Paul Walker’s daughter has paid tribute to the late Fast & Furious actor 12 years after his death. Meadow Walker, 27, remembered her dad with a series of pictures on Instagram posted on the anniversary of the car accident that killed him at age 40. “12 years without you... I love you forever,” the model captioned the post, which included pictures of her as a child blowing out birthday candles while her dad kneeled in front of her.
The influencer and philanthropist often honors her dad online since his untimely death in 2013. Meadow, who was 15 when he died, is the only daughter of Paul and his childhood sweetheart, Rebecca Soteros. The pair had an on-and-off relationship and co-parented Meadow until Paul’s death.
Vin Diesel, Paul’s Fast & Furious co-star and friend, also shared a tribute to Paul on Instagram Sunday. He captioned a picture of the two together, “Twelve years...Not a day goes by...Miss you.” In a second post, the actor wrote: “The universe keeps placing angels in my path. I know you are a part of it... a brotherhood eternal. Love you forever...”
Paul was being driven by professional racer Roger Rodas in his Porsche when they spun out of control and hit a concrete lamp post in Santa Clarita, California, on November 30, 2013. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
The tragedy sparked an outpouring of tributes throughout Hollywood for the actor, who played undercover cop turned street racer Brian O’Conner in six of the first seven movies in the Fast & Furious franchise. The actor made his final appearance in the 2015 film Furious 7, which was filming at the time of his death. Paul’s younger brothers, Cody and Caleb, stood in for the actor as body doubles to help finish scenes that were not completed before his death. The movie featured an emotional goodbye to Paul’s character, but Diesel hinted earlier this year that fans could see the beloved character again.
Fast X, the most recent installment of the series, featured a cameo of Meadow. She announced to her Instagram followers that her brief appearance as a flight attendant in the film came after she grew up on the sets of the iconic movies. “Thanks to my dad, I was born into the Fast family,” she wrote at the time. “I can’t believe now I get to be up there too. With those who have been around to see me grow up,” she continued. “I am so blessed to be able to honour my father’s legacy and share this with him forever.”
Earlier it was reported that Paul Walker had been preparing to turn his back on Hollywood before he tragically died in a car crash, his father has said. The Fast and Furious star had wanted to devote more time to his daughter Meadow, according to Paul Walker Sr. Speaking to the Mail Online ahead of the first anniversary of the 40-year-old’s death, Walker Sr said that his son didn’t really want to commit to future Fast and Furious films, in addition to three films in an Agent 47 series. He said: “Paul was planning on taking a break from starring in movies, and stepping away from Hollywood, to spend more time with Meadow.
“‘He was so proud of her, she is incredibly intelligent and beautiful, and Paul wanted to be there for her as she grew up.
“In fact, he would've swapped his Hollywood fame for the quiet life with Meadow. Paul wasn't big on fame and preferred to live modestly.”
He added that his son had regretted signing on for the Agent 47 franchise. "That was something he confessed to me he wished he hadn't done because he wanted to be with Meadow." Walker died on November 30, 2013 when the Porsche he was in hit a lamppost in Santa Clarita, just north of Los Angeles. Walker was a passenger in the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT owned and driven by his friend Roger Rodas, who was also killed when the car crashed and burst into flames.
The Independent