Black Sheep of the Month – Paul Walker was an American film actor, racing driver, model, and philanthropist. He was widely recognized for his role as Brian O-Conner in the “Fast and Furious” movie franchise. Paul started his career in the acting industry as a child actor and throughout his career, he starred in many successful films. He died on November 30, 2013 in a car crash.
Early Life
Paul William Walker IV was born on September 12, 1973 to Paul William Walker III and Cheryl in Glendale, Los Angeles. His mother was a model while his father was a contractor/boxer. He has four siblings and he is the oldest child of the couple. He was raised in the Sunland neighborhood as a Mormon.
Paul attended high school in the San Fernando Valley. In 1991, he graduated from Sun Valley’s Village Christian School. After graduation, he majored in marine biology by attending various community colleges in Southern California.
Career
Paul Walker began his acting career at a very young age. As a child actor, he modeled and acted in TV shows like Charles in Charge, Who’s the Boss, and Highway to Heaven. He made his big screen debut in 1986 with the horror movie called Monster in the Closet.
After appearing in the popular soap opera called The Young and the Restless (1993), Paul became a full-time actor. When he played the lead role in Meet the Deedles (1998), his film career took a U-turn. His career began scaling new heights after he was cast in the lead role in the popular The Fast and the Furious franchise film in 2001.
Apart from appearing in The Fast and the Furious movies, Paul acted in many other action films, e.g. The Death and Life of Bobby Z, Takers, Running Scared, Into the Blue, etc. He became a fan favorite and was considered the most sought-after actor in Hollywood.
Setbacks
Struggle in the Film Industry
Paul Walker was a successful actor, but privately, he longed for a simpler life. He had the occasional reservation about his place in the Fast and Furious franchise, so much so that Vin Diesel actually had to talk him into appearing in the fourth film, Fast & Furious (2009). In an interview with GQ in 2013, Paul revealed that he originally planned to retire at 40.
It is possible that Paul would ultimately have taken his leave from Hollywood. After his demise, his father told the Daily Mail that Paul Walker had indeed decided to take a break from the industry.
Struggle with Injury
Paul Walker starred in his final non-Furious film in 2013: Brick Mansions. Unfortunately, while filming, he was still recovering from a painful knee injury. So, his parkour-heavy role was no less than a struggle.
Two months before shooting, Paul had struggled with a torn ligament in his knee. The injury was still in the process of healing when the shooting for Brick Mansions started. But Paul didn’t want anything to be postponed because of him. So, he parkoured his way through the film production on a recovering knee that caused him to limp whenever he wasn’t acting. While he managed to finish the film, it may have strengthened his resolve to explore other avenues in life.
Major Accomplishments
Paul Walker is best known for his role as Brian O’Conner in The Fast and the Furious movie franchise. His role of an undercover cop was what established him as an accomplished Hollywood actor.
Throughout his acting career, he was nominated in over four award functions and won three of them, including a Teen Choice Award and two MTV Movie Award. Apart from acting, Paul was also the founder of Reach Out Worldwide, an organization that focuses on offering relief to regions that are devastated by natural disasters, e.g. hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. His role as a philanthropist and humanitarian is a major accomplishment.
What Makes Paul Walker a Black Sheep?
Paul Walker was an amazing actor. He was the main protagonist through six of the Fast and Furious films, which would go on to become one of the top-grossing movie franchises of all time. Off-screen, he was a very charitable, giving individual. He was not one of those Hollywood stars who only thought about themselves. He tried to help people as well as wildlife (sharks, mainly) around the globe. He was a great driver and actor but he was an even better father and person offscreen, and that is what makes him the Black Sheep of the Month. He we always be missed! Till next time.- The Black Sheep