Vin Diesel shed tears at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in honor of his late Fast & Furious co-star Paul Walker.
On Wednesday, before a special screening of the first film “Fast” to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series, Diesel gave a moving speech about Paul, who died at age 40 in a car accident in November 2013.
“I pray that you have a brother like Paul in your life,” Diesel, 58, said through tears inside the Grand Lumière Theater.
Speaking in front of his co-stars Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez and Paul’s daughter Meadow Walker, Diesel admitted that watching the 2001 film was “hard” because of his fond memories of Paul, whom he still calls Pablo.
“There are a lot of moments in this movie where I see it differently than you see it,” he explained. “What you see is the moment Pablo told me he had a one-year-old daughter.”
Diesel then hugged his goddaughter Meadow and introduced her to the 27-year-old, who was 15 when her father died.
“This is the movie where brotherhood was introduced to our millennium by me and my brother Pablo. It was Meadow Walker who didn’t let me come here alone to represent that brotherhood,” he said.
Diesel added, “I’m going to shed a tear soon.”
The “Guardians of the Galaxy” actor finished his remarks by sharing what Meadow told him earlier in the day.
“She said, ‘I’m 27 years old and I’m watching this movie that my dad made when he was 27,’ and I thought, ‘How profound,'” Diesel said.
“Meadow was such a source of strength. He would be so proud of you,” he concluded.
Paul played Brian O’Connor in six Fast & Furious movies before his tragic death.
In 2015’s Fast & Furious 7, producers used CGI, doubles, and Paul’s brothers Caleb and Cody as stand-ins to give the late actor’s character a proper send-off.
Meadow, who Paul picked up along with ex Rebecca Soteros several years after her father’s death, made a cameo appearance as a flight attendant in 2023’s FastX.
At the Cannes Film Festival, Diesel expressed his excitement for Fast Forever, the 11th and final film in the series, scheduled for release in 2028.
“The only reason we have a ‘Fast’ finale in 2028… is because of each and every one of you who gave us your heart and your loyalty,” Diesel told the crowd at the screening.
“Each of you feels part of our family,” he continued. “Because of you, we must continue. You make us proud of you all.”
