It was a family affair at Vin Diesel’s handprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood Wednesday, April 1. Supported by his gorgeous longtime girlfriend Paloma Jiménez and their children Hania, 7, and Vincent, 4, and another young family member, Diesel called fatherhood his “favorite role” as he addressed the crowd.
“I love my children so much,” added the dad, who announced the arrival of his third child, baby girl Pauline, on Facebook March 16. The newborn, named after his late costar Paul Walker, stayed home out of the L.A. heat.
Naming his daughter after Walker, who was killed in a car crash in November 2013, was a fitting tribute. “He was a part of so much in my life,” Diesel shared with fans on his Facebook page in November 2014. “After all, we were filming a scene in FF4 the day [Hania] was born, and he being the only one I told, encouraged me to go in and cut the umbilical cord. … He was an important part of my transition into fatherhood.”
Walker was also on Diesel’s mind after he posed for photos with his Fast and Furious castmates Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, Lucas Black, and Nathalie Emmanuel. “I don’t feel his absence today, that’s the irony, I feel he’s here today,” he said. “The whole objective of doing Furious 7 was to make him proud and something tells me he is going to be very proud.”
Later Wednesday night, Diesel, 47, returned to the TLC Chinese Theatre for the world premiere of Furious 7 where he introduced the action-adventure sequel. “This movie is more than a movie,” he told theatergoers. “You walk out of this movie and you appreciate everyone you love because you just never know when is the last day you’re going to see them.”