Sunday, December 1, 2013
'Fast and Furious' star Paul Walker dies in car crash
Actor Paul Walker arrives for the World Premiere of 'Fast & Furious 6' at a London cinema on May 7.
Paul Walker, 40, star of the "Fast & Furious" movie series, died Saturday afternoon in California in a car crash, according to his publicist.
LOS ANGELES — Paul Walker, the star of the "Fast & Furious" movie series, died Saturday in a car crash that killed one other person outside of Los Angeles. He was 40.
Walker's publicist Ame Van Iden confirmed the actor's death Saturday afternoon. 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 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said that speed was a factor in the crash.
Deputies found a Porsche Carrera GT engulfed in flames when they responded to a report of a collision in the community of Valencia, north of Los Angeles. Two people who were found in the car were pronounced dead at the scene.
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.
'Fast and Furious' star Paul Walker dies in car crashAP Photo: The Santa Clarita Valley Signal, Dan Watson Sheriff's deputies work near the wreckage of a Porsche that crashed and killed actor Paul Walker.
"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.
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By Daisy Nguyen and Jake Coyle of Associated Press
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