LOS ANGELES (AP) — A fiery car crash north of Los Angeles has killed
40-year-old Paul Walker, the star of the "Fast & Furious" movie
series, and one other person in the vehicle.
Deputies found a Porsche Carrera GT engulfed in flames when they
responded to a report of a collision Saturday afternoon in the community
of Valencia, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. Two
people who were found in the car were pronounced dead at the scene.
Walker's publicist Ame Van Iden confirmed the actor's death.
A statement on Walker's Facebook page said he was a passenger in a
friend's car, and that Walker was in the area to attend a charity event
for his organization Reach Out Worldwide.
The Sheriff's Department said that speed was a factor in the crash.
The Santa Clarita Valley Signal reported that the Porsche crashed
into a light pole and tree and burst into flames. The fundraiser, to
benefit victims of Typhoon Haiyan, took place at a nearby racecar shop.
Attendees rushed to put out the flames with fire extinguishers to no
avail.
"All of us at Universal are heartbroken," Universal Pictures, which
has released the "Fast & Furious" franchise, said in a statement.
"Paul was truly one of the most beloved and respected members of our
studio family for 14 years, and this loss is devastating to us, to
everyone involved with the 'Fast and Furious' films, and to countless
fans."
His "Fast & Furious" co-star Vin Diesel posted a photograph of
him and Walker arm-in-arm on Instagram with the message: "Brother I will
miss you very much. I am absolutely speechless."
Walker rode the "Fast & Furious" franchise to stardom, starring
in all but one of the six action blockbusters, beginning with the first
film in 2001. The blond-haired, blue-eyed Los Angeles-native brought
California surfer good-looks and an easy, warm charm to the popular
street-racing series.
The son of a fashion model and a sewer contractor, Walker grew up in a
working class, Mormon household in Glendale, Calif. The oldest of five
siblings, Walker's mother began taking him to auditions as a toddler. He
was a child model beginning at the age of 2.
Walker has said the early induction to show business wasn't to start
him on a career path, but as a way to help provide for the family.
After a string of TV roles as a child in the '80s, including small
roles on "Who's the Boss" and "Charles in Charge," Walker made his
feature film debut in the 1998 comedy "Meet the Deedles." Supporting
roles in the films "Pleasantville," ''Varsity Blues" and "Flags of Our
Fathers" followed.
His performance in the 2000 thriller "The Skulls" caught the eye of
producer Neal H. Moritz, who cast him in "The Fast and the Furious" as
undercover police officer Brian O'Conner. Adapted from a Vibe magazine
article about underground street races, the film became an unexpected
hit.
In the sequel, "2 Fast 2 Furious," Walker moved to center stage with
Diesel temporarily dropping out. Walker, a self-described "gearhead,"
kept his character's sports car from the film.
Walker starred in other films, including the crime thriller "Running
Scared," the Antarctic adventure "Eight Below" and the heist film
"Takers." Though his stardom didn't make as much of an impact outside
the "Fast & Furious" series, Walker continually drew praise from his
co-stars and directors as a kind-hearted and eager collaborator.
"Your humble spirit was felt from the start," Ludacris, Walker's
"Fast & Furious" co-star, said on Twitter. "Wherever you blessed
your presence you always left a mark, we were like brothers."
"Fast & Furious" proved unusually enduring. Released in May,
"Fast & Furious 6" was the most lucrative of them all, grossing more
than $788 million worldwide. The seventh installment began shooting in
September, with a release planned for July. The film's production was on
break with more shooting to be done.
Walker stars in the upcoming Hurricane Katrina drama "Hours," which
Lionsgate's Pantelion Films is to release Dec. 13. He also stars in
"Brick Mansions," a remake of the French action film "District B13" in
post-production that Relativity plans to release next year. "Paul was an
incredibly talent artist, devoted philanthropist and friend,"
Relativity President Tucker Tooley said in a statement.
He formed Reach Out Worldwide in 2010 to aid people struck by natural disasters.
A friend of Walker's who attended the fundraiser Saturday, Bill
Townsend, told AP Radio, "He was very happy. He was smiling at
everybody, just tickled that all these people came out to support this
charity. He was doing what he loved. He was surrounded by friends,
surrounded by cars."
Walker is survived by his 15-year-old daughter.
Via
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