Biography
Date of Birth
12 December 1973, Glendale, California, USA
Birth Name
Paul William Walker IV
Height
6' 2" (1.88 m)
Death
December 2013, Valencia, Santa Clarita, California, USA, car accident
Mini Biography
Paul William Walker IV was born in Glendale, California. He grew up together with his brothers, Caleb and Cody, and sisters, Ashlie and Amie. Their parents, Paul William Walker III, a sewer contractor, and Cheryl (Crabtree) Walker, a model, separated around September 2004. His grandfather, William Walker, was a Pearl Harbor survivor and a Navy middleweight boxing champion, while his maternal grandfather commanded a tank battalion in Italy under General Patton during World War II. Paul grew up active in sports like soccer and surfing. He had English and German ancestry.
Paul was cast for the first season of the family sitcom, Throb (1986) and began modeling until he received a script for the 1994 movie, Tammy and the T-Rex (1994). He attended high school at Village Christian High School in Sun Valley, California, graduating in 1991. With encouragement from friends and an old casting agent who remembered him as a child, he decided to try his luck again with acting shortly after returning from College.
He starred in Meet the Deedles (1998), a campy, silly but surprisingly fun film which failed to garner much attention. However, lack of attention would not be a problem for Paul Walker for long. With Pleasantville (1998), he appeared in his first hit. As the town stud (a la 1950s) who more than meets his match in modern day Reese Witherspoon, he was one of the most memorable characters of the film. That same year, Paul and his then-girlfriend Rebecca had a baby girl named Meadow Walker (Meadow Rain Walker). Even though Paul publicly admitted that Meadow was not planned, he said that she is his number one priority. Paul and Rebecca separated and Meadow lives with her mother in Hawaii. She often visited with Paul as his homes in Santa Barbara and Huntington Beach, California.
Roles in the teen hits Varsity Blues (1999), She's All That (1999) and The Skulls (2000) cemented Walker's continued rise to celebrity. He was chosen to be one of the young stars featured on the cover of Vanity Fair's annual Hollywood issue in April 2000. While the other stars on the cover, brooded and tried their best to look sexy and serious, Paul smiled brightly and showed why he is not part of the norm. This is one young actor who certainly stood apart from the rest of the crowd, not only with his talent but with his attitude. The Dallas Morning News commented in March of 2000 that, "Paul is one of the rarest birds in Hollywood- a pretension free movie star." The latest blockbuster hit, The Fast and the Furious (2001), had raised his stardom to an even higher level.
His fighting scenes in movies lead to a passion for martial arts. He has studied various forms of Jujitsu, Taekwondo, Jeet Kune Do and Eskrima. Paul mentioned in a magazine interview that he had hoped enroll in the Keysi Fighting Method when it comes to the United States. Other than practicing martial arts, Paul enjoyed relaxing at home with his daughter, Meadow Rain, surfing near his Huntington Beach abode, walking his dogs and just driving.
When Paul seriously did get a break from the entertainment business, he said he loved traveling. Paul had traveled to India, Fiji, Costa Rica, Sarawak, Brunei, Borneo and other parts of the Asian continent. Tragically, Paul Walker died in a car crash on Saturday November 30, 2013, after attending a charity event for "Reach Out Worldwide".
Several of Paul's films were released after his death, include Hours (2013), Brick Mansions (2014), and his final starring role in The Fast and the Furious series, Furious 7 (2015), part of which was completed after his death. The film's closing scenes paid tribute to Walker, whose character met with a happy ending, and rode off into the sunset.
Trivia
Had a daughter with ex-girlfriend, Rebecca Soteros, named Meadow Walker (Meadow Rain Walker), born on November 4, 1998.
Graduated from Village Christian High School (located in Sun Valley, California) class of 1991.
Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful Persons in the world in 2001.
He didn't like to watch himself on screen and would only watch his own movies once.
Described himself as a "total gear head" and he owned the Nissan Skyline R34 which he used in 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003).
Was a keen traveler and had visited countries such as India, Fiji and Costa Rica.
His grandfather Paul Walker, Jr. (aka. "Irish" Billy Walker) was a professional boxer, raced cars for Ford, and is a Pearl Harbor survivor.
Was a fan of marine biologist Jacques-Yves Cousteau.
Scored his break into show business through modeling.
Owned a Labrador named Zero, a Chesapeake Bay puppy, and a horse named Cowboy.
Resided in Huntington Beach and Santa Barbara, California, where he surfed every day he was at home.
He was set to star in S.W.A.T. (2003) as Jim Street but backed out. Colin Farrell was cast instead.
Frequently worked with Scott Caan. (Varsity Blues (1999), Life Makes Sense If You're Famous (2002), and Into the Blue (2005)).
Was friends with Kylie Tyndall & Keaton Tyndall.
Most of his recent ancestry was English, with some German, as well more distant Swiss-German roots.
Was listed as a potential nominee on both the 2004 and 2006 Razzie Award nominating ballots. He was suggested in the Worst Actor category on the 2004 ballot for his performances in the films 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) and Timeline (2003). And he was suggested again two years later in the Worst Actor category of the 2006 Razzie nominating ballot for his performance in the film Into the Blue (2005). He failed to receive either nomination.
His mother, Cheryl Crabtree Walker, was a model.
He wanted to enroll in the US Army when the Gulf War first broke out.
Was considered for the role of Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four (2005).
Auditioned for the role of Anakin Skywalker but was too old for the part. He has said it was the only role he's ever really wanted.
Referenced in made-for-TV movie, Spring Break Shark Attack (2005), and in the TV show Happy Endings (2011) episode, Happy Endings: The Girl with the David Tattoo (2011).
Received his brown belt in BJJ under Ricardo "Franjinha" Miller at the Paragon BJJ Academy.
Was best friends with Oakley Lehman since childhood.
Daughter, Meadow Walker, moved in full time with him in the fall of 2012, making Paul a full-time father.
Was a professional race car driver, and worked with AE Performance.
Tore his ACL in London, during the summer of 2012, while filming Furious 6 (2013). Production was stopped and Walker had ACL surgery.
In Chile, helping the victims of the earthquake [March 2010]
Living in Santa Barbara. [November 2005]
He worked in Guadalupe catching, tagging and studying Great White Sharks. He can be seen on the new TV show, Shark Men (2010) as a Deckhand. [2010]
His publicist was Ame Van Iden.
The driver in the fatal crash that killed Paul Walker was 38-year-old Roger Rodas. Rodas was the CEO of automotive company Always Evolving, and they were in Walker's 2005 Porsche Carrera GT when Roger lost control of the car and struck a tree. Walker was one of Always Evolving's owners, and Rodas was a former race car driver.
Was good friends with actor/singer Tyrese Gibson.
He had a tattoo of his daughter's name, Meadow Walker, tattooed on the inside of his right wrist along with the Hawaiian state flower.
His organization 'Charity Reach Out Worldwide' is aimed at helping areas after natural disasters strike. He had left an event for his charity when he was involved in a fatal car accident.
Good friends with Jesse Brisendine. Jesse is a personal trainer and life coach in Santa Barbara. The two traveled the world together. He once told Jesse on his tombstone we would want "He was a good guy and a kind person.".
Good friend, Tyrese Gibson, went to the site of Paul's death and broke down in tears. He took with him a piece of wreckage as remembrance. Tyrese instagramed a photo of the piece he took with him.
Vin Diesel went to the site of Paul's death and spoke kind words over a loud speaker from a police officers car. He said, "I just want to say to all of you, if my brother were here right now and he saw all of the love you are bringing here", Vin said. "If he could see for himself that all of you have shown up to show my brother love... at this hard time, his family gets to see all of you show the love that you've shown Paul. It's going to stay with me, forever. I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for coming down here and showing that angel up in heaven how much you appreciate him".
Before the private memorial service for Paul's family and the cast and crew of the Fast & Furious series, police made fans vacate the area. A permit was obtained by Universal to shutdown the streets surrounding the crash site from 7pm until 10pm for the service, on December 2, 2013.
Furious 6 (2013) cast mate, Luke Evans, dedicated his performance in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) to Paul.
Was scheduled to be back on the set of Furious 7 (2015) on Tuesday December 3, 2013.
Paul served as best man at his younger brother Caleb Walker's wedding weeks before his death.
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.
Paul is the second-eldest sibling of five. The others are: Amy Walker (Amie Kaz) (six years older than Paul); Caleb Walker (four years younger); Ashlie Walker (eleven years younger); and Cody Walker (fifteen years younger).
Was set to star in both The Best of Me (2014) and Hitman: Agent 47 (2015) after wrapping production of Furious 7 (2015), but sadly passed away before being able to film either of them. His roles went to James Marsden and Rupert Friend, respectively.
In December 2013, the city council of Pelluhue, Chile, decided to name the main street of a new neighborhood in the town as "Paul Walker street", as a gratitude gesture for the help he gave to the victims of the earthquake in Chile (February 27, 2010) in that same town.
Only one of his films featured his character dying.
Vin Diesel his best friend and co-star named his third child, a daughter, Pauline, after him. Mother is Paloma Jiménez.
Of Clan MacMillan.
Was good friends with fellow actor Josh Brolin; they had portrayed brothers on "Highway to Heaven" and, 20 years later, rival treasure hunters in "Into the Blue". Brolin served as a pallbearer at Walker's funeral.
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 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in adulthood while still remaining a Christian throughout his life.
Born at 5:59 AM (PDT).
Trademarks:
Blond-hair
Blue eyes
Quotes
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.
Some people say that you should go to all the parties, to the nightclubs, the Viper Room, and make contacts, and I look at them and say, 'You don't want to have contacts with those people.' Look at what happened to River Phoenix (who died in 1993 of a drug overdose outside the Viper Room). If you get caught up in that, it ruins you. Hollywood is garbage.
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.
(2010) I'm passionate about animals and I hunt too. It's like I save and I kill. I'm a walking, talking contradiction. I'm all about preserving the environment but I'm racing cars on the weekend. I tell everyone I'm a gun-loving hippy.
[on often being asked how "Dom" - not Vin [Diesel] - is doing]: I get that a lot. 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.
[on "The Fast & the Furious" series]: When I did the first one, it was a cool movie where I got to run around in race cars, shoot a gun and kiss a hot chick. That's where I was at in my life then. Now that I'm older, there's a reason we're still here. The themes we hit on early on, whether the audience even realized what it was that was drawing them in, is irrelevant. The second you lose the family, how significant are we? It's funny to see the people connect with it the way they do. I had no clue, I didn't get it. And now, more I get it and I see it.
[on Brian O'Conner, his character in "The Fast & the Furious" films]: The guy's a sucker for family. Brian's a heart guy, he just is. He's dealing with daddy issues and the things that most of us are that are unresolved. What he's looking for, and he wouldn't be able to articulate it, is anything that's going to allow for healing, things that he's missed out on.What's Dom really representative of to him? He's the father and the older brother he never had. It's not a buddy. Brian doesn't even realize it. He gave up on having that kind of family or life before he even knew it was possible, and I don't think he ever thought it could be as great as what he has.
[on "The Fast & the Furious" franchise and being real and authentic]: That's what's capturing people, unless of course you're doing The Avengers (2012) where you've gotta be larger than life and you've gotta be out there and turn green and drag your arm down the side of a building, and jump all over the place. But for us, I like having (special effects) to fall back on. You allow the creative minds to get in there and figure out how to do it real, and it gives you more to be proud of.
[on working on Hours (2013)]: What I've found recently is the heart, the soul, whatever you want to call it, it doesn't differentiate: If you really live the experience making a movie, it's the same as living it in real life, as crazy as it sounds. My victory in that movie was my victory in real life. You walk away with that, walking a little taller and a pop in your collar. You learn a lot about yourself. It's heroic in a different way. We're pretty awesome when we're tested. Call it the human spirit or whatever you want, I like celebrating our victories.
[on what he hopes to achieve before he dies]: I missed out on a lot when I was younger because of this game [acting]. I think people tell you you are a certain thing and so you miss out on a lot you would have otherwise experienced. Inside I still feel certain things calling me. That's why I was doing the shark tagging recently and will be doing it again in two weeks on an island off Hawaii. I'm also going to go do the Grouper spawning. (2013)
[on the amount of films he has coming out over the next two years]: ... It's so funny, my daughter now lives with me full time and my original plan was to work up until I was 40 then reassess my life, even go in a completely different direction with things. She keeps encouraging me to do all this stuff. I thought at this point in my life I would need to be home with her, but she wants me to keep acting so she can travel around the world with me. Would that be so bad? Thing is, I went to a born-again Christian high school, was brought up in a traditional Mormon family where these ideas about parenting are of structure and sacrifice. To think outside of that idea of family and parenting that I've grown up with is tough, but also very freeing. (2013)
[describing himself] Outdoorsman, ocean addict, adrenaline junkie... and I do some acting on the side.
[2011] It's irresponsible, and it smells horrible. A pack of cigarettes in her bag is a reason to keep walking.
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.
