Fallen Star: Paul Walker

Credited to mooshworld.com

Paul Walker, the blonde, blue-eyed star of the Fast and Furious film franchise, passed away on November 30, 2013. He, along with his friend and business partner Roger Rodas died while test-driving a Porsche during a charity event that was hosted and founded by the late Walker. Walker was 40 years old while Rodas was 38 years old. Walker left behind a daughter, 15 year old Meadow Walker.

Arguably, Paul Walker was best known for the Fast and Furious films. Ironically, it was also fated to be that a fast car took his life. When we think of Paul Walker, you can probably recollect that Paul is in the Fast and Furious films, that he’s a good-looking actor, and that he’s an all true-blue relatable American guy. Truth be told, he wasn’t the best actor around but he was present, in his many ensemble films such as said Fast and Furious, Into the Blue, Varsity Blues, and Pleasantville.

You didn’t hear of Paul Walker drawing any attention to himself by falling out of nightclubs or hooking up with the latest Hollywood starlet. Unlike other attention-grabbing celebs, Walker let his work do the talking for him while just focused on doing other things that interested him more such as his family, charity, and racing cars. Acting was just a side activity, a job like any other job. The only time you might hear a peep from Walker was when he actually had to promote his own film.

Credited to homorazzi.com

Hearing about reports of Walker from those closest to him and fans that had had the chance to meet him, Walker seemed like an absolutely nice guy. He treated his fans with respect, his co-stars, family and friends nicely. Though he was a movie star, he didn’t act like one. There was an incident in which it was recalled that while in a jewellery store, he overheard a Marine and his fiancé’ who couldn’t afford a ring, picked up the tab for said ring anonymously after exiting the store and calling up the store manager stating his intention. Truly a class act and just shows you what kind of man Walker was.

The fact that he started his own charity Reach Out Worldwide (ROWW) to help those affected by natural disasters and was willing to help out if ever there were any disasters, either in America or overseas spoke volumes about his character. Why did he do it? It was because he had the resources to and knew the right people; those who were closest to him; who could provide their expertise such as builders and doctors.

Walker seemed to prioritize other more important things in life. His daughter, who he had started to establish a relationship with after she moved to California to be near him, gave him a purpose. He managed to connect with her and find joy in fatherhood. You could also point out that there is less emphasis on his personal life, more on his personal and professional accomplishments.

Judging by the outpouring of grief to the reaction of Paul Walker’s death, it seemed that he was a well-loved man. Seeing his co-stars, past and present, as well as friends pay him tribute and expressing sorrow at his lost serves to know just how much of an impact he had had on their lives. The stories told by his fans on various sites serve to highlight how Paul had touched their lives; either through meeting him or through his films.

It’s always sad when a good person goes, but that’s the way life is. True, there are probably people who deserve to go sooner than Walker but everyone will get their due someday. All we can do is to remember Walker for all his good deeds and keep his memory alive through charitable activities; any charitable activities that he would’ve approved of. Rest in Peace Paul Walker.

* P.S: This video was recently released; a tribute to Paul Walker from his Fast and Furious family.