Paul Walker, best known for his role in the hit "Fast and the Furious" movies, died Saturday afternoon in a car accident in Santa Valencia, Calif. He was 40.
Walker leaves behind his daughter, Meadow Rain, who just celebrated her 15th birthday. Meadow's mother is his ex-girlfriend Rebecca McBrain, they are not married. The two reportedly split not long after their daughter's birth, back in 1999. Meadow reportedly moved from Hawaii to California to be closer to her father a couple of years ago.
More Pictures: Paul Walker with Meadow and Rebecca
Walker grew up Mormon but later converted to Christianity. He graduated from Village Christian High School. His humanitarian aid organization, Reach Out Worldwide, paid a visit to Haiti in the wake of the 2010 earthquake. The car accident happened while Walker was attending a charity event for Reach Out aimed at raising money for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Phillippines.
On Saturday evening, the actor's Twitter and Facebook accounts confirmed his death.
The actor's rep confirmed the sad news: "It is with a truly heavy heart that we must confirm that Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident while attending a charity event for his organization Reach Out Worldwide. He was a passenger in a friend's car, in which both lost their lives. We appreciate your patience as we too are stunned and saddened beyond belief by this news. Thank you for keeping his family and friends in your prayers during this very difficult time. We will do our best to keep you apprised on where to send condolences."
The actor's next film, "Hours," a drama about Hurricane Katrina, is due out Dec. 13.
Paul Walker's biography:
Born in California in 1973, Paul Walker made his big-screen debut in the 1986 horror spoof Monster in Your Closet. After appearing in several television shows in the 1990s, including Charles in Charge, Who's the Boss? and The Young and the Restless, Walker gained attention with a role in the 1999 film Varsity Blues, and his TV days were officially behind him. After working in teen movies such as She's All That and The Skulls.
Walker got his breakthrough role in 2001 with The Fast and the Furious, which would become his star vehicle and keep him busy through four sequels and a short prequel. The Fast and the Furious franchise established Walker as an action-film mainstay, and he went on to appear in several films in the genre, including Takers, Hours and Vehicle 19. Walker died in a car accident on November 30, 2013, at age 40.
At the time of his death, Walker was working on two upcoming films: Brick Mansions and Fast & Furious 7, both slated to be released in 2014.
