Debuting in 2001, The Fast and the Furious franchise has become one of the most popular film series of all-time, and fans have Paul Walker to thank, in part, for making the series so successful.
However, in November 2013, Walker died after being involved in a tragic car accident. The beloved actor has been celebrated by his fans, family and co-stars in the years since his passing, and the Fast and Furious films continue to celebrate his legacy.
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In honor of Walker’s life and acting legacy, PopCulture.com is looking back at some his most high-octane moments as Brian O’Conner in the Fast and Furious franchise.
Buckle up, because Brian had some epic action scenes throughout the six Furious films he starred in.
Stare and Drive
Before the Fast and Furious franchise became about driving tanks down interstates and shooting rockets at the polar ice caps, it was about a group of guys getting paid to drive cars.
So, during 2 Fast 2 Furious, Brian’s memorable “Stare and Drive” scene was about as intense as it could get.
While trying to impress Monica (Eva Mendes), Brian went speeding down the road, his stare never breaking from her eyes. He continued to shift gears and go faster, but he never looked away. Viewers gasped as the light ahead of him turned red, but as you could’ve probably guessed, Brian stopped just in time.
The scene was completed by Roman (Tyrese Gibson) pulling up to talk smack about Brian, claiming that he taught his friend how to stare and drive.
Moving Train
While Brian might have worked hard to impress Monica, fans of the franchise knew there was only one true love for him, and he’d go to any length to keep her safe.
In Fast Five, the fifth installment in the franchise, Brian proved exactly how far he’d go to save Mia (Jordana Brewster).
Brian needed to get onto a speeding car to rescue Mia. Unfortunately, he was on a moving train. As we all know by now, things like that don’t matter, because Brian can do anything.
With zero fear, Brian jumped from the train to the car, saving Mia, and the whole day in the process.
Bus Hop
All the scenes we’ve shared so far are clearly awesome to watch, but not much tops Brian’s gravity-defying leap earlier in Furious 7.
After kicking ass and taking names on a high-security prison bus, Brian finds himself quickly speeding toward a cliff. To make matters worse, he’s locked out of the back of the bus, where the only quick exit is located.
Thinking on his feet, Brian races to the front of the bus, which is on its side by the way, and climbs out the door. Hanging over the cliff, Brian climbs up to the top of the bus just as it starts falling.
The hero runs as fast as he can, and leaps off of the bus at the last second. Luckily, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) is there with a car for him to grab onto.
After saving the day for everyone else in the past, it was finally time for someone else to save Brian for a change.
Brian Saves Roman
One thing Brian tends to do that a lot is save the day. In Fast Five, he stepped up for his old buddy Roman in a big way, rescuing him for what should have been certain death.
Roman was getting chased down by a tank on the interstate, because Fast and Furious, and it’s becoming clear that he’s not going to make it.
Just as the tank starts to tear apart Roman’s car, here comes Brian. This guy leaps over the median and out in front of the tank to give Roman somewhere to jump to. When Roman exits, the car is demolished.
As you watch through the Furious franchise, you’ll realize that there is no shortage of Brian saving his family.
Brian Blows His Cover
In this wild scene from the first Fast and the Furious film, Brian is forced to blow his cover in order to save the life of Vince, an old friend of Dominic’s.
He also, quite literally, blows his cover by launching off the top of his convertible in order to jump from the car to the semi-truck that Vince is trapped so that he can get him off of it.
The entire clip is very intense and only further proves how Walker was great at both action and drama.
Cars Don’t Fly
Paul Walker’s last film as Brian, Furious 7, was filled with numerous action scenes that had audiences on the edge of their seats, so it’s no surprise that two different moments in the movie made our list.
In the most talked-about scenes in the film, Dom (Dominic Toretto, as played by Vin Diesel) used a stolen car to jump between skyscrapers in Dubai. Yes, that’s not a joke, it’s really in the movie.
Dom and Brian speed through the high-rise and crash through the windowed walls, out into thin air. With Brian screaming, “Cars don’t fly,” an explosive hit the back of their car and propelled them into the next building.
Since jumping between two buildings wasn’t enough, Dom and Brian went for one more round after struggling to get the brakes to work.
Car Meets Boat
Not just a great Brian O’Conner moment, but maybe one of the most memorable moments from the entire franchise was when when Brian and Roman jumped from land onto a moving boat in a car.
Carter Veron, a vicious drug lord (played by Cole Hauser) is attempting to get away but Brian hops behind the wheel, jumps an old dock, and lands squarely in Carter’s escaping yacht.
He’s not completely incapacitated though, and begins to reach for a gun. Much to his dismay, he is quickly stopped by Monica Fuentes.
Fast Five – Opening Scene
Brian saved Dom quite a few times throughout the series, with one of the most dangerous coming in the very beginning of Fast Five.
While attempting to break Dom out of a prison bus, Brian and Mia lead a prison-break misson that goes according to plan in the most insane way possible.
At one point, Mia begins driving straight at the bus head-on, causing it to swerve and wobble. Brian than stops in front of it, forcing the bus to also break, but its momentum sends it rolling over Brian’s car, allowing Dom to get free.
Brian’s Prison Fight
Something alluded to earlier on or list, this short-but-brutal fight scene from Fast & Furious 6.
Brian has been imprisoned and finds himself threatened by Arturo Braga, a drug lord he had locked away.
Braga opens the door to Brian’s cell, allowing Brian to show Braga and his men just how good his hand-to-hand combat skills really are.
Naturally, he beats them senseless and walks away from the fight with a couple of scratches and bruises.
