Paul William Walker was an American actor. He is best known for his role as Brian O'Conner in the Fast & Furious franchise. Walker began his career as a child actor in the 1980s, gaining recognition in the 1990s after appearing in the television soap opera The Young and the Restless; he received praise for his performances in the teen comedy She's All That and the comedy-drama Varsity Blues (both 1999), and saw international fame by starring in The Fast and the Furious (2001).