It ’s a dark yr for lover of Vin Diesel . Typically , the 48 - yr - older actor is the glistening , bald - headed centerpiece of at least one blockbuster a twelvemonth that roars through theaters , leaving a scorched course of destroy muscle cars , burned rubber , and monosyllabic one - liners in his wake . But besides a use in Ang Lee ’s award - look for war filmBilly Lynn ’s Long Halftime Walk , the muscle auto - loving star has no big projects come this summertime . block oil colour – we ’re in a Diesel dearth .
To help you allay your thirst for mingy tank top , confessional Facebook video , andsweet , sweet Coronas , we ’ve put together a list of surprising Diesel facts to hold you over untilFast 8speeds through field in spring 2017 . As Dominic Toretto would say , ride or die .
1. He changed his name when he was a bouncer in the ’80s
You probably take for granted Vin Diesel ’s tangible name was n’t Vin Diesel , right ? That would be alittletoo badass . change by reversal out his real name is Mark Sinclair , which is still middling badass . The name change take place when he wasworking at New York ’s renowned Chelsea nightclub , The Tunnel . So , if you were an asshole at The Tunnel , you might ’ve gotten kicked out by a young Xander Cage .
2. His mother was an astrologer, but she never did his chart
Diesel is a secret guy , so it ’s not surprising that his female parent was in tune with celestial movements . But did she give him any calling advice based on his sign ? " She said she was too close to me to do an unbiased chart , " he toldUSA Today . Damn , that ’s cold . She could ’ve warned him not to makeBabylon A.D. !
3. He got his first role in a play by vandalizing the theater
consort toan oft - repeated origin story , Mark Sinclair filch into a Greenwich Village theater with his brother and some friends , but was catch by the dramaturgy ’s artistic manager . or else of penalise the young hood , she offer the boys parts in a children ’s maneuver , a production of Barbara Garson’sThe Dinosaur Door . The moral here : crime pays .
4. He has a twin, but he doesn’t have crazy hair
Diesel has a fraternal twin bring up Paul , often affectionately consult to as " Brother Pablo " by Vin . obstinate to title made by gossip magazines , he ’s notthe guy who face like aMiami Vicevillain from this photo . That ’s not him ! Paul is theguy standing next to Paul Walker in this photoDiesel shared on his Facebook . Make sense ? Good .
5. He used to call his biceps his “kryptonics”
Hulk Hogan has pythons ; Vin Diesel has kryptonics . concord to a 2005 interview with Conan O’Brien , Diesel and his buddies used to come to to their grow biceps as " kryptonics , " a popular brand of skateboarding wheels . class subsequently , Diesel would give hisFurious 7co - virtuoso Tony Jaaan electric skateboard as a endowment . co-occurrence ? I think not .
6. He wrote the foreword to a book aboutDungeons & Dragons
By now , you know that Diesel is a fan ofDungeons & Dragons– that ’s deal in Diesel 101 . But did you know he ’s such a big sports fan that he indite the foreword toThirty Years of Adventure , a hardback retrospective book about the story of the secret plan . " Ironically , my first game was DM’ed by a puerility protagonist ’s mother , " Diesel writes . " She hosted a Sunday evening D&D campaign for the kid that live in the construction . " Heartwarming !
7. He got a fake tattoo of his Dungeons & Dragons character
If you take his essay in the D&D book , you ’d know that Diesel ’s lineament is named Melkor Tar Morloth , a name he soak up from J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Silmarillion . He hump Melkor so much that Xander Cage , his grapheme from the 2002 ’s extreme mutation action movieXXX , even had a Melkor tattoo across his belly . Long live Melkor .
8. And then he made a whole movie inspired by Melkor!
If you learn one matter from this list , it should be this : Diesel loves Melkor . Inan audience with HItFixhe break that 2015’sThe Last Witch Hunterwas make after a conversation with Cory Goodman , a screenwriter and fellow D&D musician . " Cory went off to writeThe Last Witch Hunterand was attempting to speak to [ my ] D&D character , " says Diesel . " But [ he was ] also set about to set it in a advanced time which is kind of fun because , how could a D&D - influenced literary genre live in a Bond - same cinematic domain ? " It turns out , the answer is very puzzling .
9. He pitched Street Sharks at a toy fair
Back in 1994 , Vin Diesel worked a bunch of odd gigs , one of which was serving asa pitchman for Street Sharks , a toy dog brand that looked like shivery Ninja Turtles on steroid hormone . As he allege in the video , it ’s Fin - tastic !
10. He has an insane amount of Facebook fans
With over 99 million the likes of , he ’s thethird - most - care celebrity on Facebook , falling behind only Shakira and Cristiano Ronaldo . What ’s Diesel ’s social medium secret?Dance videos . Lots and lots of dancing videos .
11. He bonded with Steven Spielberg over video games
When Steven Spielberg cast Diesel inSaving Private Ryanafter ascertain the untried actor ’s directorial debutMulti - Facial , he probably did n’t make he was casting a fellow gamer . " When I substantiate Steven Spielberg was enrol the game world unabashedly , somehow that gave me the ‘ unripe card ’ to launch a video secret plan company that would speak to a favorite interest – or one of my favorite pastime , " Diesel said inan interview from 2009 . A true modern Renaissance gentleman .
12. He traded his cameo inTokyo Driftfor the rights to Riddick
Melkor is n’t the only character Diesel is committed to . When he returned to theFast and Furiousfranchise for a cameo inThe dissipated and The Furious : Tokyo Drift , he was n’t paid in cash . Instead , hedemanded the studio give him the rightsto his character Riddick fromPitch BlackandThe Chronicles of Riddick , typeset the microscope stage for the sequelRiddickto issue forth out in 2013 .
13. He leveraged his house to getRiddickmade
FinancingRiddickalmost put him on the street . " I had to leverage my theater , " Diesel told theHollywood Reporterinan audience at the film ’s Los Angeles premiere . " If we did n’t finish the movie , I would be homeless . " Luckily , they end up the the film and Vin Diesel is not homeless … for now ! You never know when the Riddick expanded existence will call for another continuation .
14. He doesn’t watch TV
Do n’t ask Vin Diesel aboutGame of Thrones . accord toan interviewwithEsquire , the photographic film buff does n’t watch TV . He ’s believably too busy make picture history !
15. He loves looking at movie art
Some actors stomach the geekier aspects of filmmaking ; Vin Diesel savour them . When he decided to voice Groot inGuardians of the Galaxy , he wasswayed by the amazing construct artthat Marvel institutionalise him . His girl pointed at a picture of Groot and the ease was dweeb history .
16. He posted this amazing photo on Valentine’s Day
Vin Diesel ’s Instagram is for lovers .
17. His cousin is the rapper Kwamé
Kwamé was a rising virtuoso in the early ' 90s , grading hits with tracks like"The Rhythm"and"Oneovdabigboiz . “He ’s since transitioned into produce birdsong for other creative person and scoring films , but , really , he should work on bringingthe polka - dot trend back . ' 90s fashion is in now .
18. He was in an amazing break-dancing video
Kwamé is n’t Diesel ’s only hip - hop connection . He was also in a beautiful , body - moving falling out - dance video . This is what the internet was made for .
19. He once rapped over an Arthur Russell beat
Who knew there was a connection between Dominic Toretto and avant - garde disco king Arthur Russell ? You do now ! mind tothis trackwhere he visit himself " a man of steel " a crew of times . Vin had bars .
20. He had a record label
A spin - off of his moving picture product ship’s company , One Race Films , Racetrack Records was the home for creative person Diesel was looking to make handsome stars . deplorably , it appears the label’sweb domain is currently for sale . We know Diesel has some Orcinus orca freestyles he could record . Let ’s get that prog - rapChronicles of Riddick - inspired record album you know Diesel has in his head .
21. He also has a video game company
Tigon Studios helped developThe Chronicles of Riddick : Escape from Butcher Bay , a critically hail game that came out in 2004 , but the company has been pretty restrained since Diesel verbalise aboutreassembling the squad for another Riddick game in 2013 . Personally , I ’m wait for theA Man Apartvideo game too . All Diesel movies merit video biz adaption .
22. He gained 35 pounds for a Sidney Lumet movie
Most people know Diesel as the denudate king of natural action blockbuster , but he ’s got serious actorly dream too . He even had hair’s-breadth in 2006 ’s legal dramaFind Me Guilty , a movie he reach 35 Lebanese pound for byeating a quart of glass cream a day . Do n’t ever say Diesel is n’t attached to his craft .
23. Some people think he believes in chemtrails
Does Vin Diesel think in chemtrails , the popular conspiracy hypothesis about the abridgment trail left by planes ? Does he not ? Take a look atthis curious Facebook photo and label for yourself . And see forFast 18 : Chemtrails Driftarriving in theater in 2034 .
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Carlo Allegri/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty
NBC/YouTube
XXX|Revolution Studios
Tvdays.com/YouTube
chronicles of riddick|Radar Pictures
eliotsands/YouTube
One Race Films/YouTube
