Profile of Fast and Furious star Paul Walker who has died aged 40

Paul Walker arriving for the premiere of Fast and Furious 6 at the Empire Leicester Square, London. Credit: PA

Paul Walker, star of ‘The Fast and the Furious’ films, died on Saturday in a fiery car crash in Southern California. The actor leaves behind a string of entertaining films.

The 40-year-old rode Fast And The Furious franchise to stardom, starring in all but one of the six action blockbusters, beginning with the first film in 2001.

The son of a fashion model and a sewer contractor, Walker grew up in a working class, Mormon Los Angeles household.

The oldest of five siblings, Walker's mother began taking him to auditions as a toddler. He was a child model from the age of two.

After a string of TV roles as a child in the 1980s, Walker made his feature film debut in the 1998 comedy Meet The Deedles.Supporting roles in the films Pleasantville, Varsity Blues and She's All That followed.

Walker is seen here reprising the role of Brandon Collins in The Young and The Restless:

His performance in the 2000 thriller The Skulls caught the eye of producer Neal H Moritz, who cast him in The Fast And The Furious as undercover police officer Brian O'Conner.

The seventh in the series began shooting in September, with a release planned for July. He also starred in the suspense drama Hours, a film that is set for release this month.

Walker is survived by his 15-year-old daughter.