The Fast and Furious franchise is now mostly driven by the ever-changing dynamic between Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto and Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs, who after a brief hiatus is back in the series. However, for the first seven installments, the franchise about fast cars and family largely revolved around the brotherhood between Dom and Brian O’Conner.
The fan-favorite character was portrayed by Paul Walker, who tragically passed away after a car crash nearly a decade ago. The overwhelming reactions of millions of fans upon Walker’s passing underlined the incredible impact and influence of his brilliant portrayal in the franchise. But his stint in the Fast and Furious also apparently turned out to be a cause of regret for one reason.
Read more: “You can’t bullsh*t me”: Paul Walker Was Scared to Do His Final Fast and Furious Movie
Why Paul Walker Regretted Giving Too Much Time to the Fast and Furious Franchise
Fast and Furious is one of the most successful franchises of all time, grossing $7.3 billion at the box office across its 11 titles. With a worldwide collection of $1.5 billion, Furious 7 remains its biggest hit. This was also the last time the fans got to see Paul Walker on the big screen.
In November of 2013, Walker’s car crashed, causing his death. At the time, he was finishing the filming of Furious 7. His brothers, Cody and Caleb Walker stepped in to wrap up the movie. Speaking to PEOPLE, Cody revealed that during the filming they came across many stories of their brother’s approachable nature on the set.
Be it on the set or on the big screen, Walker made everyone his fan with his talent and personality. However, juggling his acting career – which found its breakthrough in 2001 with The Fast and the Furious – with family responsibilities wasn’t always easy and even left a feeling of regret. Cody revealed:
“Paul was tormented by the fact that his daughter was growing up so fast. He was so busy with his career and trying to juggle all of that.”
As per his brother, Paul “acknowledged the fact that with his career and everything that he had going on, that he was being robbed of all of that precious time” with Meadow, adding “It really, really ate at him.”
Meadow was just 15 years old at the time of the tragedy. Marvelously, she stood strong and has continued her father’s legacy by establishing and serving as the chairman of the Paul Walker Foundation.
Why Paul Walker Was Nervous of Kissing His Fast and Furious Co-star Jordana Brewster
Walker didn’t just leave fans in awe with his ocean-blue eyes, but also through the boldness his character Brian showed in front of Dom, especially when he was trying to get closer to his group and his sister, Mia Toretto during the early days of the Fast and Furious.
Turns out, he wasn’t that bold and brave behind the scenes when it came to kissing Jordana Brewster, the actress who portrayed Mia. The reason behind his fear was that at the time, the actress was rumored to be dating Mark Wahlberg. Walker once told TV Guide Online:
“I had to do a love scene with Jordana. And there was a rumor that he wanted to be on the set the day Jordana and I locked lips. I kept looking around to see if he was there. I admit I was a little nervous, but it was cool: Mark never appeared and Jordana was a complete sweetheart. The only downside was hearing the crew snickering while we were trying to get it on.”
Needless to say, Walker wasn’t really afraid but instead wanted to be more respectful knowing Wahlberg was going to be on the set. It is this nature that made him a much-loved figure on and off the screen and aptly reflected in the tributes he got from his co-stars and fans after his untimely death.
