Vin Diesel Pays Tribute to Paul Walker During F9 Premiere

Vin Diesel paid a touching tribute to his former Fast and Furious co-star Paul Walker during the premiere of F9. Diesel starred alongside Walker in The Fast and the Furious (2001) and its succeeding spinoffs until the latter’s untimely death in 2013. Despite Walker’s passing, the franchise went on and is now on its ninth installment.

F9 follows 2017’s The Fate of the Furious and was originally scheduled for a 2020 release. After multiple delays caused by the pandemic, the movie was finally released internationally last month and quickly became one of the highest-grossing films of 2021. It is slated to hit U.S. theaters on June 25. It follows Diesel’s character, Dom, who has now retired from street racing and is living a more subdued lifestyle with his wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez). Aside from Diesel and Rodriguez, the movie sees the return of many previous Fast & Furious cast members, including Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, and Charlize Theron. This cast reunion highlights the loss of Walker, who is still a huge part of the saga eight years since his tragic death.

During the U.S. premiere of F9 in Los Angeles, Diesel got emotional while remembering his former co-star and friend. The 53-year-old actor posted an emotional tribute for Walker on Instagram, showing an old picture of the two of them during the Fast & Furious 5 premiere in 2011. “On my way to the premiere… you will be there in spirit,” Diesel wrote in the caption. According to People, Diesel also spoke of Walker, who he called by his nickname “Pablo,” while speaking with reporters on the red carpet. Diesel said that he remembers the late actor every time he attends a Fast & Furious premiere because he started this journey with him.

“Some of my best moments in life were going to the premiere and the person, the face that I have at every one of these massive premieres, it was my brother Pablo. It was always after we delivered the movie, after we had given everything to all the fans, it was a moment where he and I just reflected about the journey. He had come from so far. We surprised the world with this small little film about brotherhood and we would dream about the future, so when I was thinking who I’m going to see at this premiere, I kept going back to Pablo and I know that he’s here too.”

Walker starred in the first Fast and the Furious movie in 2001, playing the role of LAPD officer Brian O’Conner. He reprised his role in the succeeding installments of the widely successful franchise until his fatal car crash in 2013. At the time of his tragic death, 40-year-old Walker was in the middle of filming Furious 7. The crew paused its production to decide on what to do about Walker’s sudden departure. In the end, his character was kept alive but was given a proper send-off. The film was released posthumously in 2015 and the actor’s role was completed using his brothers as stand-ins and digital effects.

It’s been nearly eight years since Walker’s passing, but his character is still very much a part of the saga’s story and his castmates often honor his memory. Because Brian O’Conner is still alive in the Fast & Furious universe, it won’t be surprising to hear mentions and references about the character in F9 and future installments of the film series. There are even talks that Walker’s 22-year-old daughter, Meadow, may join the cast in future movies. While nothing’s confirmed yet, one thing is for sure: Walker is still at the heart of the action franchise and his legacy lives on with his fans and castmates.

Source: People, Vin Diesel

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