The Strange Way Vin Diesel Got His First Acting Role
One of the greatest parts of social media is the meme culture, and if you've been online in recent memory, chances are you've seen the "Family" memes. You know, the memes that lampoon Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto character from the "Fast & Furious" series and the franchise's unending desire to establish familial relationships. But nevertheless, Diesel's acting and lead role have remained an integral part of the franchise for over two decades. Outside of the series, the actor has also appeared in films such as Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" and the "xXx" series alongside Ice Cube.
As one of Hollywood's biggest stars, Diesel has amassed a wide resumé and a massive net worth. With a fruitful career in Tinseltown, real estate dealings, a music career (what can't Diesel do?!), the multi-hyphenate has established himself as one of Hollywood's hardest-working stars and his bank account speaks for itself. But before all that, Diesel actually came from a humble background that saw him work as a bouncer as he cut his teeth in the entertainment industry.
As a bouncer, Diesel told Men's Fitness (via Biography), "I must have been in more than 500 fights" during his near-decade-long bouncing career. Indeed, the star's imposing stature and grittiness arguably also earned him his rite of passage into Hollywood. He even had a gritty start getting into the acting business. So how exactly did Vin Diesel get into acting? Keep reading to find out!
A fateful act of vandalism changed Vin Diesel's life forever
Who hasn't done bad things as a child? Whether it's drawing on the walls with crayons or spilling your food on the floor, we've all certainly been there. But things were different for seven-year-old Vin Diesel, who seemingly thought vandalism would be a much more fitting crime. The California native, who moved to New York City at a young age, revealed to People in 2002 (via CNN) how he and some friends once broke into a theater in Greenwich Village with the intent to vandalize it. Little did he know that this act of childhood aggression would change the course of his life forever.
Upon getting caught by artistic director Crystal Field, Diesel told People he "thought she was going to call the cops. ... She said, 'If you guys want to play here, come every day at four o'clock and learn your lines,'" he further added, and the rest was history. Accompanied by $20 and a script for a play entitled "Dinosaur Door" (via Elite Daily), Field gave the seven-year-old Diesel a chance to prove himself to the acting world and he never looked back.
An undying belief in oneself fueled Vin Diesel to Hollywood greatness
Growing up, Vin Diesel was raised in the concrete jungle of New York City by his astrologer mother and a stepfather who, interestingly enough, was a drama teacher (via Elite Daily). And though Diesel is probably swimming in money at the moment, life wasn't always peaches and cream for the Goliath-sized actor. According to a 2002 report from People (via CNN), Diesel, along with his club bouncing gig, worked off-Broadway and moonlit as a lightbulb telemarketer. "I'd shop at the Gap, and if things got really hairy at the end of the month I could return the shirt," Diesel humbly revealed to the outlet.
Luckily, Diesel began making strides in Hollywood. Just one year removed from his "Fast & Furious" debut, he was cast in another Hollywood blockbuster: "xXx." Speaking to Entertainment Weekly at the time, Diesel mentioned that he's "always been certain that I was going to be a movie star ... Even as a kid I knew it." He then noted, "People keep asking if I've changed since becoming a celebrity. But I haven't changed because I've always thought I was a celebrity. It was the rest of the world that hadn't figured it out."