All of the “Fast & Furious” films revolve around the underground scene of fancy, souped-up foreign cars and the high-speed/high-stakes lifestyle of street racing. This scene would be strange, exciting, and a little intimidating for most people. But Paul Walker already felt fairly at home amongst those NOS-powered cars.
In a 2012 interview with IGN, Walker talked about his experience with street racing. Walker said he’d “always been into cars,” but his love was more for domestic than foreign cars, unlike the street racers in the film. However, when Walker attended real-life street races, he was still able to converse with the people there about their tricked-out Supras and Civics. “They appreciated the fact that I knew their cars, even though that wasn’t something that I was really into,” he explained. However, through his time working on the films and hanging out at street races, he gained an appreciation for both types of vehicles. “I haven’t necessarily been won over, but I appreciate both sides now,” he said.
But his time spent racing in the streets was more than just good fun. It also helped him prep for his role as Brian. “Basically, you’re selling a world as an actor, right? I mean it’s like any salesperson: if you believe in your product, you know your product, you sell it a lot better,” he said. “I really think you see that onscreen. I don’t care who the actor is, if he doesn’t know what he’s selling up there, you see right through it.” Thankfully for us, Walker knew his product well, and his role as Brian in the “Fast & Furious” franchise will continue to be one of his most convincing, and one of his best.