Back on November 14th, I went to the Beverly Wilshire Hotel to speak to actor Paul Walker at the press day for his upcoming film Hours, an indie drama about a father who struggles to keep his newborn daughter alive in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. What most struck me about the nearly 45 minutes I spent chatting with him for our interview was that he was a reluctant movie star who placed importance on following his heart and doing things with merit and significance, fully appreciating the opportunities that he clearly felt like he really just fell into. It was one of the best interview experiences I’ve ever had, and he was one of the most gracious and honest people I’ve ever spoken to.
After sharing stories about what it was like to have been born and raised in the San Fernando Valley (he even asked me what hospital I was born in), the conversation got even more personal, with him telling me that being a good father was the most important thing to him, now that his 15-year-old daughter was living full-time with him, and how hard it was to find a good school that she could go to where she could make good friends. And he also told me about all of the physical injuries that he’s gotten, over the years, and all of the physical therapy that he’s had to do, as a result. It’s a really introspective, insightful interview that I think is worth checking out, if you want a glimpse into the kind of guy he was. Check out what he had to say after the jump.