Vin Diesel has called Paul Walker his “brother to eternity” on what would have been the late actor’s 50th birthday.
Vin Diesel has called Paul Walker his ‘brother to eternity’ on what would have been the late actor’s 50th birthday
The ‘XXX’ star, 56, star shared a throwback photo on Instagram on Tuesday (12.09.23) of him with his ‘Fast and Furious’ castmate smiling at the camera with Paul’s arm around Vin’s neck, in an image taken 10 years ago before Paul was killed aged 40 in November 2013 as a passenger in a speeding car that lost control and smashed into a light pole in California.
Vin said in a lengthy caption alongside the snap, in which he referenced how one of his three children wasn’t even born when it was taken: “A decade… ten long years… and yet it feels like yesterday when we were singing happy birthday to you for the big 40!
“The world isn’t the same brother… as a species, one might say we are struggling. But I think of you, and I smile and know everything is going to be alright.
“I was going through images to celebrate this sacred day. Memories flashing before me, one better than the next… but I couldn’t get past this one. Funny, the little angel came into the office, and looked over my shoulder.
“‘That’s such a timeless photo, Dad… one that will live on for generations of humanity… .’
Of course I don’t turn around, haha no need for the kid to see his pops worked up eyes. As he leaves he says ‘it’s why I want to build cars, for him’.
“He wasn’t even born yet. It would be seven months later when you would tell the crew and the Fast production ‘Vin’s gotta get to New York to receive his son’.
“You had that ability to refocus everyone including a whole production to the important things in life.”
Vin went on about his bond with Paul and how the pair went to help rescue workers in 2010 following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti: “For me this picture represents the moment I knew we would be brothers for eternity. January 2010, the night before you and I went to Haiti… the passion and joy you had to simply help people.
“You said first responders shouldn’t have to wait for anyone… and that you wanted to dedicate your life to that.
“First responders… that was your true self, and you were sharing it with me, your brother. Haha. To this day, I imagine if you looked up ‘first responder’ in the dictionary, there would be a picture of you. Haha.
“So as much as I would like to think we would be cutting cake and singing happy birthday for the big 50!
“We probably wouldn’t… cause you would be in Maui or Morocco, or anywhere in this planet where people were in need.”
Vin signed off: “I miss you… I love you, and I will continue to honour the beautiful soul you are. Happy Birthday… .”
In 2015, the actor revealed he and his longtime partner, Paloma Jiménez, had named their third child Pauline after Paul, who he said he was thinking about in the delivery room when his daughter was born.
He told the ‘Today’ show: “There’s no other person that I’m thinking about as I’m cutting this umbilical cord.
“I knew he was there, and I felt like, you know, a way to keep his memory a part of my memory, a part of my world.”
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