Family is the number one theme in the Fast and Furious franchise, trumps fast cars, exposed biceps, and charming banter. This was once again heartwarmingly demonstrated when Vin Diesel led Meadow Walker, the daughter of the late Paul Walker, to the altar at their wedding on October 22nd.
Paul Walker died in a car accident in November 2013 that was devastating to his near-cast actors, Diesel in particular. The two had worked together for more than a decade and were personally close. Diesel is Meadow’s godfather, and he even named his six-year-old Pauline after Walker.
In a June interview with E! Diesel spoke about the loss of Walker and how it affected the franchise. Although he hasn’t appeared in any film since Furious 7, Walker’s character Brian O’Conner still exists in the movie’s universe. (Diesel also hinted that it was possible that Meadow could eventually be part of the F&F franchise, though he didn’t say anything final).
“When the tragedy struck in 2013, we paused filming Furious 7 for about five months because we were thinking about what we were going to do while we were grieving. And the studio accepted a bold decision to allow the character to exist in our mythology, ”said Diesel. “And for that purpose alone you have to respect that. On a personal level, we started this franchise together. In parallel to our franchise, we formed a brotherhood. Our brotherhood will outlast the franchise. “
Diesel also spoke to Extra about his relationship with Meadow during the press run at F9.
“She’s the first person on Father’s Day to wish me a happy Father’s Day,” said Diesel. “Seeing you with my children is one of the most beautiful things. There are moments when I see her playing with Pauline and it hits me so deeply because I can only imagine what my brother sees when he sees it. “
Walker, 22, is a successful model and also runs the Paul Walker Foundation, which in part focuses on doing good for the ocean and aquatic life, a passion of her father. She married Louis Thornton-Allan.
While there has been a lot of coverage of Diesel and Meadow Walker, the latter perhaps best summed up the emotions in their Instagram caption: a simple, succinct “Ayooooo”.
