Vin Diesel broke down in tears at Cannes as he remembered his late friend and co-star, Paul Walker. Under the festival lights, the actor shared a heartfelt personal reflection. The moment came as The Fast and the Furious franchise marked a major milestone at the festival.
Vin Diesel gets emotional talking about ‘brother’ Paul Walker
As the credits rolled on a special midnight screening of The Fast and the Furious at Cannes, Vin Diesel grew emotional, recalling his late co-star Paul Walker, whom he called his brother. It was already a big moment when Cannes called the street racing film a “classic” 25 years later. But seeing his bond with his late friend on screen made it hit even harder.
“I pray that in your life, you can have a brother like Paul,” Diesel said. The actor paused to collect himself before speaking to the packed audience in the Grand Lumière Theatre. However, Vin Diesel wasn’t alone in the moment. Co-stars Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez, along with Walker’s daughter, Meadow, were in tears as the audience delivered a four-minute standing ovation.
“It’s so hard for me to watch it because there’s so many moments in this movie that you see, that I see differently,” the 58-year-old added. “The scene that you see, I see the moment Pablo told me he had a one-year-old daughter.”
Diesel closed his remarks by pulling Meadow Rain Walker in for a hug. He also shared something she had told him earlier that day. “She said, ‘I’m 27, and I’m watching this film that my father made at 27,’ and I thought, ‘How profound,’” the Riddick actor said. “Meadow has been such a source of strength, and I know he’d be so proud of you.”
As reported by Variety, the late-night screening ended on an emotional note. Diesel hit the Palais des Festivals red carpet at 11:55 p.m., working the Croisette crowd in a diamond-studded blazer embroidered with “Fast Forever” to mark the franchise’s end.
