Biography
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Paul Walker was born in Glendale, California to Paul
William Walker III (a retired sewer contractor) and
Cheryl Crabtree (a former fashion model); his paternal
grandfather, William Walker, was a Pearl Harbor survivor
and a Navy middleweight boxing champion, while his
maternal grandfather commanded a tank Battalion that
invaded Italy under General Patton during WWII. He has
two younger brothers, Caleb and Cody, and a younger
sister, Ashlie. Walker was raised a Latter Day Saint in
a conservative Mormon household, and says religion is
still a part of his life.
Walker grew up in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley and
attended Village Christian High School, graduating in
1991. During his late teen years, he was briefly
involved in a felony, although the charge has been
reduced and he has no criminal record. He attended
several community colleges and studied marine biology.
Paul Walker began modeling in the late 1980s. He began
his acting career with appearances in several low-budget
"B movies", including Monster in the Closet (1987) and
Tammy and the T-Rex (1994). In 1998, he starred in his
first widely released film, the critically-derided Meet
the Deedles, as well as the well-received Pleasantville,
playing a high-school basketball player opposite
Reese
Witherspoon. Between 1999 and 2001, Walker appeared
in a few notable films aimed at a teenage audience,
including She's All That and Varsity Blues.
His breakthrough came in 2001, when he starred opposite
Vin Diesel in the highly successful action film The Fast
and the Furious, which established Walker as a notable
film star and leading man. Consequently, Walker played
the lead role in a number of action-adventure films, the
most financially successful of which was 2 Fast 2
Furious (2003). His other 2001 film, Joy Ride, received
very positive reviews by critics. Walker was also
originally set to star in the film S.W.A.T. (2003), but
left the project and was replaced by Colin Farrell.
In 2002, Paul Walker was chosen by People Magazine as
one of the "50 most beautiful people in the world".
In February 2006, Walker starred in two films; Running
Scared, an action thriller, and Eight Below, an
adventure set in Antarctica. Eight Below, a
family-friendly Disney film, opened in first place at
the box office, grossing over $24 million during its
first four days. Walker filmed Running Scared in 2004,
wanting to participate in a darker-edged film; the
film's director, Wayne Kramer, has commented that the
film's character is closer to Walker's own personality
than any of his previous roles.
Walker is also currently filming a part in Flags of our
Fathers, a war movie directed by Clint Eastwood.
Paul Walker currently resides in Santa Barbara and
Huntington Beach, California, where he enjoys surfing.
He has a daughter, Meadow Rain (born January 28, 1999)
from a former girlfriend; she lives with her mother in
Hawaii. One of his close friends is actor Scott Caan,
who appeared alongside Walker in several films,
including Varsity Blues and Into the Blue. He also
formed a close friendship with Tyrese Gibson during the
filming of 2 Fast 2 Furious.
Walker is known to practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu video
clip. He enjoys traveling and has visited India, Fiji
and Costa Rica among others.
Paul Walker owns a Beagle, a Chesapeake Bay puppy and a
horse named Cowboy.