"Being a good actor isn't easy. Being a man is even harder. I want to be both before I'm done." - James Dean
Actor and philanthropist Paul Walker, who died Saturday in a car crash while attending a charity event held by his humanitarian aid organization, certainly achieved at both.
The 40-year-old California native and self-described "outdoorsman, ocean addict, adrenaline junky" saw a steady career trajectory, from Pampers commercials at age two to parts on TV classics such as Charles In Charge, Touched By An Angel, and Who's The Boss, to the silver screen with Varsity Blues, She's All That and, ultimately, as undercover cop Brian O'Conner in the Fast And The Furious series, which holds the title as Universal Studio's most profitable franchise and cemented Walker as a leading man. His next film, Hours, the story of a man and his infant daughter in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, is slated for release on December 13.
A man who wielded his celebrity with compassion and humility, Walker was deeply involved with Reach Out Worldwide, personally working on the ground in Haiti and Chile after their devastating earthquakes. ROWW is also active in the Illinois and Oklahoma tornadoes, as well as working to bring aid to the typhoon-devastated Phillipines. Walker's passion for cars wasn't just a character play - he did many of his own stunts in the Fast And The Furious series, and owned a stable of fast automobiles. The event he was attending on Saturday was a car meet and toy drive co-sponsored by Always Evolving, a race car shop and team he was invested in.
Walker is survived by his 15-year-old daughter Meadow Rain, who recently relocated to California to be close to him.
The Internet is rife with sensationalist depictions and dramatic images as outlets and blogs scramble to find an angle that will boost their traffic and capitalize on a tragedy, and this is to be expected. Beyond the fiery photos and lurid ledes pointing out supposed ironies, at the core of this is the passing of a 40-year-old in good health, a tragedy made more glaring by the shadow of a full life and barely tempered by the recognition that he died doing what he loved. For a man to be taken suddenly in his prime is never fair or easy, but he will long be remembered by his legacy and art, which both live on. Great is the life whose positive impact continues after the man has passed, and Paul Walker's is such a life.
Some remembrances from friends via social media:
