Waking up this morning to the tragic news that Paul Walker had passed away in a horrifying car accident left me pretty devastated. Not only was I a fan of his entire body of work, but he acted as a pivotal figure in my introduction to the automotive world.
I don't often get too worked up about celebrity deaths, but this one really struck a chord on a somewhat personal level. I just want to take a moment to reflect - not upon the horrible news - but the impact such a figure had to my life.
For the past 12 years Paul Walker has appeared on our screens as Brian O'Conner, primary protagonist in The Fast and the Furious series of movies. Arguably crucial in bringing modified car culture to a mainstream audience, The Fast and the Furious films have always been personal favourites of mine.
Little did I know as a young boy that this movie franchise would act as a catalyst for my fascination with cars and the automotive scene.
People often refer to the franchise as their 'guilty pleasure', but I'll happily admit I'm a huge fan. Watching the first movie at 10 years old blew my mind. Never before had I seen such a fantastic array of vehicles together in one movie, and I fondly remember almost wearing out my VHS copy of the original. I still have a huge poster of Paul's silver R34 Skyline from the second movie around the house somewhere.
Growing up, Paul Walker and Vin Diesel were the coolest guys on the planet for me. And 12 years on, I'd probably still stand by this remark.
Away from the big screen however, Mr Walker was a true car enthusiast. Not only having an enviable car collection himself, he would often participate in racing events and also co-owned a tuning shop in his native California.
As a fan already, knowing these facts made my admiration for Paul all the greater. I knew he wasn't just shooting 'car movies' for the paycheck - he was truly passionate about them.
Here's to you Paul, you left us way too soon.
I'll sign off this blog entry with a favourite video of mine, Paul taking a trip to the Mine's tuning factory in Japan:
We offer our deepest condolences to the families of Paul Walker and Roger Rodas. Stay safe out there folks.
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