(SANTA CLARITA, Calif.) — Paul Walker, the star
of the “Fast & Furious” movie series, died
Saturday in a car crash that killed one other
person north of Los Angeles, his publicist said.
He was 40.
Walker died Saturday afternoon, Ame Van Iden
told The Associated Press.
A statement on the actor’s Facebook page said
he was a passenger in a friend’s car, and that
Walker was in the area to attend a charity event
for his organization Reach Out Worldwide.
“We … are stunned and saddened beyond belief
by this news,” the statement said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
said that deputies found a car engulfed in
flames when they responded to a report of a
collision in the community of Valencia. Two
people who were found in the car were
pronounced dead at the scene.
The Santa Clarita Signal reports a red 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. He also starred in the
suspense drama, “Hours,” which is set for
release this month.
Walker rode the “Fast & Furious” 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 popular street-
racing series.
“All of us at Universal are heartbroken,”
Universal Pictures said in a statement. “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 and 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, Walker’s mother began taking him
to auditions as a toddler. He was a child model
beginning at the age of 2.
Walker has said the early induction to show
business wasn’t to start him on a career path,
but as a way to help provide for the family.
After a string of TV roles as a child in the ’80s,
Walker made his feature film debut in the 1998
comedy “Meet the Deedles.” Supporting roles in
the films “Pleasantville,” ”Varsity Blues” and
“She’s All That” followed.
His performance in the 2000 thriller “The Skulls”
caught the eye of producer Neal H. Moritz, who
cast him in “The Fast and the Furious” as
undercover police officer Brian O’Conner.
Adapted from a Vibe magazine article about
underground street races, the film became an
unexpected hit.
In the sequel, “2 Fast 2 Furious,” Walker moved
to center stage with his co-star Vin Diesel
momentarily dropping out. Walker, a self-
described “gearhead,” kept his character’s sports
car from the film.
Walker starred in other films, including the
crime thriller “Running Scared,” the Antarctic
adventure “Eight Below” and the heist film
“Takers.” Though his stardom didn’t make as
much of an impact outside the “Fast & Furious”
series, Walker continually drew praise from his
co-stars and directors as a kind-hearted and
eager collaborator.
And “Fast & Furious” proved unusually enduring.
Released in May, “Fast & Furious 6″ was the
most lucrative of them all, grossing more than $
788 million worldwide. The seventh installment
began shooting in September, with a release
planned for July.
“Your humble spirit was felt from the start,” said
Ludacris, Walker’s “Fast & Furious” co-star, on
Twitter. “Wherever you blessed your presence
you always left a mark, we were like brothers.”
Walker is survived by his 15-year-old daughter.