary (June 6, 2003). "Walker's in the 'Fast' lane to film stardom". USA Today. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  10. ^ "Stars React To Paul Walker's Death, Other Crash Victim Identified". CBS Los Angeles. December 1, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  11. ^ Gazzar, Brenda (December 1, 2013). "'Fast & Furious' star Paul Walker remembered as kind, carefree". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  12. ^ "Paul Walker Bio: Fast & Furious Actor". Tribute. Tribute Entertainment Media Group. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  13. ^ Youtube. "Showbiz Pizza Commercial". YouTube. Archived from the original on March 7, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  14. ^ Murray, Rebecca. "Interview with 'Running Scared' writer/director Wayne Kramer". About.com. Retrieved September 28, 2008.
  15. ^ "Eight Below (2006)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 28, 2008.
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  19. ^ Kroll, Justin (February 21, 2012). "Paul Walker inks first-look deal with Universal". Variety. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Giardina, Carolyn (December 11, 2015). "How 'Furious 7' Brought the Late Paul Walker Back to Life". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
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  22. ^ Alexander, Julia (October 20, 2015). "Furious 7 used 350 CGI shots of Paul Walker". Polygon.
  23. ^ Warner, Sam (October 17, 2015). "How CGI saved Fast 7's Paul Walker scenes". Digital Spy.
  24. ^ * "Report: Paul Walkers death forces delay of Fast and Furious 7 shoot". HitFix. December 1, 2013. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  25. ^ Trumbore, Dave. "Paul Walker Leads HITMAN Reboot in AGENT 47". Collider. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  26. ^ "Paul Walker on Turning Down Superman". SuperHeroHype. November 10, 2003.
  27. ^ "Meadow Walker, Paul's daughter inspired him to continue acting; Fast and Furious star on being Christian". Christian Today. December 2, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  28. ^ Koltnow, Barry (February 18, 2006). "Just chillin'". The Orange County Register. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  29. ^ Gilbey, Ryan (December 1, 2013). "Paul Walker obituary". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  30. ^ Smith, Grady (December 1, 2013). "The sides of Paul Walker you may have missed". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 1, 2013. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  31. ^ "Vin Diesel Reacts to Paul Walker's Death: 'I Will Always Love You'". The Wrap. December 2, 2013. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  32. ^ Chris Richards (December 7, 2013). "Paul Walker death: Vin Diesel's touching Facebook post about how he lost his 'other half'". Daily Mirror.
  33. ^ Owen Tonks (January 4, 2014). "Paul Walker best friend Tyrese Gibson still struggling after actor's death". Daily Mirror. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  34. ^ "Tyrese Gibson Heartbroken Over Paul Walker's Death". ABC News. December 4, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  35. ^ Duane, Daniel (September 6, 2005). "Paul Walker's Adventure Sports Workout Routine". Men's Health. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  36. ^ "Paul Walker obituary: Co-star of the 'Fast & Furious' franchise which". The Independent. December 4, 2013. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  37. ^ "Paul Walker receives BJJ Black Belt at Memorial". Bjpenn.com. December 9, 2013. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  38. ^ "Call to Action". Merrill Lynch. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  39. ^ "REACH OUT Worldwide". REACH OUT Worldwide.
  40. ^ Arnold, Catherine (September 25, 2006). "Paul Walker and Marine Biology: Foundation Presents Marine Awards". Nature World News. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  41. ^ "Paul Walker Leads Shark Expedition". Starpulse.com. November 12, 2009. Archived from the original on April 26, 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
  42. ^ "Actor Paul Walker Joins National Geographic Shark Expedition". DiverWire. November 13, 2009. Archived from the original on December 3, 2009. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
  43. ^ "Expedition Great White". National Geographic. Archived from the original on November 16, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
  44. ^ "AE Performance". Redline Time Attack. Archived from the original on March 22, 2010.
  45. ^ "Paul Walker, estrella de "Rápidos y furiosos" falleció en accidente de tránsito". El Comercio (in Spanish).
  46. ^ "Rodas: Racer, manager, friend to Walker". December 3, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  47. ^ Smith, Perry (November 30, 2013). "UPDATE: Paul Walker, Santa Clarita CEO Reportedly Killed In Car Crash". KHTS Radio. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  48. ^ "Walker and Rodas, you will be missed". Motor Sport. December 1, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  49. ^ "Suit Over Paul Walker's Car Collection Settles". NBC Southern California. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  50. ^ "Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker's cars go under hammer, fetch $2.33 mn". auto.hindustantimes.com. January 19, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  51. ^ a b Duke, Alan; Sutton, Joe (November 30, 2013). "'Fast & Furious' star Paul Walker killed in car crash". CNN. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  52. ^ a b "Autopsy blames impact and fire for actor Paul Walker's death". CNN. December 4, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  53. ^ * "Officials: Paul Walker crash not part of street race". The Press Democrat. Santa Rosa, CA. December 3, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  54. ^ Wood, Daniel B. (December 4, 2013). "Paul Walker crash could 'romanticize' growing street racing culture". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  55. ^ "Speed may have been factor in Fast and Furious star Paul Walker's crash". Sunday Morning Herald. January 4, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  56. ^ ""Fast & Furious"-Star : Walker-Auto war fast 100 Stundenkilometer zu schnell". Die Welt (in German). January 4, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  57. ^ "Paul Walker death investigation: Police rule out second vehicle, focus on speed". CNN. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  58. ^ Duke, Alan (March 26, 2014). "Investigators: Speed – not drugs, racing or mechanical failure – killed Paul Walker". CNN. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
  59. ^ Gonzalez, Maricela. "'Fast & Furious 7' production halted after Paul Walker's death". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  60. ^ "'Speechless' Vin Diesel pays tribute to Paul Walker". The New Zealand Herald. Auckland. December 2, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  61. ^ "Paul Walker has been Buried at The Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills Today". Allvoices.com. December 4, 2013. Archived from the original on January 14, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  62. ^ Brian Lowry (August 10, 2018). "'I Am Paul Walker' brings more nostalgia than depth to actor's life". CNN. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  63. ^ "Paul Walker's Father Files Claim Against Roger Rodas' Estate Over Exotic Cars - CBS Los Angeles". www.cbsnews.com. December 30, 2014. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  64. ^ Bever, Lindsey (September 29, 2015). "Paul Walker's teen daughter sues Porsche over his death in fiery crash". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  65. ^ "Porsche Blames Paul Walker For His Own Death". www.yahoo.com. November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  66. ^ D'Zurilla, Christie (October 25, 2017). "Paul Walker's daughter settles with Porsche in wrongful-death suit". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  67. ^ ANTHONY McCARTNEY, Judge: Porsche not at fault in crash that killed Paul Walker April 5, 2016
  68. ^ Child, Ben (April 6, 2016). "Judge rules Porsche not to blame for Paul Walker's death". The Guardian. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
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