Back in the year 2001, The Fast and The Furious movie sped into theaters as the first movie in the wildly popular seven-film franchise. But 15 years ago, the first movie was a mere summer flick about fast cars and the people behind the wheel of them in the world of street racing. So, where is The Fast and The Furious cast now, in addition to working on the upcoming next chapter in the franchise, Fast 8? The first movie, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, helped launched the careers of many of its stars: Vin Diesel, the late Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, and others.
The first film was inspired by a 1998 article in Vibe magazine called "Racer X," which described a fast world of New York City street racers in speedy tricked-out Japanese cars. The Fast and The Furious took that world to the big screen — and moved the setting to Los Angeles, where Dominic's (Diesel) crew rules supreme and undercover cop Brian O'Conner (Walker) who is investigating their illegal activities. It's a thrill ride from start to finish — and I'm not just talking about the cars. The Fast and The Furious also has its share of romance, botherhood, and family themes, too.
Check out where the cast members are now below.
Vin Diesel
2017 will be a big year for this actor. In addition to starring in Fast 8, Diesel will provide the voice for the beloved Groot in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and he'll lead xXx: The Return of Xander Cage.
Paul Walker
In 2013, Walker tragically died in a car accident in Santa Clarita, Calif. Furious 7 was his last film and it was dedicated to his memory, along with the movie's song "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth.
Michelle Rodriguez
The actress stars in the movie Tomboy, a Revenger's Tale and she also appeared in an episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls last year
Jordana Brewster
It's been a busy year for this actress, who payed Denise Brown in FX's American Crime Story: The People V. O.J. Simpson and also appeared in Secrets and Lies. In the fall, she'll star in the Fox Lethal Weapon series, based on the '90s movies. From 2012 until 2014, Brewster starred on TNT's Dallas.
Rick Yune
This actor did not continue on in the Furious franchise, but has gone on to appear in Marco Polo, Prison Break, and the movie Olympus Has Fallen.
Ja Rule
I'm not kidding, the rapper was in The Fast and The Furious. After all, his deep voice and tunes practically owned the early 2000s. These days, Ja Rule has recently been released from prison after serving time for tax evasion. On Twitter, he announced that he has an album in the works called Coup De Grace and it will be his final album.
This summer, Ja Rule and Ashanti have teamed up for a tour singing their hit songs like it's 2001 all over again.
