Paul Walker, left, with Jordana Brewster and Vin Diesel in “Fast Five” in 2011.
Actor Paul Walker, best known for his work in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, died in a car accident Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles, his rep confirms. He was 40 years old.
“It is with a truly heavy hear that we must confirm that Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident while attending a charity event for his organization Reach Out Worldwide,” a statement on his Facebook page reads.
“He was a passenger in a friend’s car, in which both lost their lives. We appreciate your patience as we too are stunned and saddened beyond belief by this news.” Walker is survived by his 15-year-old daughter, Meadow, who had recently moved to Los Angeles to live with him after living with her mother in Hawaii.
Walker’s top 5 films:
Paul Walker hit it big with a string of hits in the late 1990s, including “She’s All That” and “Varsity Blues,” before taking his place alongside Vin Diesel at the lead of the “Fast and Furious” franchise in 2001. Here are our top five films to remember him by.
1. “The Fast and the Furious” (2001): The one that started it all, featuring Walker as an undercover cop who gets caught up in the underground street-racing racket he’s investigating.
2. “Fast Five” (2011): The street-racing franchise’s revitalization has been one of Hollywood’s more impressive recent success stories, with the fourth, fifth and sixth films earning acclaim and huge numbers at the box office. The fifth entry, set in Brazil, is the best of the bunch. Walker had just started work on “Fast & Furious 7” before his death.
3. “She’s all That” (1999): This “‘Pygmalion’ set in high school” romantic comedy is perfect specimen of ’90s teen culture. Walker goads Freddie Prinze Jr. into seducing frumpy art student Rachael Leigh Cook and turning her into a prom queen.
4. “Pleasantville” (1998): Walker’s clean-cut, all-American good looks served him well as a squeaky-clean 1950s teen who has his eyes opened by Reese Witherspoon’s more liberated modern-day girl.
5. “Into the Blue” (2005): A true guilty pleasure. Walker and Jennifer Alba star as salvage divers caught up in a fight over a sunken cocaine shipment and spend most of the film in bathing suits.
