Paul Walker

Paul Walker has on many occaisions been incorrectly labeled as an "actor." A recent study conducted at Providence College has concluded that henceforth, he is to be categorized as "cardboard." Another little-known fact recently revealed on the Tonight Show is that Mike Tyson referred to Walker as a "gay faggot" at a Hollywood nightclub, and proceeded to drag him into a bathroom stall and rape him into oblivion. Afraid that critics would link his Abercrombie & Finch style and his homosexual encounter with Tyson's manliness to actual homeoerotic tendencies, Walker never came forward to accuse Lord Tyson of his violent taking of Walker's butthole virginity.

File:Paul walker3.jpg

Walker (right) with Vin Diesel in The Fast and the Furious (2001)

Paul William Walker IV (born September 12, 1973) is an American actor.

Early life

Walker was born in Glendale, California to Paul William Walker III (a retired sewer contractor) and Cheryl Crabtree (a former fashion model); his paternal grandfather, William Walker, was a Pearl Harbor survivor and a Navy middleweight boxing champion, while his maternal grandfather commanded a tank Battalion that invaded Italy under General Patton during WWII [1]. He has two younger brothers, Caleb and Cody, and a younger sister, Ashlie. Walker was raised a Latter Day Saint in a conservative Mormon household, and says religion is still a part of his life [2].

Walker grew up in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley and attended Village Christian High School, graduating in 1991. During his late teen years, he was briefly involved in a felony, although the charge has been reduced and he has no criminal record [3]. He attended several community colleges and studied marine biology.

Career

Walker began modeling in the late 1980s. He began his acting career with appearances in several low-budget "B movies", including Monster in the Closet (1987) and Tammy and the T-Rex (1994). In 1998, he starred in his first widely released film, the critically-derided Meet the Deedles, as well as the well-received Pleasantville, playing a high-school basketball player opposite Reese Witherspoon. Between 1999 and 2001, Walker appeared in a few notable films aimed at a teenage audience, including She's All That and Varsity Blues.

His breakthrough came in 2001, when he starred opposite Vin Diesel in the highly successful action film The Fast and the Furious, which established Walker as a notable film star and leading man. Consequently, Walker played the lead role in a number of action-adventure films, the most financially successful of which was 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003). His other 2001 film, Joy Ride, received very positive reviews by critics. Walker was also originally set to star in the film S.W.A.T. (2003), but left the project and was replaced by Colin Farrell.

In 2002, Walker was chosen by People Magazine as one of the "50 most beautiful people in the world".

In February 2006, Walker starred in two films; Running Scared, an action thriller, and Eight Below, an adventure set in Antarctica. Eight Below, a family-friendly Disney film, opened in first place at the box office, grossing over $24 million during its first four days [4]. Walker filmed Running Scared in 2004, wanting to participate in a darker-edged film; the film's director, Wayne Kramer, has commented that the film's character is closer to Walker's own personality than any of his previous roles [5].

Walker is also currently filming a part in Flags of our Fathers, a war movie directed by Clint Eastwood.

Private life

Walker currently resides in Santa Barbara and Huntington Beach, California, where he enjoys surfing. He has a daughter, Meadow Rain (born January 28, 1999) from a former girlfriend; she lives with her mother in Hawaii. One of his close friends is actor Scott Caan, who appeared alongside Walker in several films, including Varsity Blues and Into the Blue. He also formed a close friendship with Tyrese Gibson during the filming of 2 Fast 2 Furious.

Walker is known to practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu [6] video clip. He enjoys travelling and has visited India, Fiji and Costa Rica among others.

Walker owns a Beagle, a Chesapeake Bay puppy and a horse named Cowboy.

Selected filmography

Year	Title	Role	Other notes
2006	Running Scared	Joey Gazelle
2006	Eight Below	Gerry Shepherd
2005	Into the Blue	Jared
2003	Timeline	Chris Johnston
2003	2 Fast 2 Furious	Brian O'Conner
2001	Joy Ride	Lewis Thomas
2001	The Fast and the Furious	Brian O'Conner
2000	The Skulls	Caleb Mandrake
1999	Varsity Blues	Lance Harbor
1998	Pleasantville	Skip Martin
1998	Meet the Deedles	Phil Deedle

Interviews

• About.com interview (February 20, 2006)
• Movies, Monsters & Critics interview (February 16, 2006)
• Calendar Live interview (February 15, 2006)
• About.com interview (September, 2005)
• USA Today interview (September 27, 2005)
• About.com interview (November, 2003)
• UGO interview (November 26, 2003)
• Toronto Sun interview (November 23, 2003)
• the Early Show interview (June 9, 2003)
• USA Today interview (June 6, 2003)
• MovieHole interview (May 15, 2003)
• the Harvard Crimson interview (April 14, 2000)

External links

• Template:Ymovies name
• collection of Walker quotations
• Paul Walker at IMDb