Paul Walker Remembered at “Furious 7” Premiere
The stars turned out at the Hollywood premiere for “Furious 7” in Los Angeles on Wednesday, but there was notable absence in their ranks.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, actor Vin Diesel showed visible emotion when speaking about his friend and co-star, Paul Walker, at the TCL Chinese Theater.
“This movie is more than a movie,” said Diesel. “There’s something emotional that happens to you where you walk out of this movie, and you appreciate everyone you love because you just never know when the last day is that you’ll see them.”
Walker was killed in a car crash on November 30, 2013, in Valencia, CA, during an event for Walker’s charity Reach Out Worldwide for victims of Typhoon Haiyan.
Walker’s passing pushed back the release of Universal Pictures latest entry in one of their most viable franchises, as the studio and the filmmakers took time to mourn the death of the star, and rethink the ending of the film to give Walker’s character, Brian O’Connor, a satisfactory ending to his storyline, as well as paying tribute to the star who who was such a major part of the series.
“I’m going to tell you, last year it was really tough to come back to work,” said Diesel.
Stars Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Jason Statham, Ludachris and Luke Evans attended the premiere, along with Walker’s younger brothers, Caleb and Cody, who stepped in to act as body doubles for Walker in order to help finish the their brother’s last film.
