Paul Walker made a name for himself far beyond the Fast and the Furious franchise. The actor — who died tragically in a car collision on Saturday, Nov. 30 at the age of 40 — leaves many memorable films behind.
After conquering the small screen in appearances in Charles in Charge, Who's the Boss and The Young and the Restless in the early 90s, Walker would then get his feet wet on the big screen with the low budget 1998 surfer comedy Meet the Deedles.
Over the next few years, Walker inched toward the big leagues in Hollywood thanks to several high-profile roles. He showed his acting range as the clean-cut Skip Martin in 1998's fantasy-comedy Pleasantville (opposite Reese Witherspoon) and his dramatic chops as football player Lance Harbor in 1999's Varsity Blues. That same year, he made his mark in the comedy genre as the cocky, All-American jock Dean Sampson in the late 90s classic, She's All That, costarring alongside Rachael Leigh Cook and Freddie Prinze, Jr.
But the real game-changer perhaps for Walker was ultimately when he landed the role of Brian O'Conner in the Fast and the Furious franchise, which is now the highest grossing series of all time. Since 2001, the actor has starred in the car racing films alongside Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. The original cast has gone on to film five more films, with Fast & Furious 6 premiering in 2013.
The Glendale, Calif. native was set to reprise his role in Fast & Furious 7 in 2014. His last tweet, sent on Nov. 29, was of a picture of himself, Diesel, and Tyrese Gibson in character. "The boys are back. Will you be ready?" the caption read.
Universal Pictures, the studio behind the Fast and the Furious franchise, made a statement shortly after the news of Walker's death broke.
"All of us at Universal are heartbroken," the statement read. "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. We send our deepest and most sincere condolences to Paul's family."
Walker is survived by his 15-year-old daughter Meadow, whom he shared with an ex-girlfriend, Rebecca. The actor recently revealed to Us Weekly while promoting his latest thriller Hours, that Meadow moved in with him after previously living with her mother in Hawaii.
