Vin Diesel biography, net worth, wife, height, family, ethnicity, twin 2025

Vin Diesel Biography

Vin Diesel (real name Mark Sinclair) is an American film actor, producer, screenwriter and director, winner of the "MTV Movie Awards". He is widely recognized for his roles in the film series "Fast & Furious", "The Chronicles of Riddick", and "xXx".

Early Years

Vin Diesel, or rather Mark Sinclair, was born on July 18, 1967, in Alameda County, California. During the early years of his life, his mother, astrologist Delora Sherleen (Sinclair) Vincent, raised Mark and his twin brother Paul alone - the boys never knew their biological father.

Diesel has repeatedly emphasized that his ethnic origin is "mixed": his mother has English, German, and Scottish roots, and his father, most definitely, belonged to another race, possibly also mixed.

In 1970, his mother remarried, and their African American stepfather, Irvin Vincent, took the three of them to live with him in New York. This is how Vin acquired a stepbrother and stepsister, Tim and Samantha. The stepfather was a theatre manager and acting teacher, and he frequently took the children to theatre performances and movie premieres, which greatly influenced the boy's future passion.

Mark first got on stage at the age of 7 due to a quirky incident. Together with his brother Paul and other boys, he broke into the "New City" theatre for some mischievous purposes. As it turned out, a rehearsal was going on at the theatre at the time, but the director Crystal Field did not call the police. Instead, she offered the boys a chance to try acting and read some script text.

At school, the future actor was laughed at for his slim physique

Mark handled this task better than anyone else, and Field involved him in the production of the play "Dinosaur Door", promising him $20 per performance. The young artist continued to perform on this theatre stage until he was 17 and managed to significantly develop his acting abilities. "I always knew I would be a movie star," Diesel later admitted, "I knew this even as a kid."

As a teenager, Mark was tall and skinny, earning him the nickname "Worm", and he was not popular with the girls. Deeply self-conscious about his "awkward" physique, he started exercising and regularly worked out. At 17, with a noticeable muscular build, he left the theatre and took a job as a bouncer at the "Tunnel" nightclub in Manhattan.

It was then that the young man drastically changed his image: he shaved his head and began calling himself "Vin Diesel". During his three years working at the club, Diesel gained extensive experience interacting with the opposite sex and an equally extensive experience in street fights. The toughness of those times later helped him create the on-screen image of a "tough guy".

I fought, probably more than five hundred times, practically every day, and these were not pretty staged fights

Nevertheless, Diesel was not attracted to the simple life of a bouncer, and alongside his job, he enrolled in Hunter College at New York University. Here, he studied literature and creative writing, learning the profession of a screenwriter. However, Diesel did not graduate: in 1987, he dropped out of college and went to Los Angeles, intending to pursue an acting career in Hollywood.

Young Vin Diesel dancing breakdance (1994)

The dream factory did not warmly welcome the ambitious young man. Despite all his efforts, no film role offers came his way, and Diesel took a job at a teleshopping network. He worked there for a whole year and achieved certain successes, but he did not get any closer to his dream - a career in the movies. Therefore, he decided to leave Los Angeles and return to New York.

Beginning of Film Career

Vin Diesel made his film debut in 1990 in Penny Marshall's "Awakenings," but the role was so minor it didn't even make the credits. The young man was deeply pained by the failure of all his attempts to break into the film industry, so his mother gave him Rick Schmidt's book, "Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices," hinting that he could take his career into his own hands.

At 17, Vin Diesel started working as a bouncer in a nightclub

Diesel was inspired by this idea and wrote the script for the film "Strays", but soon realized that he couldn't manage a feature film on his first try, and wrote another script - a short film called "Multi-Facial". Then he independently produced the shooting, played the main role in the film, and even wrote the music for it.

Vin Diesel Short Film Multi-Facial (1995)

The film was completed in 1994 and was largely autobiographical - his character, an actor named Mike, struggled to land a role because he was of mixed race and didn't fit any typecast imagined by directors. After a private screening, the film was selected for the Cannes Film Festival in 1995.

After this, Diesel returned to Hollywood and got a job in a teleshop to save money for the filming of his initial idea, the film "Strays", which he eventually managed to do. In this feature drama, he again played the main role - his character was a hardened drug dealer who changed under the influence of pure love.

Vin Diesel sells toys in a teleshop (1994)

The film was shown at the Sundance Independent Film Festival in 1996, but despite positive reviews, it didn't bring significant profits to its creator. Nevertheless, it was thanks to "Strays" that the young actor caught the eye of famous director Steven Spielberg, who invited him to a supporting role in his film "Saving Private Ryan" (1998) with Tom Hanks and Matt Damon.

Sergeant Caparzo – Vin Diesel's first big role

This was Diesel's first job in mainstream cinema, and he was ecstatic. Later, this film won 5 Academy Awards, and Diesel, along with his co-stars, was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for "Outstanding Performance by a Cast". "Strays" helped once more: thanks to his participation in the Sundance festival, Diesel was invited to voice the main character of the animated film "The Iron Giant" (1999), directed by Brad Bird.

Career Peak

In 2000, Vin Diesel starred in Ben Younger's drama "Boiler Room" and in the sci-fi film "Pitch Black" by David Twohy, where he played the lead role of the antihero Riddick. This movie kickstarted the famous "The Chronicles of Riddick" series and brought the actor his long-awaited fame.

Riddick became one of Diesel's most famous characters

The shooting was hard for Diesel: he injured his shoulder while performing a stunt, and also injured his eye with one of the special contact lenses that made his eyes glow in the dark."

2001 solidified Diesel's success – the crime thriller "The Fast and the Furious" by Rob Cohen was released, in which he played one of the lead roles alongside Paul Walker. Critics noted Diesel's acting, saying he uniquely combined the calm of an observer and an almost uncontrollable rage.

A shot from the first 'The Fast and the Furious' (2001)

The film received several awards and nominations. The Diesel and Walker duo won the "MTV Movie Award" for best on-screen team, and Diesel was also nominated in the "Best Male Performance" category. However, during the sequel's shooting, Diesel and the production company disagreed on his fee, so Paul Walker was the only main actor in "2 Fast 2 Furious".

That same year, the gangster drama "Knockaround Guys" was released, in which Diesel played one of the main roles alongside John Malkovich, Seth Green, and Dennis Hopper. In 2002, the adventure thriller "xXx" by director Rob Cohen was released, with Samuel L. Jackson as Diesel's co-star. Although the actor enjoyed his new super-agent role in the spirit of "007", critics received the film rather coldly:

The film is charming in its silliness, and Vin Diesel has more than enough muscles for the main hero, but the attempt to breathe new life into the spy thriller genre failed.

Nevertheless, for this work, the actor was again nominated for the "MTV Movie Award" in the "Best Male Performance" category, and the box office success of the film was impressive.

In 2003, the American-German action film "A Man Apart" was released, in which Diesel played the lead role and also served as an executive producer. The following year, 2004, the second film from "The Chronicles of Riddick" series was released, in which the actor combined the lead role and production.

Photos from 'The Fast and the Furious' shooting signed by Vin Diesel and Paul Walker

An animated film and a computer game were soon created based on this successful film, and Diesel voiced his character in them.

After this, he changed genres for some time and tried his hand at comedy: Adam Shankman's "The Pacifier" (2005) and Sidney Lumet's "Find Me Guilty" (2006) were released.

The laurels for the second comedy mainly went to the director, who "managed to see Vin Diesel's serious dramatic potential, which had been previously overlooked, considering him capable only of action movies".

Soon, the third part of "The Fast and the Furious" – "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" was released, but contrary to fans' expectations, Vin Diesel's character appears in this film only in a scene at the very end.

Riddick's famous eyes – Vin Diesel wore phosphorescent lenses

Soon after this, the actor faced a tough choice: he had the opportunity to participate in the filming of Xavier Gens's thriller "Hitman" or Mathieu Kassovitz's sci-fi action film "Babylon A.D.". Reluctantly, Diesel had to refuse "Hitman", and the lead role was successfully played by Timothy Olyphant instead. The chosen project "Babylon A.D." (2008), despite the meticulous shooting process and lengthy post-production, essentially flopped – it did not recoup its budget of a whopping $70 million, and even the director later admitted that this film "is not worth watching".

Vin Diesel's filmography had not only ups but also downs

In 2009, Diesel focused on working on the next parts of "The Fast and the Furious", combining production and his own role Dominic Toretto, which again became the main one. Thus, in 2009, the short promotional film "Los Bandoleros" and the related main film "Fast & Furious" were released, in 2010 "Fast Five" was released, in 2013 "Fast & Furious 6" was released, where Dwayne Johnson joined the combat team, and in 2015 "Furious 7" was released.

Furious 7»: Vin Diesel versus Jason Statham

It was planned for the seventh film to be released a bit earlier, already in 2014, but this was prevented by the tragic death in a car accident of Paul Walker – the actor who played the second lead role, who was also a close friend of Vin Diesel.

"Furious 8" was released in 2017, and instead of Paul Walker, Jason Statham was used in it, and stars such as Kurt Russell and Charlize Theron appeared in episodes.

In 2013, the third film from "The Chronicles of Riddick" series was released, and in 2015 the fantasy-action "The Last Witch Hunter", in which Diesel's co-stars were Rose Leslie and Elijah Wood. The film was negatively rated by the press as "gloomy and slow".

In 2017, the sequel "xXx: The Return of Xander Cage" was released – this is the third film in the series, and Diesel was again involved as the main actor and producer, despite not participating in the second film from 2005.

Vin Diesel gave voice and facial expressions to Groot from 'Guardians of the Galaxy'

In addition, the actor worked on the filming of films based on comics from the "Marvel Comics" publishing house – "Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014) and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" (2017). Here he played the role of Groot: this is an animated character, and Diesel served as his motion capture model, and also later voiced him.

Making of Groot - Behind the Scenes

In "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame" his character underwent serious changes, but the role was still kept by Vin. The actor was happy to work on the same set with Chris Hemsworth (Thor). They met at a party in 2010, and since then Vin has repeatedly called his new friend, if not the best representative of the human race, then at least one of the best.

Vin Diesel Says I Am Groot in Multiple Languages

In 2020, Vin Diesel will continue working on new films based on comics from the "Marvel Comics" publishing house in the image of Groot – these are "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" movies.

Vin Diesel remains the star of Hollywood action movies

Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson had a conflict

Diesel, as before, served as the main producer and performer of the main role in the 9th and 10th parts of "The Fast and the Furious". In the fall of 2017, it became known about serious frictions between Diesel and Dwayne Johnson, who wanted to become the new face of the franchise, but after two years the stars resolved all disagreements and, most likely, they will appear as a united team in "Fast & Furious 9".

In 2020, the superhero action film "Bloodshot" will also be released, in which Vin Diesel is given the main role – the resurrected US soldier Ray Garrison. His body is enhanced by technologies, but he himself remembers nothing about his past life. Initially, Jared Leto was considered for the role of Bloodshot, but the choice was made for Diesel.

In 2021, Vin Diesel starred in the long-awaited sequel "Avatar" and prepared for shooting in the fourth part of the "xXx" series, but the release date of the film is not yet known.

In addition, he continued to voice Groot in Marvel films: his character will appear in the fourth part of "Thor" (2022) and the third "Guardians of the Galaxy" (2023).

Vin Diesel's Personal Life

In his younger years, Vin Diesel experienced several passionate flings, about which little is known for sure. He was linked to Playboy models Layla Roberts from 1997 and Summer Altice from 2000, actress Carmen Electra, "Pussycat Dolls" band leader Kaya Jones, actress Michelle Ruben, actress and model Chanel Ryan, renowned model Asia Argento, TV host Maria Menounos, etc.

In 2001, Diesel began a relationship with actress Michelle Rodriguez, whom he met on the set of "The Fast and the Furious". However, the relationship lasted only a few months.

The romance between Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez began on the set

After the release of "xXx" in 2003, he had a love affair with Czech model Pavla Hrbkova, who participated in the filming. However, this relationship didn't last long either. In 2006, in one of his interviews, Diesel stated that he prefers to keep his personal life private.

I'm not going to spill everything about myself on magazine covers like some actors do... I prefer the code of silence, like Harrison Ford, Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, and Al Pacino.

Since 2007, the actor has been in a domestic partnership with Mexican model Paloma Jiménez (born 1983). They met at a social event, and for a long time, almost nobody knew about their relationship – the couple kept it hidden from journalists and didn't appear together in public.

Paloma Jiménez – Vin Diesel's common-law wife

The couple has three children: daughter Hania Riley (born April 2, 2008), son Vincent (born in 2010, the exact date of his birth is kept secret by the parents), and another daughter Pauline, named in honor of the late Paul Walker (born March 16, 2015).

Vin Diesel is a very loving and caring father, he adores his children and spends all his free time with them. His eldest daughter Hania tries to resemble her father in everything and is seriously engaged in sports – Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo. Vincent, who looks a lot like his father, is in elementary school and has already started participating in school plays. Moreover, Diesel is the godfather to Meadow Rain Walker, the daughter of his late colleague and friend.

Diesel maintains strong and warm relationships with his mother, brothers, and sister throughout his life. His twin brother Paul and half-brother and sister Tim and Samantha work with him in the film industry: Paul is an editor, while Samantha and Tim assist in producing.

The actor takes meticulous care of his health and appearance: he spends a lot of time in the gym, maintains a bronze skin tone using a tanning bed, and sticks to a healthy diet rich in proteins and vegetables.

Vin Diesel's workout

His hobby is video games, particularly the famous game "Dungeons & Dragons". In 2002, he founded "Tigon Studios" and began producing his own game "Wheelman", in which the main character speaks with his voice.

In 2017, Forbes magazine named Vin Diesel the third highest-paid actor – he earned 54 million dollars, trailing only Mark Wahlberg (68 million) and Dwayne Johnson (65 million).

Vin Diesel Now

In December 2023, Vin Diesel found himself at the center of a scandal. His former assistant, Asta Jonasson, accused him of sexual harassment. She recounted that the incident took place during the filming of "Fast 5" in 2010. She was in Diesel's hotel room with several women whom Vin was "entertaining". After all the women left the hotel, the actor grabbed her, started groping her breast, forcibly kissed her, then lifted her dress, tried to pull off her panties, grabbed her hand, and placed it on his erect penis, after which he began to masturbate. The woman tried to break free, but their strength was unequal, so she just closed her eyes to abstract herself from what was happening.

Asta explained that she had been silent for a long time, fearing the consequences, as Diesel has many influential acquaintances in Hollywood, and she was in the US as a green card holder. But, inspired by the brave women who shared their stories as part of the #MeToo movement, she also decided to shed light on what happened. Meanwhile, Vin Diesel's lawyer stated that his client categorically denies all accusations and can provide substantial evidence.

Vin Diesel: latest news and articles

`Fast and Furious` Star Vin Diesel Accused of Sexual Harassment

22 Dec 2023

Josh Funk

Hi I think vin diesel is starting to change a lot his dating someone that’s not a actor or that’s not famous. I ha e heard he was dating some girl that lives in Michigan names Kerry Boterbaugh. She is a person that no one knows as a famous person. He supposed to be picking her up from Michigan on June 20th. Take her back to California with him and there supposed to be getting married. They never meet each other in person they only been taking on the phone for 4 mouth. I didn’t think she will married someone he really don’t know.

2021-05-18 22:57:45
Mary Hammond

Vin Diesel is aging and balding actor who already played all his biggest roles. I don`t think that he will make us happy with a few more new movies.

2021-05-11 23:01:15
Dean Klein

In my opinion `The Chronicles of Riddick` it`s the best movie with Vin Diesel. In this movie he was able to be more open as an actor.

2021-04-10 08:35:46
Jean Johnson

In my opinion Vin Diesel is an actor of one role, or he is a cool bandit or just a hooligan on the nice car and always with a gun. Is unlikely that he can transform to someone else.

2021-03-25 22:40:28
Larry Cole

Vin Diesel is an actor who made himself. Without connections and rich parents he was able to be one of the famous actors, he made it to be on the top of the Olympus and got a Hollywood Walk of Fame`s star.

2021-03-11 17:19:06
Tracy Gomez

Its hard to imagine `The Fast and the Furious` without handsome Vin Diesel. That tandem of him and a racing car is indestructible!

2021-02-24 14:56:04
Why are you taking selfies of yourself Are you that vain

I'm bored can't sleep my I pad is going to go died once again

2018-11-14 14:05:59

Photos: Vin Diesel