Actor Vin Diesel stepped in for his late friend and Fast & Furious costar Paul Walker by walking his daughter Meadow down the aisle at her wedding. Diesel and Walker struck up a profound friendship while working on the Fast & Furious franchise, with the actors often referring to each other as brothers. They starred in five Fast & Furious films together, starting with 2001’s original The Fast and the Furious through 2015’s Furious 7. Unfortunately, each actor stepped away from the franchise during that run, as Diesel was absent in the first sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious, and Walker was not in the third film, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. However, even Diesel’s appearance in the third film was merely a cameo. They both returned to the franchise, along with fellow actors from the original movie Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster, for the fourth film, Fast & Furious.
Walker died in a car accident in November 2013 while Furious 7 was in production. As a result, filming on the seventh installment was halted, with those involved taking time to grieve while also trying to figure out the best way to proceed. To honor Walker’s legacy in the franchise, his brothers, who bear a resemblance, stepped in to help finish the film. Their performances were combined with face replacement technology to help finish Walker’s final turn in the franchise. Since that time, Diesel has continued to honor Walker’s legacy, both on-screen and in life.
Earlier this month, Walker’s daughter Meadow married actor Louis Thornton-Allan. In a true display of family beyond blood, Diesel stepped in for his late friend to walk Meadow down the aisle, giving her away at the altar. The moment was shared on Instagram by Meadow herself, featuring a photo of Diesel escorting Meadow, arm-in-arm, with a second photo showing the newlyweds being celebrated by their guests. Check out Meadow’s Instagram post below:
Click Here to View the Post on Instagram
The photos share a touching moment, but they also speak to how close Diesel still is with the Walker family. Immediately following Walker’s death, Diesel chartered a plane to be with Walker’s family during the tragic time. In 2015, when Diesel welcomed a daughter, he even named her Paulina in honor of Walker. Diesel has also ensured that Walker’s work will continue to be remembered.
Walker’s memory has continued through the Fast & Furious franchise, as the character is still part of the universe. However, he’s only been mentioned in the films since. The most recent installment, F9, went as far as having Walker’s car pull up to the Toretto household just as they were all about to sit down for their backyard BBQ. While the other characters talked about Walker’s Brian before the car arrived, Walker was still not seen in the film. Recently, Diesel has even hinted that Meadow could join the Fast & Furious franchise in a future installment, though nothing official has been announced. Still, it’s clear that Diesel and his character, Dominic Toretto, share similar sentiments about family, which he adheres to in real life. As Meadow enters into her marriage, it’s evident that Walker’s legacy will live on.
Source: Meadow Walker
About The Author
