Vin Diesel

Cast · Director · Writer

Born

July 18, 1967 · Alameda County, California, USA

Birth name

Mark Sinclair

“My mom used to say that I became a fighter and a scrapper and a tough guy to protect who I am at my core”. Vin Diesel is an American actor, producer, director and screenwriter known primarily for his role as Dominic Toretto in the Fast and Furious franchise, and his role as Richard Riddick in The Chronicles of Riddick trilogy. He began his career independently, writing, directing and starring in short and low-budget films. His short film Multi-Facial (1994) was selected for the Cannes Film Festival in 1995. His first feature film was Strays (1997), which he wrote, directed, produced and starred in. Vin Diesel gained recognition for his role in the war film Saving Private Ryan (1998) directed by Steven Spielberg, who saw his short film at Cannes and decided to cast him. He later achieved international fame with his performance in the science fiction film Pitch Black (2000), where he played the character Riddick. This character became an icon and was the protagonist of two sequels that completed the trilogy. Vin Diesel also starred in Fast and Furious (2001), alongside Paul Walker, as a street racer, and it was this role that propelled him to stardom. In addition, he has also lent his voice to the character of Groot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, specifically in Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequels, as well as in the Avengers films. During his career, he also participated in films such as: xXx (2002), The Pacifier (2005), among others. Noted for his imposing voice, physique and charisma, he became one of the most recognized action stars in Hollywood.