Paul Walker bio, cause and age of death, accident, brother, daughter, family

Paul Walker Biography

Paul Walker was a famous American actor, model, and founder of the charity organization Reach Out WorldWide. He shot to fame playing undercover cop Brian O'Conner in the blockbuster "Fast & Furious" franchise.

Childhood and Family

Paul William Walker IV was born on September 12, 1973, in Glendale, Southern California. His father, Paul Walker III, worked in construction as a sewage contractor. He was a boxer in the past, becoming a two-time Golden Gloves champion. After retiring from competitive boxing, the elder Walker got into firearms and won the world championship in speed shooting in 1979.

Paul's grandfather was also a boxer, known in the ring as "Billy the Irish." One of Paul's paternal relatives was a race car driver in the '60s, racing for Ford.

Paul's mother, Cheryl Walker, was a fashion model in her youth and after marriage, she devoted herself to homemaking and raising the kids. Paul was the eldest child, later joined by two younger brothers—Caleb (born in 1977) and Cody (born in 1988), and two sisters: Ashlie (born in 1976) and Amie (born in 1986). The entire family practiced Mormonism.

Paul Walker (right) was the eldest of the five Walker children

When Paul was one and a half years old, he appeared in a Pampers diaper commercial. From infancy, he was thrown into the advertising and modeling world. Cheryl, who hadn't achieved her dreams in her youth, tried to live them through her son. She constantly took him to castings, and Paul Walker Sr. supported her in this. They both got a kick out of seeing their son on the catwalk.

Paul Walker in a Pampers commercial

But Paul himself wasn't amused. The boy was obsessed with marine life, loved Jacques-Yves Cousteau's shows, and even built his own aquariums. Acting didn't appeal to him, and he felt like his life choices had been made for him.

In the Walker family, all the men worked blue-collar jobs—laborers, cops, or builders—holding "traditional" male professions. His brothers would give Paul grief, thinking acting wasn't a real job, and he felt less masculine compared to his relatives.

In 1985, Paul appeared in TV series such as "The Young and the Restless," "Highway to Heaven," and "Who's the Boss?". His debut in a feature film was in 1986 in the horror comedy "Monster in the Closet." The film starred the famous actor John Carradine, and the role of Lucy was played by future The Black Eyed Peas vocalist Stacy Ferguson.

'Monster in the Closet'. The first feature film with Paul Walker

In 1988, Paul participated in the children's game show "I'm Telling!" Twenty-five years later, the kid who appeared with him in that episode shared the video and his memories of Paul. "I only saw Paul once, but he seemed really sweet, cool, and down-to-earth. He was just a nice guy. And when Paul grew up and became a famous actor, he retained those qualities."

Paul Walker on 'I'm Telling!' (1988)

Road to Fame

In 1991, Paul Walker graduated from Village Christian School in Sun Valley. He then studied marine biology at several colleges, surfed, and led a rather carefree lifestyle. Even then, his friends nicknamed him "Vagabond," because he never stayed in one place for long. Meanwhile, the young man continued to build his acting career. He felt driven to make it in Hollywood, convinced he had no other career options after years of his brothers' relentless teasing.

Between 1992 and 1993, he starred as Brandon Collins in the series "The Young and the Restless," dedicated to the confrontation between poor and rich families in a fictional version of Genoa City, Wisconsin. The show ranks among the longest-running series in American TV history, having premiered in 1973.

The Young and the Restless. A scene with Paul Walker

In 1998, Paul appeared in the comedy "Meet the Deedles" as Phil Deedle, one of the twin brothers living off the handouts of their wealthy single father. The brothers had to fight the villain Slater, played by Dennis Hopper, and his henchman Mr. Nemo, portrayed by Robert Englund. The film introduced Walker to mainstream audiences.

A still from the movie 'Meet the Deedles'

Even more compelling was his role in "Pleasantville," starring Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon. The story drops their characters into the black-and-white world of the "Pleasantville" TV show – a picture-perfect 1950s town where everyone appears happy but secretly battles conformity and repression. Walker played Skip Martin, the school heartthrob, who starts a romance with Witherspoon's character.

Paul Walker in the movie 'Pleasantville'

In the early 2000s, he auditioned for the role of Anakin Skywalker in the second episode of "Star Wars." Paul later said it was the one role he desperately wanted to book. However, the casting director considered him too mature for the part and chose Hayden Christensen instead.

Paul Walker auditioned for the role of Anakin Skywalker

The Fast and the Furious

Paul Walker shot to worldwide fame starring in the summer blockbuster "The Fast and the Furious" (2001). The actor recalled, "When Universal moved the premiere to summer, I thought the film was going to flop. But it turned out differently. It exploded like a bomb. Producer Neal H. Moritz called me and shouted, 'It's a cultural phenomenon!'"

Walker played Brian O'Conner—an undercover cop who infiltrated a gang running illegal street races. He gradually grew to like the gang's leader, Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel. Paul also became friends with Vin Diesel in real life. When Diesel's daughter was born in 2008, he named her Pauline in honor of his friend.

Paul Walker and Vin Diesel were friends off-screen as well

In 2003, Paul Walker starred in the second installment of the franchise, "2 Fast 2 Furious". With Vin Diesel temporarily leaving the project to star in "The Chronicles of Riddick" after failing to secure a $20 million fee, Walker had a perfect shot at becoming the franchise's lead.

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) - Audition Race Scene

Success finally made peace with acting for him. Walker admitted he loved doing action movies, as they gave him a chance to feel like "a real man."

Now he was recognized on the street. Once, while driving in Santa Barbara, he got pulled over for speeding. The cop, recognizing him, smirked: 'You were driving like Brian O'Conner.' He didn't even write a ticket, just asked him not to break the rules again.

Walker occasionally branched out into other genres. One of his most interesting roles was Hank Hansen in the military drama "Flags of Our Fathers" (2006). Directed by Clint Eastwood and produced by Steven Spielberg, the film told the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, and how the war affected five Marines' lives. Walker's character, a U.S. Marine Corps sergeant, raised the American flag on Mount Suribachi and became a hero, but later died in battle against the Japanese.

During filming of "Furious 6" (2013), the actor got injured when his foot got tangled in a cable and he fell. He suffered a meniscus tear. His knee was stabilized with a hard brace, and for the remaining two weeks, Walker had to shoot while injured. Only after filming wrapped could he finally have surgery.

Charity and Other Projects

Walker also pursued his passion for marine life. In 2009, he filmed a series of documentaries about sharks that aired on National Geographic in June 2010.

Paul Walker (Shark Week 2013 Spawn Of JAWS)

In January 2010, Haiti was struck by an earthquake. Paul Walker visited the country with his friend Jesse Brisendine. Shocked by what he saw, he founded the charity organization Reach Out WorldWide, bringing together medical and construction professionals to help people in the event of natural disasters.

Walker wasn't just writing checks from the sidelines—he was hands-on with the organization's work. In March 2010, he traveled to Chile to bring water and medical supplies to the victims of the tsunami.

Paul Walker personally assisted tsunami victims

Paul Walker's Personal Life

Back in college, Paul couldn't stand Keanu Reeves and Christian Slater because "all the girls were crazy about them."

He didn't consider himself a romantic because his interests were fishing, shooting, martial arts, and car racing, and he figured girls weren't into guys with those hobbies.

Paul Walker was renowned for his charm with the ladies

The actor dated plenty of gorgeous, high-profile women. In 1993, he dated actress Denise Richards. They starred together in the comedy "Tammy and the T-Rex" (1994).

Paul Walker and Denise Richards in 'Tammy and the T-Rex'

In 1998, Walker met Rebecca Soteros. The relationship didn't last long, but they had a daughter together, Meadow Rain. Paul was there when she was born. Vin Diesel became the girl's godfather. Meadow spent her childhood in Hawaii, and in 2011 she moved to live with her father in Santa Barbara.

Paul Walker, Rebecca Soteros, and their daughter Meadow

Rebecca left Walker in 1999 because he wouldn't marry her and was always hanging out with his friends instead of giving her attention.

The next woman in his life was singer Christina Milian. This relationship also lasted only a year, from 1999 to 2000. Walker left Milian for model and actress Jaime King. But Jaime couldn't hold onto him either. Soon after, Paul started dating Bliss Ellis. This romance lasted until 2003 when the actor began a relationship with model Aubrianna Atwell.

In 2004-2005, Walker dated Amanda Paige. In 2006, he started his longest relationship with student Jasmine Pilchard-Gosnell. They were together until the actor's death in 2013. In 2009, rumors swirled that Jasmine and Paul were engaged, but the actor shot down those reports.

Paul Walker dated Jasmine Pilchard-Gosnell until his death

Walker was also rumored to have romances with actresses Jessica Alba and Genesis Rodriguez.

His favorite actor was Paul Newman, and his favorite actress was Sophie Marceau. Among musical performers, Walker favored the band Coldplay.

Paul Walker's daughter Meadow as a child and now

As an amateur racer, he competed in the Redline Time Attack racing series, driving a BMW E92 M3. Paul was generally interested in cars and owned a collection of more than 30 vehicles. He co-owned them with his friend and fellow racer Roger Rodas. Their shared love of cars led to a tragic turn of events.

Death

On November 30, 2013, Paul Walker visited his mother with his daughter Meadow. They discussed Christmas plans and intended to buy a Christmas tree. Afterward, the actor went to Santa Clarita for the opening of a car dealership he had established with Reach Out WorldWide to support the residents of the Philippines affected by the typhoon. At the dealership, Paul Walker took a photo with a fan; he looked happy and full of energy.

Paul Walker and his friend, racing driver Roger Rodas

On the way back, Walker was in a two-seater Porsche Carrera GT, driven by his friend Roger Rodas. Rodas lost control, and the car crashed into a concrete lamp post and two trees at a speed of 130-150 km/h. The vehicle caught fire, Rodas died from multiple injuries, and Walker died from the combined effects of trauma and burns. According to the investigation, there were no traces of alcohol or drugs in Walker's or Rodas's blood. Walker suffered multiple fractures to his jaw, ribs, arms, and pelvis.

Paul Walker died in a car accident on November 30, 2013.

Walker's body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills area.

Photos from the scene of Paul Walker's death

His devastated father described his son as "reckless." He said Walker always ignored safety measures, doing all his own stunts during filming—even ones that professional stuntmen wouldn't attempt.

Universal Pictures halted production on "Furious 7" out of respect for the actor's grieving family. To honor him, the studio added the song "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth to the film's soundtrack. The movie was released in 2015.

Fast and Furious 7 end scene

Paul's brothers Cody and Caleb helped complete the film, with Cody bearing a striking resemblance to his older brother despite their 15-year age gap. Using computer graphics to adjust his face, filmmakers seamlessly fooled audiences.

Paul Walker's younger brother starred in 'Furious 7'

Memory

Paul Walker was posthumously awarded a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by his mentor Ricardo Miller. Before his death, he had achieved a brown belt.

In September 2015, Meadow Rain sued Porsche, claiming the car her father was driving had numerous technical defects that caused the crash—not driver error. In April 2016, U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez ruled in favor of Porsche.

In 2018, a documentary about Paul Walker was released

On August 11, 2018, the Paramount Network premiered the documentary "I Am Paul Walker". The film explored the actor's youth, his drive to live life to the fullest, his efforts to be a devoted father to Meadow, and his personal struggles. With this film, Paramount continued their series about tragically deceased celebrities, which included Heath Ledger and Bruce Lee.

Paul Walker: latest news and articles

Paul Walker may return to "Fast & Furious"

30 Jun 2025

Photos: Paul Walker