Paul Walker (1973-2013)

Celebrity deaths rarely affect me. But the recent death of Paul Walker has upset me, so I thought I'd write a little bit about him. I've always been a fan of Walker. It turns out that I've seen 9 of his movies (6 of them being part of the Fast and Furious franchise).

Fast and the Furious is the series that made him a star, but he also stars in the very underrated Running Scared (2006) and the creepy thriller Joy Ride (2001). Both are definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of Walker.

He also stars in Into the Blue (2005), and makes a small appearance in Pleasantville (1998).

While often (unfairly) criticized for not being the greatest actor in the world, he had tremendous charisma and likeability. These important traits helped him carry a blockbuster franchise. He knew his strengths and stuck with them. He wanted to entertain people and that he did. The Fast and Furious movies are some of the most fun and entertaining action movies of recent years.

Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6 particularly stand out. It's not often that a series begins to gain critical acclaim and popularity with the 5th film in a franchise, but that's what happened here. Previously just being mostly popular with the fans, Fast Five was the first film in the series to receive strong reviews from critics as well. They work as a tremendous thrill ride of high octane action and fun.

What's particularly sad about his death is that he seemed to be at the peak of his career. His franchise just started being more appreciated and was on its way to become one of the most popular and successful franchises running.

After all, Fast Five grossed over 625 million world wide in 2011. This past summer, Fast & Furious 6 did even better grossing almost 800 million world wide. The entire series has made a combined 2.3 billion since 2001.

Coming off two mega hits, there were plans for 3 more Fast and Furious movies, which Walker seemed excited about. He was in the process of filming the 7th film at the time of the accident. Production on the film has now been delayed as they cope with his loss and figure out what to do next.

One of the reasons why fans could relate to the series was because of it's themes of family, brotherhood, and loyalty. The characters were always there for each other. Judging by the heartfelt reactions of the cast, it seems like this was a case of art imitating life. The whole cast really cared for each other and happened to be great friends in real life too, which makes his loss even harder for all those that worked with him.

By all accounts, Walker was a great, humble guy. At the time of the accident, he was doing a fundraiser for his charity Reach Out Worldwide, a disaster relief organization he founded. He made a point to do his work under the radar, not seeking any outside attention for it. He did it because he wanted to help.

"He didn’t want anyone to know he was there. All he wanted was a chainsaw, and to point him in the right direction – he just wanted to go to work," said the organization's manager. His work came straight from his heart.

Paul Walker had a lot more life to live. While that was tragically cut short, he was still able to have an impact on so many people through his career and personal life. Walker leaves behind a 14 year old daughter. 

Paul Walker- "When you put good will out there it's amazing what can be accomplished."