‘Fast & Furious’ star Walker dies in crash
A statement on the actor’s Facebook page said the 40-year-old was a passenger in a friend’s car north of Los Angeles. He was in the area to attend a charity event for his organisation Reach Out Worldwide.
“We are stunned and saddened beyond belief by this news,” the statement said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said deputies found the red Porsche engulfed in flames when they responded to a report of a collision in the community of Valencia. Two people found in the car were pronounced dead at the scene.
Local reports said the Porsche crashed into a light pole and tree and burst into flames.
Walker was working on Fast & Furious 7 at the time of his death.
Walker rode the 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 street-racing series.
“All of us at Universal are heartbroken,” said Universal Pictures, makers of the franchise. “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 & Furious films, and to countless fans.”
The son of a fashion model and a sewer contractor, Walker grew up in a working class, Mormon Los Angeles household. The oldest of five siblings, his mother began taking him to auditions as a toddler. He was a child model beginning at the age of 2.
After a string of TV roles as a child in the 1980s, Walker made his feature film debut in the 1998 comedy Meet the Deedles. Supporting roles in Pleasantville, Varsity Blues, and She’s All That followed.
His performance in the 2000 thriller The Skulls caught the eye of producer Neal Moritz, who cast him in The Fast and the Furious as undercover police officer Brian O’Conner.
Walker is survived by his 15-year-old daughter.
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