Birth Name: Paul William Walker IV
Birthdate: September 12, 1973
Birthplace: Glendale, California
Occupation: Actor
Quote: "I'm not ready for a leading-man role yet anyway. I don't want the pressure of all those millions of dollars rising on my performance. I'm much more comfortable in the back seat right now." - The Dallas Morning News, January 30, 1999
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Claim to Fame:
Played high school basketball star Skip, in Pleasantville (1998)
Family:
Grandfather: William Walker (aka 'Irish' Billy Walker) , professional boxer
Father: Paul W. Walker, businessman; operates a general contracting firm
Mother: model
Brother: Caleb Walker; born 1977
Brother: Cody Walker
Sister: Ashlie Walker
Daughter: Meadow Walker; born 1999
Biography
Tall and athletic, with blond All-American good looks, Paul Walker made his big screen starring debut in Disney's "Meet the Deedles" (1998), making use of his background in surfing and various extreme sports for this movie chronicling the adventures of free-spirited twins mistaken for park rangers in Yellowstone National Park. That same year he had a featured role in "Pleasantville" as Skip, an earnest basketball player trapped in a black-and-white sitcom world who quickly converts to color with 1990s girl Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) as his missionary. His classic jock-next-door look made him well suited for this part, as well as his role in the box-office success "Varsity Blues" (1999). As football quarterback Lance Harbor, the actor did a fine job of tracing the fall of the injured local hero who has little left when his high school football career is sidelined. Next he appeared as Freddie Prinze Jr's callous friend and rival in "She's All That" (also 1999). Walker turned in an impressive comedic performance as a popular creep who refuses to forget a bet he makes with school golden boy Zack (Prinze) to turn awkward, unpopular Laney (Rachael Leigh Cook) into the prom queen, even as it becomes obvious that Zack is falling for her. He would also be seen that year as Claire Danes' boyfriend in the drama "Brokedown Palace", in which Danes and Kate Beckinsale play Americans imprisoned in Thailand for drug smuggling.
Filmography
The Fast and the Furious (2001)
Joy Ride (2001)
The Skulls (2000)
Varsity Blues (1999)
She's All That (1999)
Pleasantville (1998)
Meet The Deedles (1998)
Tammy and the T-Rex (1994)
Factoids:
Played regular role of Jeremy, son of Diana Canova's divorced record-company employee on the syndicated sitcom Throb (1986-1987)
Education:
Attended "nearly every community college in Southern California" over a two year period; briefly studied marine biology
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