Vin Diesel Posts Emotional Tribute To Paul Walker On Late Actor’s 50th Birthday

“Fast and Furious” franchise alum Vin Diesel paid tribute to his late co-star and friend Paul Walker, who would have turned 50 on September 12. 

“A decade… ten long years… and yet it feels like yesterday when we were singing happy birthday to you for the big 40!” Diesel shared on Instagram alongside an old photo of himself with Walker. “The world isn’t the same brother… as a species, one might say we are struggling. But I think of you, and I smile and know everything is going to be alright.”

“I was going through images to celebrate this sacred day. Memories flashing before me, one better than the next… but I couldn’t get past this one,” he went on. Diesel explained how his son Vincent called that snapshot a “timeless photo… one that will live on for generations of humanity.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Vin Diesel (@vindiesel)

The actor went on to describe how the photo captured a moment before the two friends went to Haiti to assist with relief efforts following the 2010 earthquake. 

“For me, this picture represents the moment I knew we would be brothers for eternity,” Diesel went on. “January 2010, the night before you and I went to Haiti… the passion and joy you had to simply help people. You said first responders shouldn’t have to wait for anyone… and that you wanted to dedicate your life to that. First responders… that was your true self, and you were sharing it with me, your brother. Haha. To this day, I imagine if you looked up ‘first responder’ in the dictionary, there would be a picture of you.”

“So as much as I would like to think we would be cutting cake and singing happy birthday for the big 50… We probably wouldn’t… cause you would be in Maui or Morocco, or anywhere in this planet where people were in need,” Diesel wrote.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP

“I miss you… I love you, and I will continue to honor the beautiful soul you are,” the post concluded. “Happy Birthday.”

Walker died in a car accident at the age of 40 in November 2013.

The late actor’s daughter, Meadow Walker Thornton-Allan, also shared a photo of herself as a little girl with her dad on Instagram.

“Happy birthday to my guardian angel,” the 24-year-old model and actress wrote. “Thank you for your love, guidance, friendship, sunshine and for raising me to see all of the beauty in the world. You are the most kind, humble, generous and caring soul I know. You taught me at a young age to always treat everyone with respect, to do good and to take care of our planet. I love you and miss you every day.”