Vin Diesel and Paul Walker Interviews
Pyroradio.com: Why did you decide to return to this franchise?
Vin Diesel: Probably because of the good response I got to the cameo I did in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, as it proved to me that the audience had embraced my character and was hungry for more. So, essentially I returned to pay homage to Dominic Toretto.
Pyroradio.com: What was you main concern?
Vin Diesel: My main concern and the question I asked myself was: “Am I sacrificing any of my integrity by doing this?”
Pyroradio.com: You have always been a script-orientated actor. What did you need to have in this one that justified Dominic Toretto’s return and helped you embrace him again?
Vin Diesel: Universal was very supportive in putting together a script that truly offered a sequel to the first film and dealt with its issues.
Pyroradio.com: Do you regret not having gone back to that character earlier?
Vin Diesel: Not at all, because I made other choices and wasn’t ready to jump back into the character too quickly.
Pyroradio.com: Have you all changed much?
Vin Diesel: Well, the landscape for us has changed, because we were young rebels then; but now we are starting to get a bit over the hill, quiet frankly. We have grown up, and the key was: How do you make a film about young rebels when you are not a rebel or even that young anymore? The answer to that question was the trick to getting this new movie right.
Pyroradio.com: And, as a producer, was it hard to bring everybody back?
Vin Diesel: It was the number one hat trick to bring everybody back! And the way we achieved it was by creating a good story that would make everybody’s return compelling.
Pyroradio.com: Because you had to get everybody back.
Vin Diesel: Yes, we had to, and also bring back as much of that original flavor possible, while allowing for something new.
Pyroradio.com: And how do you see Paul, Jordana and Michelle now?
Vin Diesel: These are guys that have grown up, gone on with their lives and, most important of all, endured this industry for 8 years. And that’s a pretty powerful thing! I remember sitting with Paul years ago at an airport in Mexico when nobody knew us yet and talking with him about how that reality would change. It’s interesting to see how we have all coped with that change of reality and how that affects our opportunity to return to a franchise we have all waited to come back to until the moment was right.
Pyroradio.com: How do you believe the franchise has evolved?
Vin Diesel: I think we were able to reshape the genre within the same franchise.
Pyroradio.com: Is it true that you directed a short film that also develops the story?
Vin Diesel: Yes, they asked me to direct a short movie called Los Bandoleros that bridges the first film with this one, and I did it! It was something we weren’t really paying that much attention to until we actually went ahead and shot it.
Pyroradio.com: What more can you tell us about Los Bandoleros?
Vin Diesel: I shot it in the Dominican Republic and I think it will clarify what Dominic has been doing in between these two films.
Pyroradio.com: And what do you think Justin Lin has brought to the franchise as a director?
Vin Diesel: Justin did his training for this film on The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, where he got to experiment with every aspect about shooting fast cars in action sequences. So, he was primed and ready to take on the challenge of applying all that knowledge to the story that started in the original movie. I love Rob Cohen, and I’m going to work with him again, but I think Justin Lin really held his own ground on this picture.
Pyroradio.com: What was the shoot like?
Vin Diesel: It was great; we had a very good experience on set throughout the whole shoot.
Pyroradio.com: How did you select the right cars for the movie?
Vin Diesel: We have always tried to find cars that match the personalities of the different characters in the film.
Pyroradio.com: What kind of cars do you like?
Vin Diesel: I am a muscle car kind of guy, and I have always been consistent about that.
Pyroradio.com: Did you have to go to a special car school to prepare your role?
Vin Diesel: Yes, and not just because of the driving, but also to achieve what the cinematographer and the director needed to get the shot right –like doing a 360 into the camera without wiping out the whole crew!
Pyroradio.com: Does fear affect you when you are behind the wheel?
Vin Diesel: I think I get such a charge doing it, while surrounded by the best stunt guys, that they are more often than not actually trying to hold me back. I like it too much to be self-conscious about that fear.
Pyroradio.com: But has the experience of being a father changed your approach towards danger?
Vin Diesel: Yes it has, because you are definitely not thinking only about your own threshold of danger once you have a kid. I have to take into consideration now every single thing I do. And that isn’t limited only to stunts, but to all my work. A child changes your outlook on everything in life.
Pyroradio.com: And your daughter was actually born during the shoot.
Vin Diesel: Yes, I had her doing the shoot, close to the end of the film; but I kept the news under the radar because I didn’t want it to affect my family. Then I wanted to be home every second to watch everything she did!
Pyroradio.com: You sound like a changed man.
Vin Diesel: I have always been a kind of stoic and independent person that never needed anyone, but now I find myself addicted to this little angel.
PAUL WALKER
Pyroradio.com: How does it feel to be back?
Paul Walker: I was looking forward to going back and hanging out with my friends. So, when the studio and Vin asked me to come on board I thought: “Why not?”
Pyroradio.com: Did you have any concerns?
Paul Walker: My main was concern was that I wasn’t too sure if there was still an audience for the film, as it had been several years since we did the first one, but the studio was optimistic.
Pyroradio.com: And there certainly is an audience for Fast & Furious!
Paul Walker: Yes, it has been received really well, and the overall interest to see the movie is actually higher than ever! They definitely know what they are doing.
Pyroradio.com: How has your character evolved from the last time we saw him?
Paul Walker: At the beginning of the movie we see that he is working for the F.B.I. and not happy, because he has become old and boring. He is pushing pens and caught up in all the politics that he never really bought into to begin with. And he misses racing.
Pyroradio.com: Once a racer always a racer…
Paul Walker: I think so. Once it’s in your blood, forget about it!
Pyroradio.com: Do you enjoy speed too?
Paul Walker: I love speed: cars, bikes, fast boats… I like anything that has to do with exhilaration.
Pyroradio.com: And how else are you similar to your character?
Paul Walker: It’s funny, because I had stepped away from making movies for a while, so my life was also quieter before working on this new film -kind of like my character’s.
Pyroradio.com: Is Brian trying to regain Dominic’s friendship now?
Paul Walker: I think that, more than anything, he just wants Dominic to say: “Hey man, no hard feelings. It’s all good!” But at first he is very reluctant to allow him back, because Brian was deceitful and broke his heart. So, my character has to prove himself worthy.
Pyroradio.com: How does the story pick up the rest of the characters from the original film?
Paul Walker: I gave Dominic that car at the end of the first movie and he’s been running away from the Law ever since -hiding out in Mexico and in the Dominican Republic- but has managed to maintain his relationship with Letty. And, if you remember, his sister Mia wanted to be a doctor. Well, she is one now!
Pyroradio.com: Fast & Furious also reunites the original cast. Starting with Vin Diesel, how do you see him now?
Paul Walker: Vin is a huge movie star. He always knew he would make it and I respect that about him. We both have different approaches towards life and come from two opposite ends of the spectrum, but I think that’s precisely why we work and get along so well together.
Pyroradio.com: His character makes a perfect match with Letty, played by Michelle Rodriguez.
Paul Walker: I have always loved Michelle’s spirit! She sort of beats to her own drum.
Pyroradio.com: And what was Jordana Brewster like to work with again?
Paul Walker: Jordana is a true sweetheart and hasn’t changed at all. Like Michelle, you can see that she is beautiful, but what’s not so obvious about her -and the rest of them- is what she has going on inside. That’s why I feel so strongly about them all.
Pyroradio.com: In 2001 Rob Cohen directed The Fast and the Furious, followed a couple of years later by John Singleton’s 2 Fast and 2 Furious. Justin Lin shot the third film, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and has just completed this new Fast & Furious. Being a friend and admirer of Cohen, do you think the franchise is in good hands?
Paul Walker: I love Rob and call him my “movie Dad.” I always go to him for advise, as he is a good friend and has been through a lot. So, coming back was bittersweet for me because I knew he wasn’t attached to the project; though I had heard Justin Lin was a great guy, and he did a good job with the third. I had some reservations, but I sat down with him and within 30 minutes reached the conclusion that he was awesome.
Pyroradio.com: How did Justin win you over?
Paul Walker: It’s his personality, because he is such a good guy! He comes from a really humble background and has that “family first” mentality that I firmly believe in. His family immigrated here and worked very hard, and he hasn’t forgotten it. Justin is the American Dream.
Pyroradio.com: And what is he like as a director?
Paul Walker: He is fair, considerate and very collaborative. Justin Lin is like the captain of a basketball team (a sport that he loves) that knows how to pass the ball and figure out the best way to win. And his work ethic is unlike nobody else’s! There were days I was worn out, but Justin just has a way of maintaining the healthiest attitude. He is one of my favorite people in Hollywood, and I like his energy a lot.
Pyroradio.com: Speaking of energy, how much action does the film have?
Paul Walker: Insane amounts of action! And the majority of it was shot without CGI. It was all real driving!
Pyroradio.com: Did you get to do some of the driving yourself?
Paul Walker: Not much, because I guess they couldn’t afford me getting hurt, but the day I got to do some stuff with the car I was like a kid in a candy store. That was my favorite day of work.
Pyroradio.com: What should the public expect from Fast & Furious?
Paul Walker: For me, this movie is about having a good time, and that’s what they should expect -to enjoy themselves and have a lot of fun!
FAST AND FURIOUS IS OUT APRIL 10TH
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