Mark Sinclair | VIN DIESEL | Biography
Vin Diesel, Mark Sinclair, is an American actor and film producer known for his role as Dominic Toretto in the Fast & Furious franchise. He started his career in 1990 but gained recognition after writing, directing, and starring in the short film Multi-Facial (1995) and his debut feature Strays (1997). Steven Spielberg noticed Diesel and cast him in Saving Private Ryan (1998). Diesel became known as an action star through his roles in the Fast & Furious, XXX, and The Chronicles of Riddick franchises.
He also voiced Groot I and Groot II in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and reprised the role in various projects. Diesel found success in the comedy film The Pacifier (2005) and received praise for his portrayal of Jackie DiNorscio in Find Me Guilty (2006). He founded One Race Films, a production company, as well as Racetrack Records and Tigon Studios, a video game developer where he provided voice and motion capture for their releases.
Early life
Vin Diesel, originally named Mark Sinclair, was born on July 18, 1967, in Alameda County, California. He moved to New York City with his twin brother and was raised by his white mother and adoptive African-American father. Diesel has described his ethnicity as ambiguous and believes his parents’ relationship would have been illegal in some parts of the United States due to anti-miscegenation laws.
He began his acting career at a young age, making his stage debut in a children’s play and later getting involved with the Theater for the New City in New York. He attended Hunter College, where he studied creative writing and started screenwriting. While working as a bouncer at a nightclub, he adopted the stage name Vin Diesel, derived from his mother’s last name, Vincent, and a nickname given to him by friends.
Career
Vin Diesel’s career had a slow start, but he took matters into his own hands by creating his own short film, “Multi-Facial,” which gained attention and was screened at the Cannes Festival in 1995. He worked various jobs, including being a bouncer and telemarketer, to support himself. In 1997, he wrote, directed, and starred in his first feature film, “Strays,” which was selected for the Sundance Festival. Steven Spielberg noticed Diesel’s talent after seeing him in “Multi-Facial” and cast him in a small role in the acclaimed film “Saving Private Ryan” (1998). Diesel also provided the voice for the title character in the animated film “The Iron Giant” (1999).
Diesel achieved breakthrough success with leading roles in “Pitch Black” (2000) and two box office hits, “The Fast and the Furious” (2001) and “XXX” (2002). He decided not to reprise his roles in the sequels but chose to continue playing Riddick in “The Chronicles of Riddick” series, which did not perform well commercially. Diesel showcased his versatility by taking on a lighthearted role in the successful comedy film “The Pacifier” (2005). He also portrayed real-life mobster Jack DiNorscio in the film “Find Me Guilty” (2006), receiving critical acclaim despite the film’s poor box office performance. In the same year, Diesel made a cameo appearance in “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.”
Personal life
Vin Diesel values his privacy and prefers not to share personal details publicly, following a code of silence similar to iconic actors such as Harrison Ford and Robert De Niro. He dated his Fast & Furious co-star Michelle Rodriguez around 2001. Since 2007, he has been in a relationship with Mexican model Paloma Jimenez, and they have three children together. One of their daughters is named Pauline in honor of Diesel’s late friend and co-star, Paul Walker.
Diesel is also the godfather of Walker’s daughter, Meadow. He shares a close friendship with Tyrese Gibson, another Fast & Furious co-star. Diesel is recognized for his deep voice, which broke around the age of 15, and he often uses it for his acting performances. He is a devoted fan of Dungeons & Dragons and has written the foreword for a book celebrating the game. Diesel has a strong connection to the Dominican Republic, appreciating its multicultural aspects, and has worked on film productions in the country.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1990 | Awakenings | Orderly | Uncredited |
1995 | Multi-Facial | Mike | Short film Writer, director, producer |
1997 | Strays | Rick | Writer, director, producer |
1998 | Saving Private Ryan | Private Adrian Caparzo | |
1999 | The Iron Giant | The Iron Giant | Voice |
2000 | Boiler Room | Chris Varick | |
Pitch Black | Richard B. Riddick | ||
2001 | The Fast and the Furious | Dominic Toretto | |
Knockaround Guys | Taylor Reese | ||
2002 | XXX | Xander Cage | Executive producer |
2003 | The Turbo Charged Prelude for 2 Fast 2 Furious | Dominic Toretto | Uncredited; Short film, Archive footage |
A Man Apart | Sean Vetter | Producer | |
2004 | The Chronicles of Riddick | Richard B. Riddick | |
The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury | Voice; Short film | ||
2005 | The Pacifier | Lieutenant Shane Wolfe | |
2006 | Find Me Guilty | Jackie DiNorscio | |
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift | Dominic Toretto | Uncredited; Cameo | |
2008 | Babylon A.D. | Hugo Cornelius Toorop | |
2009 | Fast & Furious | Dominic Toretto | Producer |
Los Bandoleros | Short film Writer, director, producer | ||
2011 | Fast Five | Producer | |
2013 | Fast & Furious 6 | ||
Riddick: Blindsided | Richard B. Riddick | Short film Voice | |
Riddick | Producer | ||
2014 | Guardians of the Galaxy | Groot | Voice |
2015 | Furious 7 | Dominic Toretto | Producer |
The Last Witch Hunter | Kaulder | ||
2016 | Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk | Shroom | |
2017 | XXX: Return of Xander Cage | Xander Cage | Producer |
The Fate of the Furious | Dominic Toretto | ||
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | Groot | Voice | |
2018 | Avengers: Infinity War | ||
Ralph Breaks the Internet | Voice; cameo appearance | ||
2019 | Avengers: Endgame | Voice | |
2020 | Bloodshot | Ray Garrison / Bloodshot | Producer |
2021 | F9 | Dominic Toretto | |
2022 | Thor: Love and Thunder | Groot | Voice |
2023 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 | ||
Fast X | Dominic Toretto | Producer |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2019, 2021 | Fast & Furious Spy Racers | Dominic Toretto | Voice (4 episodes); Executive producer |
2022 | I Am Groot | Groot | Voice (5 episodes) |
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special | Voice; television special | ||
TBA | Ark: The Animated Series | Santiago Da Costa | Voice; in-production; Executive producer |
Video games
Year | Title | Voice | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay | Richard B. Riddick | |
2009 | Wheelman | Milo Burik | |
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena | Richard B. Riddick | ||
2020 | Fast & Furious Crossroads | Dominic Toretto | |
2022 | Ark 2 | Santiago Da Costa[58] | Also executive producer |
Theme park attractions
Year | Title | Role | Venue |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | Fast & Furious: Supercharged | Dominic Toretto | Universal Studios Hollywood |
2018 | Fast & Furious: Supercharged | Dominic Toretto | Universal Studios Florida |
Singles
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
“Feel Like I Do” | 2020 | Non-album singles |
“Days Are Gone” |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1999 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Cast | Saving Private Ryan | Nominated |
1999 | Online Film Critics Society Award | Best Cast | Saving Private Ryan | Won |
2001 | Blockbuster Entertainment Award | Favorite Actor | Pitch Black | Nominated |
2002 | MTV Movie Award | Best Male Performance | The Fast and the Furious | Nominated |
2002 | MTV Movie Award | Best On-Screen Team | The Fast and the Furious | Won |
2002 | Black Reel Award | Best Actor | The Fast and the Furious | Nominated |
2003 | MTV Movie Award | Best Male Performance | xXx | Nominated |
2003 | Teen Choice Award | Choice Movie Actor: Drama/Action Adventure | xXx A Man Apart | Nominated |
2004 | Spike Video Game Award | Best Performance by a Human Male | The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay | Nominated |
2005 | Teen Choice Award | Choice Movie Actor: Comedy | The Pacifier | Nominated |
2005 | Golden Raspberry Award | Worst Actor | The Chronicles of Riddick | Nominated |
2005 | Video Software Dealers Association Award | Male Star of the Year | The Chronicles of Riddick | Won |
2009 | Spike Video Game Award | Best Performance by a Human Male | The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena | Nominated |
2009 | MTV Movie Award | Best Male Performance | Fast & Furious | Nominated |
2010 | People’s Choice Award | Favorite Action Star | Fast & Furious | Nominated |
2011 | CinemaCon Award | Action Star of the Year | Fast Five | Won |
2011 | Teen Choice Award | Choice Movie Actor | Fast Five | Nominated |
2012 | Image Award | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Fast Five | Nominated |
2012 | Black Reel Award | Best Cast Ensemble | Fast Five | Nominated |
2012 | People’s Choice Award | Favorite Action Star | Fast Five | Nominated |
2013 | Teen Choice Award | Choice Movie: Chemistry | Fast & Furious 6 | Nominated |
2014 | People’s Choice Award | Favorite Action Movie Actor | Fast & Furious 6 | Nominated |
2014 | MTV Movie Award | Best On-Screen Duo | Fast & Furious 6 | Won |
2015 | Phoenix Film Critics Society | Best Cast | Guardians of the Galaxy | Nominated |
2015 | Teen Choice Award | Choice Movie Actor: Action | Furious 7 | Won |
2015 | Teen Choice Award | Choice Movie: Chemistry | Furious 7 | Nominated |
2016 | People’s Choice Awards | Favorite Movie | Furious 7 | Won |
2016 | People’s Choice Awards | Favorite Action Movie | Furious 7 | Won |
2016 | People’s Choice Awards | Favorite Action Movie Actor | N/A | Nominated |
2022 | Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Actor | F9: The Fast Saga | Nominated[ |