Steven Spielberg Changed Fast And Furious Star Vin Diesel’s Life With $485M Movie
Vin Diesel’s real-life story is extensively the one with many ups and downs. Hollywood’s now acclaimed actor, popular as Fast & Furious‘s Dominic Toretto, was once struggling to embark on his journey as an actor. Born as Mark Sinclair Vincent, Vin Diesel got his breakthrough role in Steven Spielberg’s 1998 epic war film alongside Tom Hanks.
Before donning the role of a tough guy, Vin Diesel had a humble beginning when he took inspiration from his own life, writing and starring in a 1994 short film titled Multi-Facial, which narrated the story of a multiracial actor. However, his cinematic career kicked off towards success after landing a role in Steven Spielberg’s war drama film Saving Private Ryan.
With this turning point, Vin Diesel started getting credible roles. One such role came in 1999 when he lent his voice to the titular character in the cult animated movie The Iron Giant. Other blockbusters include the Fast & Furious franchise, The Pacifier, The Chronicles of Riddick, and xXx.
How Vin Diesel landed a pivotal role in Saving Private Ryan
The action star Vin Diesel won the heart of director Steve Spielberg through his film Multi-Facial. The role offered by Spielberg in Saving Private Ryan may have been small, but it made a great impact speeding up the career of Diesel. Starring as Private Caparzo in the war movie was definitely a head start for Diesel.
After spotting Vin Diesel’s power-packed performance in Multi-Facial, Spielberg was firm in casting him in his movie, and the rest became history. The significant role in Saving Private Ryan further cemented Diesel’s career as an established actor in the entertainment industry.
The 56-year-old action icon recounted his encounter with Spielberg in an interview (via The National) and said:
“He had said to me, ‘When I wrote the role for you in ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ I was obviously employing the actor, but I was also secretly championing the director in you, and you have not directed enough. That is a crime of cinema and you must get back in the directing chair.’ I haven’t directed enough.”
What inspired Vin Diesel to start his career as a filmmaker
The Fast & Furious actor further explained why he chose to dive into the arena of filmmaking. After the constant letdowns in auditions and being unable to get any pivotal role, Vin Diesel pondered to start making films on his own.
He drew inspiration from his life struggles and started with his first film Multi-Facial in 1995, which was a semi-biographical short film, followed by his debut feature Strays in 1997.
Vin Diesel was grappling with financial problems while working as a telemarketer before he turned to filmmaking as a last resort. However, a call from director Steve Spielberg changed everything overnight for Diesel.
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Remembering the fortunate life-changing experience, in an interview (via Los Angeles Times) Diesel said:
“He asked me to meet him on the set of ‘Amistad.’ And I remember thinking, ‘How should I look?’ He’s writing a role for me based on my being a director, so what do I do here? And what was I going to say to him? I promised myself I wouldn’t say something he’s probably heard a thousand times, like, ‘I’m a big fan of your work.’ And, lo and behold, I get in front of him and he says, ‘I’m a fan of your work,’ and I say, ‘I’m such a fan of your work.”
Vin Diesel is currently prepping for his next – Riddick: Furya, the fourth installment of The Chronicles of Riddick franchise as announced in February this year.
Source: The National and Los Angeles Times
