When asked what Paul Walker would have thought of his daughter honoring him like this, Vin Diesel said, "I think he's smiling at her performance."
Vin Diesel is carrying on Paul Walker's legacy one-quarter mile at a time.
He has not only continued to pay tribute to his late Fast and Furious co-star throughout the years, but he has also welcomed a new co-star for the franchise's most recent installment: Paul's daughter Meadow Walker. Meadow posted a cute picture of Diesel recently on Instagram before posing on the Fast X red carpet in Rome on May 12, where Diesel's god-daughter said emotionally, "I love you!"
Diesel shared that having her on the Fast X set was an emotional event for him, in an interview on the red carpet with E! News. Almost breaking down in the interview and holding back his tears, he said, "I am proud of the fact that she so beautifully wants to honor her father." Diesel added, "As a father, we hope that our children will want to honor us in that way."
Diesel shared what he thinks Walker would have thought of his daughter honoring him like this. He said, "I think he's smiling." The Marvel star continued, "I think he's smiling at her performance. I think he's smiling at not only her performance but at the fact that what he and I dreamed of—which was taking a saga to a 10th chapter—and to feel this love, the cherry on top is the fact that his daughter is a cameo."
Meadow was quickly embraced under Diesel's protective wing after Walker's passing. Meadow took peace in being a frequent visitor to her godfather's home while grieving the loss of her father. Diesel also loves Meadow unconditionally, sharing with Extra TV, “She takes good care of me… She's the first person on Father's Day to wish me Happy Father's Day. To see her with my children is one of the most beautiful things. There are moments when I see her playing with Pauline and it hits me so deep ‘cause I can only imagine what my brother sees when he sees that… I feel very protective. It goes beyond the movie.”
This is family, on and off the screen. ❤️ Meadow Walker is honoring her late father, Paul Walker, by making a cameo in Fast X: https://t.co/n7PK7Avmg0 pic.twitter.com/I058so4mlZ
— E! News (@enews) May 11, 2023
Meadow Walker, now Meadow Thornton-Allan, may have reached the summit of their emotional journey on October 22, 2021, when she married her longtime partner, Louis Thornton-Allan. Diesel took on the role that Paul Walker would have loved - escorting Meadow down the aisle - in a wedding film that captivated hearts across the world, and the happy godfather couldn't take his attention away from the young bride.
References:
https://extratv.com/2021/06/14/vin-diesel-talks-f9-plus-his-bond-with-paul-walker-s-daughter-meadow/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CsKbk1UILdF/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Ernesto S. Ruscio
