It really is all about family in the Fast and the Furious film franchise, and with Fast X quickly approaching, the cast and crew are reflecting upon the beautiful journey they’ve taken together.
The next installment of the Fast story races into theaters on May 19, and the cast and crew are equally as excited as longtime fans – who can’t wait to see what’s next for our most beloved and loathed characters in the universe.
Ludacris, who plays Tej Parker, spoke with PopCulture.com about the experience of being part of this larger-than-life pop culture moment in entertainment history and what it means to love and lose some of the people closest to him. In all aspects of the film process and the coming together, something important happened — a family was born.
“I’m hoping that it’s come across that we are truly a family, as much as the media likes to make fun of how much we talk about family, it’s the truth. It’s organic.”
Paul Walker’s untimely and tragic death still sits in the hearts of those who loved him dearly and became his family in this Fast and the Furious universe, and he spoke on that as well.
“It’s hard, man, because Paul comes to mind – how much we miss him, but I think that even brought people closer together.”
He continued by saying that some of the best times for the family they built were times they all shared with Walker, and there’s a blessing in the fact that they so often still feel his presence with them.
“I just think our good times … [are] mixed in with just him … I think knowing that his presence is still felt, even with his daughter being with us. That is a hard one, but I would have to say [we’re] just continuing to remind people how great of an individual he is and through his foundation and through his family. …The legacy. It’s all about the legacy.”
Of course, it is never easy to love someone and lose them, and Walker’s absence continues to be felt by those who worked alongside him both in the Fast realm and outside of it, but having people like his daughter and brother so close is a blessing for everyone involved.
So yes, the media might make the Fast family the punchline of a joke, and memes might run rampant around movie releases about the overuse of the word “family,” but they’re truly part of one, and the unique way they picked one another to continue working with proves that friends are the family you choose, and we’re all lucky to be able to watch their story unfold with the chosen families that we’ve built, too.
Fast X hits theaters on May 19, and you won’t want to miss it.
