Celebrities | Pop Culture | 00s | 90s
Freddie Prinze Jr. Gets 'Choked Up' While Talking About His Late Friend, Paul Walker
Freddie Prinze Jr. was one of the biggest heartthrobs of the 90s and early 2000s. While he hasn't been in the spotlight as much as he used to be, everyone still loves him.
The actor is well known for his iconic teen-hits like She's All That and I Know What You Did Last Summer, as well as his countless Teen Beat covers. He was actually taking a moment to discuss his former costar, Paul Walker, who passed away in a tragic accident in 2013.
Walker was in the movie She's All That with Prinze Jr., and their bond seemed to start right away. Walker played Prinze Jr.'s best friend in the movie who likes to cause some trouble. While their character's relationship was strained, the actors in real life got along great. The actor shared a story about his first meeting with Walker, and how he made sure that he would get the job.
Prinze Jr. was at Walker's first audition, but he didn't have the authority to offer him the job. He did however do his best to make it clear that he was the best choice.
He said, "When Paul came into audition, I didn’t have cast approval, but I had what they called consultation. I knew Paul was the right guy, and when he finished the audition, I asked if I could excuse myself to go to the bathroom. I ran outside where his car was parked. I said, ‘Hey man, you’re gonna get this job.’"
Freddie Prinze Jr. then took it a step further, not just letting him know he was the top choice, but actually giving him a little insider information...
When Freddie Prinze Jr. caught up to Walker, he told him he was getting the job. That's probably not advisable by most casting directors, but he didn't stop there.
He said, "They didn’t pay us anything. It was a small movie. [I said to Walker], ‘They’re gonna offer you $25,000, they have $75 in the budget. Don’t say no.’”
Prinze Jr. didn't realize how much of an impact that had on Walker until after he passed away. He learned years later that what he did meant a lot to him. Prinze Jr. got emotional when he said, “I heard, years later, after he passed away, that he had told his brother and his mom that story. To hear that, that meant a lot to him to share that. I loved that there was still that connection there,"
He explained why he felt like he needed to step in and let Walker know he was the best choice. He said, "As an actor, you don’t want guys to suffer if they don’t have to. Right? You’re like, ‘Dude – you got the part!’ He was a good dude.”
He isn't the only one of the She's All That cast to discuss how much a good guy Paul Walker was. Recently Rachael Leigh Cook spoke up about how good of a person Walker was, while also being a great actor.