Paul Walker nearly quit Fast & Furious before his tragic death
While Paul Walker featured in many movies during his career, there's no doubt he was best known for playing Brian O'Conner in the Fast and Furious franchise.
After Walker tragically died in 2013, the famed movie series paid him an emotional goodbye in Furious 7, which was certainly an emotional ending for fans of Walker and the franchise.
Walker was certainly a mainstay in Fast and Furious, but with the third movie, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Walker made just a small cameo due to 'politics, studio stuff, [and ] a regime decision', the actor told the Los Angeles Times in 2011.
Walker was asked back for the fourth film, but he wasn't convinced.
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"I thought it was stale,” he added to the Los Angeles Times. "They were talking about my involvement with the fourth one and I was like, ‘Are you kidding me? Really?’ Obviously, we made the first one that catered to pop culture and a youth-driven audience.
"But trends shift overnight with that audience. Nine years later, I really questioned if there was even an audience anymore.”
Producer Neal Moritz couldn't convince him, but it was Vin Diesel that ultimately persuaded Walker to commit to the project.
After speaking to his close friend, Walker recalled thinking: "So I thought: ‘Why not?’”
While Walker may have had his doubts surrounding the franchise at times, there's no doubt he had a lot of love and gratitude for the movies.
“The franchise has allowed me the freedom to grow at my own pace,” Walker added to the Los Angeles Times in the 2011 chat.
"My priority is being the best dad I can be and the most well-rounded person I can be. This franchise granted me the opportunity to sit back and collect myself and learn a better-balanced life.”
The Fast and Furious actor would have been 53 on Saturday (September 12), with the 13th anniversary of his tragic death fast approaching.
Walker died in November 2013 aged just 40 following a tragic car crash, alongside Roger Rodas, who was driving his red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT.
The car shunted into a concrete lamppost and two trees after travelling between 80 and 93 mph in Santa Clarita, California.
The Porsche caught fire, with Walker dying from the combined effects of trauma and burns.
A subsequent investigation concluded the car's speed and the age of the tires were the primary reason for the fatal crash.
Topics: Fast and Furious, Vin Diesel, Entertainment
Callum Jones