Paul William Walker IV
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Paul Walker became a household name for playing Brian O’Conner in The Fast and the Furious 2001. He was born in Glendale, California on September 12, 1973, and began acting as a child, with early roles in Varsity Blues 1999 and She’s All That 1999. He died in a car accident on November 30, 2013 after attending a charity event for Reach Out Worldwide. His final film, Furious 7 2015, included a tribute to his character.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Paul Walker — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Paul Walker by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Paul Walker — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Paul William Walker IV was born on September 12, 1973 in Glendale, California. He grew up with his brothers Caleb and Cody and sisters Ashlie and Amie. Their parents, Paul Walker III and Cheryl Crabtree Walker, separated around 2004. His grandfather William Walker was a Pearl Harbor survivor and Navy middleweight boxing champion. Walker attended Village Christian High School in Sun Valley, graduating in 1991. He was active in soccer and surfing, and had English and German ancestry.
Walker’s breakout came with Pleasantville 1998, where he played the town stud. He followed with teen hits Varsity Blues 1999 and She’s All That 1999. His role as Brian O’Conner in The Fast and the Furious 2001 made him a global star. He went on to star in 2 Fast 2 Furious 2003, Into the Blue 2005, and Fast & Furious 6 2013. Several films were released after his death, including Hours 2013, Brick Mansions 2014, and Furious 7 2015, which paid tribute to him. He also appeared via archive footage in Fast X 2023.
Walker and ex-girlfriend Rebecca Soteros had a daughter, Meadow Rain Walker, born on November 4, 1998. Meadow lived with her mother in Hawaii but moved in full-time with Walker in fall 2012. He was a dedicated father and enjoyed surfing, martial arts, and traveling. He practiced Jujitsu, Taekwondo, Jeet Kune Do, and Eskrima, and earned a brown belt in BJJ. He resided in Huntington Beach and Santa Barbara, where he surfed daily.
Walker’s charity Reach Out Worldwide continues to aid disaster-stricken areas. In December 2013, a street in Chile was named after him for his help after the 2010 earthquake. His Fast & Furious co-star Vin Diesel named his daughter Pauline after him. Walker’s final performance in Furious 7 2015 ended with a tribute that included a montage of his character’s final drive. He is remembered as a down-to-earth actor and philanthropist.
Browse the complete filmography of Paul Walker — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
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Every award, honor, and recognition received by Paul Walker — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Paul Walker — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
You Know, All That Really Matters Is That the People You Love Are Happy and Healthy. Everything Else Is Just Sprinkles on the Sundae. in Flaunt Magazine, July 2001.
Surfing Soothes Me, It’s Always Been a Kind of Zen Experience for Me. the Ocean Is so Magnificent, Peaceful, and Awesome. the Rest of the World Disappears for Me When I’m on a Wave.
I’m into Being a Dad, That’s Where My Focus Is Most of the Time. I’m an Actor That’s My Job, but It’s Not My Life. I Have a Lot of Other Interests Too.
I’m a Dreamer. I’ve Got This Whole Thing Where I Think I’m Supposed to Be a Musician. I Live by the Seat of My Pants, but I’d Like to Think That I’m Also Pretty Sensible.
I Want to Get Married. I Think About It a Lot. but I Also Think About My Cars, so Maybe My Priorities Aren’t Exactly in Line Just Yet.
Life’s Too Short. and the Biggest Curse Is Falling in Love with Somebody.
I’m Much More Likely to Give Myself a Kick in the Butt Than a Pat on the Back.
I Like Low Maintenance, Natural, Outdoor, Shy Girls.
I’m a Christian Now. the Things That Drove Me Crazy Growing up Was How Everyone Works at Fault Finding with Different Religions. the People I Don’t Understand Are Atheists. I Go Surfing and Snow Boarding and I’m Always Around Nature. I Look at Everything and Think, ‘Who Couldn’t Believe There’s a God? Is All This a Mistake?’ It Just Blows Me Away.
I’m Brian a Lot More Than I’m Paul Walker, Which Is Awesome. When I Hear, ‘Hey Paul Walker!’ My Hair Stands up on the Back of My Neck. It’s Uncomfortable. but When I Hear, ‘It’s Brian!’ It’s Cool. I Like Brian.
I Learned a Long Time Ago That If You Subscribe and Believe the Good, You Have to Believe the Bad. My Measure Is My Heart and What I Know. Read More At:
Maybe This Is Just Horrible Bad, but I Think I’ve Had Enough Successes to Where the Journey Is More Important to Me Now. There’s No Guarantee, No Matter What. We Get One Run in Life.
Sometimes the Hurdles Aren’t Really Hurdles at All. They’re Welcome Challenges, Tests.
I’m Not Afraid of Anything. That’s Just the Way I Am.
I’m One of Those People That Think Certain Things Happen at Certain Times for All the Right Reasons.
There’s a Time and Place for Everything, but as I Get Older, I Like Finding Those Human Moments and Really Connecting. Maybe I’m Not as Cool as I Once Was.
My Philosophy Is: If You Can’t Have Fun, There’s No Sense in Doing It.
We’re Only on the Earth for a Short Period of Time. Movies Aren’t Enough. I Want to Take My Success and Parlay It into Something Bigger and Better.
Attitude Is Attitude, Whether You’re a West Coast Gangster or East Coast Gangster, You Know?
You Know, All That Really Matters Is That the People You Love Are Happy and Healthy. Everything Else Is Just Sprinkles on the Sundae.
I Live by ‘Go Big or Go Home.’ That’s with Everything. It’s Like Either Commit and Go for It or Don’t Do It at All. I Apply That to Everything. I Apply That to Relationships, I Apply That to Like Sports, I Apply That to Everything. That’s What I Live By. That’s How I Like It.
I Don’t Care What It Is in Life: Listen to Your Heart. If You Do, No Matter What, You Win.
When I Was Younger, the Pressure Was Just Being Cool. I Never Thought of Myself as a Cool Guy. I Always Thought of Myself as More of the Goofy Guy.
The Dream Is to Have It All. Who Says You Can’t Have Your Cake and Eat It Too? Live This Life, That Life, This Life, You Know? You Only Live One Time I Want to Get It All In
I Want to Wake up Next to What I Went to Bed With. I Need a Girl Who Can Get Dressed up to Come with Me to Things, but Also One Who Isn’t Afraid to Get Her Fingernails Dirty or Chip Her Nail Polish.
Little-known facts about Paul Walker — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
His grandfather Paul Walker, Jr., also known as Irish Billy Walker, was a professional boxer, raced cars for Ford, and is a Pearl Harbor survivor.
He auditioned for the role of Anakin Skywalker but was too old; he said it was the only role he ever really wanted.
Vin Diesel went to the site of Paul’s death and spoke kind words over a loudspeaker from a police officer’s car, saying he would stay with him forever.
Paul served as best man at his younger brother Caleb Walker’s wedding weeks before his death.
He had a daughter with ex-girlfriend Rebecca Soteros, named Meadow Walker Meadow Rain Walker, born on November 4, 1998.
Described himself as a total gear head and owned the Nissan Skyline R34 which he used in 2 Fast 2 Furious 2003.
Fast & Furious 6 cast mate Luke Evans dedicated his performance in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug 2013 to Paul.
Was a professional race car driver and worked with AE Performance.
His organization Reach Out Worldwide is aimed at helping areas after natural disasters. He had left an event for his charity when he was involved in the fatal accident.
Daughter Meadow Walker moved in full time with him in the fall of 2012, making him a full-time father.
Was set to star in The Best of Me 2014 and Hitman: Agent 47 2015 but passed away before filming; roles went to James Marsden and Rupert Friend.
He had a tattoo of his daughter’s name, Meadow Walker, on the inside of his right wrist along with the Hawaiian state flower.
He worked in Guadalupe catching, tagging and studying Great White Sharks and appeared on the TV show Expedition Great White 2010 as a deckhand.
Was scheduled to be back on the set of Furious 7 2015 on Tuesday, December 3, 2013.
He didn’t like to watch himself on screen and would only watch his own movies once.
In December 2013, the city council of Pelluhue, Chile, decided to name a street after him as gratitude for his help after the 2010 earthquake.
Paul Walker was finally laid to rest at a private ceremony at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills on December 15, 2013.
He helped victims of the earthquake in Chile.
He resided in Huntington Beach and Santa Barbara, California, where he surfed every day he was at home.
Tore his ACL in London during summer 2012 while filming Fast & Furious 6 2013, requiring surgery.
The driver in the fatal crash was Roger Rodas, CEO of automotive company Always Evolving. They were in Walker’s 2005 Porsche Carrera GT when Rodas lost control and struck a tree.
Before the private memorial service, police made fans vacate the area. A permit was obtained to shut down streets surrounding the crash site from 7pm to 10pm on December 2, 2013.
Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world in 2001.
Vin Diesel, his best friend and co-star, named his third child, a daughter, Pauline, after him. Mother is Paloma Jiménez.
Was considered for the role of Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four 2005.
Was set to star in S.W.A.T. 2003 as Jim Street but backed out; Colin Farrell was cast instead.
Received his brown belt in BJJ under Ricardo Franjinha Miller at the Paragon BJJ Academy.
He wanted to enroll in the US Army when the Gulf War first broke out.
Good friend Tyrese Gibson went to the site of Paul’s death and broke down in tears, taking a piece of wreckage as remembrance.
Scored his break into show business through modeling.
Was a keen traveler and had visited countries such as India, Fiji, and Costa Rica.
Paul is the second-eldest sibling of five: Amy Walker six years older, Caleb Walker four years younger, Ashlie Walker eleven years younger, and Cody Walker fifteen years younger.
Good friends with Jesse Brisendine, a personal trainer and life coach in Santa Barbara. They traveled together. Paul once said he wanted on his tombstone: He was a good guy and a kind person.
Was good friends with actor Josh Brolin; they portrayed brothers on Highway to Heaven and rival treasure hunters in Into the Blue. Brolin served as a pallbearer at Walker’s funeral.
Most of his recent ancestry was English, with some German and more distant Swiss-German roots.
Owned a Labrador named Zero, a Chesapeake Bay puppy, and a horse named Cowboy.
His mother, Cheryl Crabtree Walker, was a model.
Was a fan of marine biologist Jacques-Yves Cousteau.
Frequently worked with Scott Caan in Varsity Blues 1999, Life Makes Sense If You’re Famous 2002, and Into the Blue 2005.
Graduated from Village Christian High School in Sun Valley, California, class of 1991.
Only one of his films featured his character dying.
Referenced in made-for-TV movie Spring Break Shark Attack 2005 and in the TV show Happy Endings episode The Girl with the David Tattoo 2011.
Was best friends with Oakley Lehman since childhood.
Paul Walker was raised as a Latter-day Saint Mormon in Glendale, California, but attended an evangelical Christian high school and became less active in adulthood while remaining a Christian throughout his life.
Was listed as a potential nominee on both the 2004 and 2006 Razzie Award nominating ballots for films like 2 Fast 2 Furious 2003 and Into the Blue 2005, but failed to receive nominations.
Living in Santa Barbara.
Hours 2013, Brick Mansions 2014, and Fast & Furious 7 2015 were all released after his death.
Was friends with Kylie Tyndall and Keaton Tyndall.
He appeared via archive footage in Fast X 2023, with a flashback from Fast Five 2011.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Paul Walker.
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