Full Throttle Lives: The Cast of the Fast & Furious Franchise — Then and Now

Michelle Rodriguez (Letty Ortiz)

Michelle Rodriguez was a little-known actress when she got the role of Letty Ortiz, Dominic Toretto's girlfriend, in the first installment of Fast & Furious franchise. The girl was so well received by audiences that the creators realized there will be no sequel without her.

After Michelle's big break in The Fast and the Furious, Rodriguez starred in such films as Avatar and Resident Evil. The actress is often seen in various action films and thrillers. To this day, she continues to play the girl who makes Vin Diesel's character's heart beat faster. In real life, however, the actress is single.

Vin Diesel (Dominic Toretto)

The Fast and the Furious is not the first successful movie in Vin Diesel's portfolio. You may have seen him in Saving Private Ryan or Boiler Room, but it was the role of street racer Dominic Toretto that made the actor famous.

After the first film, the Hollywood studios started releasing more and more movies about street racing. And the fans were looking forward to the continuation of the original story. It is already impossible to imagine another actor in the role of Dominic, who reminds everyone the importance of family and friends. Diesel also tried his hand at voice acting. For example, he was the voice of Groot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Vin Diesel continues to star in the franchise, it was he who revealed the info about the upcoming release of the tenth film called Fast X. Consistency is his middle name, and he has been dating Mexican model Paloma Jimenez for over 14 years.

Paul Walker (Brian O'Conner)

Prior to the film, Paul Walker was known to audiences from his roles in Pleasantville and She's All That, but it was in The Fast and the Furious that he was able to showcase his acting skills.

He plays the role of an undercover agent who has come to respect the criminal Toretto. They went from sworn enemies to best friends, and it really appealed to audiences. Unfortunately, shortly after the premiere of Fast & Furious 6, Paul tragically died in a car accident.

However, the actor appeared in the seventh film, but not without the help of CGI — the thing is some of the scenes were already shot, while in others he was replaced by his brother, whose face was changed using computer graphics. Paul Walker left behind a daughter who is now all grown up. In October 2021, Meadow Walker got married — an event that touched many fans of the franchise — with Vin Diesel walking the girl down the aisle.

Jordana Brewster (Mia Toretto)

Jordana Brewster has been with the franchise since the very first film. She became an audience favorite as Dominic Toretto's sister Mia and Brian O'Connor's love interest. Despite the fact that Jordana became famous with the release of the film, she has also starred in other various projects, opening herself up to new roles.

However, the actress is not ready to say goodbye to the Fast & Furious series and is still starring in the sequels, while her colleagues on the set are no longer just colleagues. Jordana has long been married to producer Andrew Form, with whom she gave birth to two sons. And in September 2021, it was announced that she is engaged to businessman Mason Morfit.

Tyrese Gibson (Roman Pearce)

Tyrese Gibson was known to many as a singer, but in the 2000s he started his acting career.

In 2003, Tyrese joined the cast of 2 Fast 2 Furious to play Roman Pearce. Gibson's character was so loved by fans that it was no longer possible to imagine the heists and races without the wacky but funny guy. In between films, Gibson managed to release several albums and star in other successful movies such as Transformers, Legion and Annapolis. Nothing is known about the actor's private life.

Chris Bridges (Tej Parker)

Chris Bridges also first appeared in 2 Fast 2 Furious, where he played the technical expert and former racer Tej Parker, who constantly teased Roman. He returned to his role only in the fifth film — and immediately became a full member of the team.

Bridges continues to combine his acting career with writing music. He releases all his albums under the pseudonym Ludacris. In 2014, he married Gabonese model Eudoxie Mbouguiengue, with whom he is raising a daughter.

Gal Gadot (Gisele Yashar)

The role of Gisele Yashar, assistant to the villain Arturo Braga in the fourth part of the series was a successful debut for Gal Gadot.

In the movie, Dominic rescued the girl during a shootout, after which she joined the team and returned in subsequent installments of the franchise. Gadot traded the roaring engines for the DC universe when she portrayed the iconic Wonder Woman in 2017, claiming to be Hollywood's new sex symbol. But racing forever remains an important part of her life.