Paul Walker - Everything You Need to Know

- What makes someone an icon? Is it image, is it skill? Is it humanitarianism? Or is it something harder to pin down, like being the right person to make the right moves at the right time? Maybe it's

everything

? Well, to car nerds everywhere, including me and everyone else here, Paul Walker is an icon. His role in the "Fast and Furious" franchise made him the face of car culture in Hollywood and beyond. And for a lot of us, he was like the first kind of motorist we saw who was wearing some damn jean shorts. But who really was Paul Walker?

Let's find out. It's time to catch up with Paul Walker. (bright, upbeat music) Many thanks to carparts.com for sponsoring today's video. Well Carl, your truck is 100% fixed. What are you doing, friend? - I'm sorry cousin. I was just saying goodbye to the California moon. I can't believe it's my last day as a Donut intern. - Listen man, even though you totaled my Jetta, I sure had a great time fixing your truck with the help of carparts.com. They made it quick and easy to find all the parts I

need

ed. - Okay, well, I guess it's time for me to go. - Wait, is that yours? - Yes, this fool is all mine.

And this is yours. -The keys to your truck? - The keys to your truck, cousin. You

know

, we had a lot of fun fixing up that old girl, changing the headlights, fixing the brakes. Damn, I jumped into that air, remember? Mime. I think the right thing to do is for you to take charge. Be the custodian of our beautiful van. - I can't take your truck. - You

know

, I stayed here in California to make sure you got the truck you deserve. - Well, sincerely friend, thank you for this. And remember, if you ever break down, visit carparts.com to get parts for any job. - Cousin Sayonara, take care of yourself. (engine roaring) - These are the keys to the house.

Carl. - Mime, I'm coming home. - Now, when we started writing this video, we made sure that we didn't want it to be about "The Fast and the Furious" or somehow become a character study of Brian O'Connor. But Paul Walker was uniquely qualified to play a laid-back California car guy, why? Because he was one. - Wow! - Paul William Walker IV, P. DUB W 4, was born September 12, 1973 in Glendale, California. He and his four younger siblings grew up in a small Sunland town located right next to Soquel Driving Mecca, Tujunga Canyon. Paul's mother, Cheryl, worked in the fashion industry, but Paul's father, Paul-3, was a contractor, writer and photographer.

When it came time to write and take photographs, Papa Walker focused on his life's passion, helicopters. And he was a regular contributor to motorcycle publications like Easyriders and Street Chopper magazine. And we'll come back to that in a minute, okay? Paul's parents began his acting career at the age of two, landing small roles in commercials. - This is my son, Jonathan. His butt is very close to my heart. - Paul got to it. He acted throughout his childhood with small television roles until he was cast in his first movie, (bleep) the same guys who made "Toxics Avenger." This thing was called "Monster in the Closet." He was 10 years old and look at this clip.

I'm pretty sure they don't have a brand department. (man moaning) - I have a family. -Paul was cast in his first radio and television role at age 13 in the short-lived comedy "Throb." I know this was a while ago, it was probably the late '80s, but I think palpitating still means the same thing as it does now, right? Here's a clip from "Throb." (laughs) - As you grow, your aim will improve. (audience laughs)-Now, when he was not acting, young Paul discovered his first true love. As is typical of any Southern California upbringing, he loved ice hockey.

JK, this is surfing, man. He discovered that this acting thing could pay for surfboards and travel expenses. So this is what he will do forever. His teenage years consisted of advertising, acting, surfing the waves and getting into mischief at Sunland. That's a great upbringing, as you can imagine, plus he's so handsome, so handsome. Life is already great, we haven't even talked about cars yet. - That? - The guy is like the most handsome boy. Those eyes... You get lost in them. - Paul's father likes motorcycles so much that you could imagine that this passion was passed on to Paul.

Sparking a love for anything that has a motor and two wheels. Well, you'd be wrong. Papa Walker got rid of all of his motorcycles when Paul was born and didn't want his children to have anything to do with bikes because they are dangerous. He had lost some friends in motorcycle accidents and understandably shielded the children from that lifestyle. And according to Paul's younger brother Cody, who is a friend of ours and who we spoke to when we made this video, his father raised his children to be terrified of motorcycles, so they stayed away from them. Now, although Paul would eventually own some dirt bikes and ATVs, it was actually his grandfather George who turned him into a car enthusiast.

Grandpa George was Paul's maternal grandfather, an old-school racer from a bygone era who always had a racing story to tell and Paul always listened. Grandpa George has stories about trips to the Barbell Salt Flats, drag racing and other hot rodders, vandalism, lighting the fire cornered inside a young Paul. And although he would later become known for JDM and Euro cars, like GTRs and lightweight M3s, Paul started out as a muscle car enthusiast and wanted to get into hot rods on his own. Maybe he wanted it too much, since Paul would later wreck his father's Chevy a few blocks from his house.

Let me know in the comments, how many of you have totaled your parents' car, an embarrassingly short distance from your house? Have. I hit a curb in my stepdad's maroon Honda Accord and broke an axle when I was 14. The entire Walker clan performed when they were young. Paul was the one who supported him into adulthood. His confidence was his biggest asset at the audition. And as someone who has been to many auditions, yes, you have to be confident. He radiated an extremely laid-back energy, like he didn't even care if he got the part and that might have been true, he'd probably rather be surfing, but the casting directors loved him and in the '90s, Paul's acting career gained a lot. . of impulse.

In the late '90s Paul's career really took off. Paul's first starring role in a feature film was in 1998's "Meet the Deedles," playing Field Deedle, a slacker surfer-turned-park ranger who wanders Yellowstone with his twin brother. "Meet the Deedles" had Steve Zahn, one of my favorite actors, I love him. But Paul, the twin brother, was not played by his real brother, Cody Walker, who looks just like him. He was played by a guy named Steve Van Wormer, who I imagined was most excited when they showed him the headshot of Paul and said, hey, everyone thinks you look like this guy.

Here's Paul, here's Cody, here's Steve Van Wormer, same thing. Shasta Steve Zahn, I'd love to have you on the "D List", hit me up buddy. Please check the blue check. Then he started opposite the famous Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon in “Pleasantville,” which is an amazing movie. Then came the box office hit “Varsity Blues.” I don't want your life. She's with Richard Lee Cook and Freddie Prinze Jr. Look at the cast of these movies, guys. Paul was in a group of incredibly talented peers. Then, in 2000, the call came. Paul was cast in the biggest film of his career so far.

A huge summer hit, sequel, spawning phenomenon known as "Las Calaveras". Starring Pacey Austin's Creek. Starring alongside fellow late '90s/early '00s heartthrob Joshua Jackson, this college camper secret society thrill-fest actually holds up surprisingly well. Leslie Bibb is great. "The Skulls" made 50 million bones, no pun intended at the box office, but that's not why it's important to Paul's story. It was directed by a guy called Rob Cohen and he and Paul got along great on set. Rob loved Paul's attitude and work ethic and informed him about his next project. Rob said, "Hey, Paul, I think I have a movie for you that you might really like." And Paul said, "Oh yeah, what's it about?" Rob says, "Fast cars, pretty girls, and you get a gun "and you're an undercover cop." And Paul says, "Dude, I'm in." That movie, of course, was "Redline." "Redline" was a heist thriller set in the Southern California street racing scene.

The story was based on a Vibe magazine article called Racer X written by a journalist named Ken Lee. Racer To prepare for her role, Paul immersed himself in the world of illicit street racing and attended competitions in the middle of the night. See firsthand how real street racers operated. Paul appreciated how different the cars were from those he had wanted during his childhood. These racers, while not driving big muscle cars like their grandfather George, were driving Integras, Eclipses and Civics. This was Paul's first step into the world of car tuning and he loved it. In retrospect, "Redline" was a big risk for Universal Pictures.

It was a $38 million car movie directed by a director whose previous work included a Bruce Lee biopic and "DragonHeart," starring Sean Connery as a dragon. - How will you earn a living, gentleman? - Shut up. - And this cast didn't have big names. Paul was probably the best-known actor in the cast, followed by Vincent Diesel, who at the time had lent his voice to "Iron Giant," played a major role in "Saving Private Ryan," and started the SYFY action movie "Pitch Black." ". I'm saying those things, they're all very, very good movies. Those are really good. They are the first three really good.

Now I don't even believe this movie would be made today. From the outside, the only thing this movie had going for it was the conceit that street racing was on the edge of the cultural zeitgeist and that's it. A few months before the release of "Redline," the studio changed the title to what we know today, "The Fast and the Furious." Studio executives may have had some doubts in the back of their minds, but they were dispelled as soon as the debut screening ended. Apparently everyone in the audience knew there would be a sequel as the credits rolled.

I mean, how can you not? Have you seen that movie recently? It's (beep). Work on the sequel began almost immediately. - Let's do it. - But this is where the turbulent history of the franchise begins. "Fast and Furious" was a huge box office success, grossing $207 million on a budget of $38 million. Naturally, and I'm on their side here, the cast wanted more money on the sequel, well, they earned it. - Without crust. -And I have it on good authority that Universal didn't want to give Vin Diesel any more money. So he wasn't invited to play Dom Toledo again, but Paul loved the role of Brian O'Connor so much that he accepted the same salary he got in the first film.

Eventually, the studio hired Tyrese Gibson to co-star in "Two Fast Two Furious" with another blockbuster, but ironically this success was not very good for Paul's role in the franchise. Universal thought that since audiences were still watching "Two Fast" with only one member of the original cast, the next film might simply not have any returning cast members. An entirely new cast of lesser-known actors would be paid less, that's what Universal decided to do. - Why don't you good boys let your cars do the talking? - "Tokyo Drift" featured a completely new cast and a completely new setting.

And right now you're probably thinking, hey, I thought you said you didn't want this video to end up being all about "The Fast and the Furious" and you're right to think that, but this franchise was such a big part of it. of Paul's life. So much so that according to Cody Walker, his brother, Paul was devastated that the studio decided not to include him. Here we have an actor, a true car enthusiast, who has immersed himself in the scene that his films help define. He has researched and decided on many cars and now the people who make the movies tell him that he is no longer in the movies, that sucks.

And Paul wasn't the only one who thought he sucked. Test screen audiences wondered where the hell all the actors they loved from the first two films were. Why is it called "Fast and Furious" if there are no "Fast and Furious" people? Some people even blame the actors themselves for not being in the film. Word spread among the general public that none of the original cast members would return for the third part. An angry fan sent letters to Paul accusing him of being too good for the base.fans who support the series. But they had no idea that Paul had not had a hand in the decision.

He was understandably angry with Universal and the studio was beginning to wonder if perhaps they had made a mistake. Yes, I think they did. So, to save the situation, they came up with a plan to film a new scene for the end of the movie. Brian would appear connecting the previous films with "Tokyo Drift" and in the process, he would tell the audience that a sequel with familiar characters is on the way, the box office would be saved. Paul was at a funeral in Oregon when he got the call and was in no rush to return.

So Universal made peace with Vin Diesel in the form of a fat check and that's why "Tokyo Drift" ends the way it does. Unfortunately, no amount of reshoots could save "Tokyo Drift" from being something of a flop, grossing $159 million, $77 million less than "Two Fast." I'm no Hollywood big shot, I tried for years, but you usually want your sequels to make more money, not less. Could it have been more successful if the original members had been included? Yes probably. With low earnings and even lower critical reception, he put the franchise on hold. And in the meantime, Paul had roles in other films like "Eight Below," "Running Scared" and "Flags of our Fathers." Now, one thing that made Paul stand out in Hollywood was the fact that he didn't want to stand out.

Despite being a '90s heartthrob and the star of two major box office hits, Paul wasn't the type of guy who wanted to go out on the town and be seen. Most of the time he drove a pickup truck and when he wanted to have fun, it wasn't behind the wheel of some flashy exotic, it was something only a car nerd at the time would know is awesome. Like his prized R34 Skyline GTR, something like the one Brian drove at the beginning of "Two Fast." At the time, this generation of Skyline was not technically legal in the US, but Paul purchased the Sonic silver in 1999, V Spec from a company called Motorex, whose business model was based on importing R34 and making it legal. on the streets.

The Motorex story is a completely different can of worms with a drum flavor. We did a whole podcast about it. I'll put a link below so you can listen to it. It's fascinating and thank God, Paul was finally able to return to the "Fast and Furious" series in 2009 with "Fast and Furious." Not those this time. A soft reboot in a time before soft reboots were the norm. The original cast returned this time and, to no one's surprise, the fourth installment was absolutely demolished at the box office. He earned 360 million dollars. It's almost a million dollars a day. "The Fast and the Furious" took the series from domestic success to global sensation, allowing Universal to compete with other monster franchises like "Harry Potter," "The Hunger Games" and Marvel, but Paul was still Paul.

Well, with each quick movie growing his star, Paul continued to stay out of the tabloids. He only spoke to the press when contractual obligations required him to do so to promote the films. He was much more famous than he had ever planned to be and he had more money than he knew what to do with. But when disaster struck a small nation, Paul decided what to do with it. On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake decimated Haiti, causing 200,000 deaths. Images of this terrible natural disaster shocked the world and sent Paul into action. He knew that he was in a position of great financial privilege and that meant he had a moral obligation to help.

Within days, he maxed out his credit card to buy supplies. He was on a plane to the neighboring Dominican Republic to help with relief efforts. Just five days after the earthquake, Paul and some of his friends were on the ground handing out the supplies they had brought with them. This was the birth of Reach Out Worldwide, Paul's disaster response organization funded exclusively by Paul's acting salaries. This guy doesn't raise funds, let me say that again. Paul Walker's disaster response organization was exclusively self-funded. That is, all the money came out of his bank account. Paul decided that running his own organization was the right course of action.

Assuming that if he worked with an existing charity, they would probably use him for the press instead of letting him help out in the field. He also wanted to avoid using government grants, as they can sometimes have stipulations about which countries you can and cannot use the money. There are a lot of celebrities who want people to think they are involved in great causes, but Paul actually was and uses his own hands and his own money to get things done. And to date, Reach Out has completed 61 deployments in 61 different countries with 1,778 volunteers. That's great, right? Let's go back to car movies.

Under new director Justin Lin, the “Fast and Furious” series took a turn toward a more action-oriented direction. And as a result, the movies made even more money. "Fast Five" doubled the previous installment at the box office, collecting 626 million bones. "Furious Six" added 150 million to that. Paul and his co-stars were certified mega-celebrities recognized around the world. The kid from Sunland who just wanted to surf and drive a powerful car like his grandfather was the face of one of the most important film franchises in the history of cinema. By every measure, Paul had achieved enormous success, but that didn't stop him from driving a Toyota Tundra pickup truck to work every day.

On November 30, 2013, tragedy occurred. We knew it would come. Paul was driving with Roger Rodas, who was Paul's partner in a tuning shop called Always Evolving. Paul drove a Porsche Career GT, a mid-engine supercar that was notoriously difficult to drive. And we know the rest. (somber music) The news shocked the car movie world, but instead of focusing on Paul's passing, I'd like to consider his legacy, right? Paul's charity, Reach Out Worldwide, is still very active today. Run by his brother, Cody Walker, and his wife, Felicia. In fact, you can support Reach Out by attending any of the amazing FuelFest car shows they host in different locations around the world several times a year.

And of course, you can always donate money to Reach Out too. I'll put a link in the description below, no pressure, but if you're going to donate to something, this is a good one. For car nerds around the world, Paul Walker is an icon, but also a contradictory man. He starred in some of the biggest movies in history, but he hated being famous. He could afford to buy any exotic car he wanted, but instead he filled his garage with old Nissans and drove his truck to the set. And at the end of the day, Paul Walker was a man with a big heart who loved his family and just wanted to surf.

Thank you all for watching this video. It's really like something close to our hearts. Paul was a big influence on what we have going on here and we are close with his brother and it was really meaningful to tell his story and I hope you liked it. Great announcement, Donut Underground now has a t-shirt. We

need

a shirt. Now, if you don't already know, Donut Underground is our membership club for super fans. Members get access to behind-the-scenes videos, a Discord server, exclusive stickers, merchandise discounts, and now, there's a t-shirt. Damn t-shirt, it's the same color as our new stickers that members voted for a couple of months ago.

You get information about what we do. The t-shirt costs $25 and is only available to Underground members. To find out how to join, click the join button below in this video or on our channel page or, for iOS users, check out the link in the description. We have a shirt. Hit the subscribe button and the like button. We have merchandise available at donutmedia.com. Really, you should see a FuelFest event, maybe we'll do something with them in the future. Let us know below if you would like to make that happen. I love you. (bright and happy music)