In the US, "The Fast and the Furious" brought in 141 million dollars with an action spectacle. Right in the middle of it – Vin Diesel. TV Movie editor Svenja Hadler met the rising star.

Watch out when they step on the gas! The wheels start burning; the streets of L.A. start smoking. Hard-as-nails Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) shoots through the night, together with his guys, and the car freaks do illegal battles on the asphalt with each other in their souped-up cars. Unless they're occupied with breaking into trucks – at least that's what the police think; therefore undercover cop Brian O'Connor infiltrates Toretto's gang. He's supposed to gather evidence, and gets a good hiding: Toretto hammers him down to the ground with his bare fists. Brian can't do anything but flee...

An hour on the sofa with the superstar

It's exactly that guy named Vin Diesel (34), who lashes out that brutally in his latest film "The Fast and the Furious", who is going to sit across from me in the Park Hyatt Hotel in Hamburg straightaway. I'm waiting for him curiously. Then the door flies open, I turn around – and I am surprised: instead of the grim looking giant I expected, a whirlwind (height: 1,88m) who is in a brilliant mood skips in, belting out Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal", his muscles hidden under a white T-shirt. "What an incredible hotel," the Hollywood star calls out and throws himself onto the sofa. "I'll engage the architect; I'd like him to embellish my house in L.A." Incredible! This is said to be the same guy who doesn't smile a single time and scares everyone to death in the Australian sci-fi shocker "Pitch Black"?

Action hero has the wind up

At least as surprising as Diesel's appearance is his choice of cars: in "The Fast and the Furious", he thunders across Los Angeles in souped-up racing cars, but in private life, the New York born actor prefers to chug along in a slow truck; that way, it's much easier to "overlook the street and keep to speed limits". Did he do all the stunts in the film himself, at least? "God no – just a few of them. I'm not suicidal. Although once I had to half climb out of the side window of my car at 70 miles per hour." The door to the room opens, and the hot chocolate he ordered is served; he launches into a short song of thanks. Does action man Vin Diesel now even intend to become a pop star? No, no, he doesn't. He doesn't have the time for such things anyway; first of all, he has to concentrate on his newest project, the thriller "Triple X", in which he plays an extreme sportsman. Is he afraid that people want to see him in action films only? Vin Diesel becomes thoughtful: "Yes, you have to be careful with that. Fortunately, I've come to Hollywood in a different way than most of my colleagues."

Suddenly, Spielberg was on the blower

You can say that again: [he was] on a theater stage for the first time at the age of seven, and after [finishing] school [he worked as] a bouncer at several clubs for nine years. He spent his salary on drama lessons. Since no one gave him any roles, he made his first two films himself – he wrote the scripts, directed, and played the lead roles as well. And since he did it that well, one day Steven Spielberg called and offered him a part in "Saving Private Ryan". "No one gave me anything for free. It was hard, sometimes even unbearable. But in the end, it was worth it. Although I'm now considered to be an action star, I see myself as a character actor."

Neck massage made in Hollywood

What does Vin Diesel actually think of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the prototype of an action hero? "For a bodybuilder, Arni has achieved amazing things; with a single sentence like 'Hasta la vista, Baby', he became unforgettable. Even Anthony Hopkins doesn't manage this." He still can't grasp his rise himself: "I try not to brood too much over success; I prefer thinking about new projects. But sometimes, my career just floors me." He laughs, jumps up – and gives me a short neck massage, completely out of the blue. Incredible – this man is really good for any kind of surprise...

translation by Zoe

Translator's note: I guess the interview was done in English, which means that the passages in which the original article quotes Vin are translations. For this reason, I can't guarantee that the original wording of Vin's comments was exactly like you find them in my 'back-translation'! If I knew Vin personally, I could have asked him, but...sorry, I don't.

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Diesel Mows Down Competition as 2001 Diversity Awards Nova Award Recipient

Story Filed: Monday, October 08, 2001 11:02 AM EST

HOLLYWOOD, Oct 8, 2001 (ENTERTAINMENT WIRE) -- Fresh off the critically acclaimed sleeper hit "The Fast and the Furious," Vin Diesel plowed through fellow up-and-coming actor nominees to make a clean sweep as the Diversity Awards "2001 Nova Award" recipient. The Nova Award is presented annually to an artist who has captured the public's imagination and whose rapid rise shows no signs of slowing down. Becoming known in Hollywood circles as a talent of immense magnitude, Diesel's screen persona and overall charisma has captivated audiences, since his early foray leading to the beginning of a franchise with Universal's "Pitch Black," and "Furious," and what is fast developing into an overall studio deal with Universal.

After being spotted in a film short that he wrote and directed, Diesel was hand-picked by Steven Spielberg for the role of Private Caparzo in Spielberg's Oscar nominated "Saving Private Ryan," garnering critical praise for his compelling portrayal of the hard-nosed GI. His memorable performance led to an onslaught of offers including New Line's "Boiler Room," "Pitch Black" and the voice of Warner Bros. animated fantasy film "The Iron Giant."

According to Diversity Awards president, Jarvee E. Hutcherson "Vin is exactly the kind of artist who comes to mind when thinking of the type of young-up-and-coming talent which the Diversity Awards seeks to honor. He's compelling, talented, and possesses a cadre of filmmaking skills from writing and directing, to acting and producing. Truly the diversity of talent which the Diversity Awards believes in and seeks to recognize. Obviously our voting members agreed." Previous "Nova Award" recipients, also virtual tyros at the time of their honors include; Will Smith, Salma Hayek, Brad Pitt, and Djimon Hounsou. The Diversity Awards will take place at the Hollywood and Highland Ballroom on Saturday, November 17th. For further information contact 310/285-9743.

CONTACT: Diversity Awards
Brad London, 310/285-9743

URL:
www.businesswire.com
Today's News On The Net - Business Wire's full file on the Internet with Hyperlinks to your home page.

Copyright (C) 2001 Business Wire. All rights reserved.
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA

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Entertainment Community Ground Zero Relief Fund

Vin Diesel has enlisted Lawrence Bender, ``15 Minutes'' director John Herzfeld and Sylvester Stallone to co-found the Entertainment Community Ground Zero Relief Fund, which is moving quickly to raise money to help families of victims and survivors of the World Trade Center attacks.

They've gotten the support of Edward Burns, Robert De Niro, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kelsey Grammer, Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Tobey Maguire, Ted Field, Jon Feltheimer and such entities as Artists Management Group, Brillstein-Grey, Creative Artists Agency, Endeavor, the Firm, Handprint Entertainment, International Creative Management, Industry Entertainment, United Talent Agency and William Morris.

A benefit is being organized and the co-founders are asking peers to open their wallets, promising not only that 100% of the monies will go to relief services, but that it will be matched by the Entertainment Industry Foundation. They ask those interested in donating to call Diesel's reps at (310) 407-3441.

dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010920/en/film-dish_5.html

News about Vin's Ground Zero Relief Benefit

From Liz Smith's column in the NY Post:

MAYBE YOU heard about the star names who pulled out their checkbooks this week in L.A. organizing themselves into an impromptu Entertainment Community Ground Zero Relief Fund. Native New Yorker and actor Vin Diesel of "Saving Private Ryan" spearheaded this, which was co-hosted by Sly Stallone, producer Lawrence Bender and director John Herzfeld.

Speeches were made by two firefighters just back in L.A. from NYC, and on hand were Ellen DeGeneres, Mark Wahlberg, Kelsey and Camille Grammer, Dennis Hopper, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ed Norton and Salma Hayek, Quentin Tarantino, Tara Reid, Deborah Messing, Melina Kanakaredes, Minnie Driver, Billy Crystal, Ted Demme, Tobey Maguire and others. Sheryl Crow performed solo on the guitar.

Corporate givers were there in abundance, from CAA, William Morris, ICM, UTA and Endeavor. The money raised will be matched by Hollywood's Entertainment Industry Foundation, a non-profit group. You can contribute to this: contact Diesel representatives at (310) 407-3441.

No press was invited. We'll examine this publicity-shy phenomenon a little later. Some in Hollywood are alarmed by the trend to shut reporters out.

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''XXX'' marks spot for Jackson

(Wednesday September 26 2:18 AM ET )
By Michael Fleming

NEW YORK (Variety) - Samuel L. Jackson is poised to join Vin Diesel in ``XXX,'' an action drama that begins shooting in late November for July release.

Jackson will play a government agent who recruits and trains Diesel's character for an undercover operation designed to infiltrate a Russian crime ring. The film is described as an extreme sports version of James Bond in that Diesel's character is adept at stunts such as running a motorcycle up a building.

The Revolution Studios film came together quickly after the Sony-based banner paid Diesel $10 million for the actor's follow-up to summer hit ``The Fast and the Furious.'' Rob Cohen, the director of ``Furious,'' will also direct ``XXX.''

The talks were protracted -- Diesel had received $2.5 million for the 2002 drugs saga ``El Diablo'' -- but Revolution was able to make the deal without raising its $50 million budget, confident that Diesel would develop an overseas following as the next major action star. Getting a seasoned action-genre veteran like Jackson, whose credits range from ``Shaft'' to ``Deep Blue Sea'' and ``Pulp Fiction,'' bolsters the package significantly.

Jackson had been expected to next co-star with Jennifer Lopez in the Columbia drama ``Tick Tock,'' but that film has been temporarily defused because of its terrorist-driven plot. Jackson recently completed the second installment of the ``Star Wars'' prequel, which opens in May, as well as the Paramount thriller ``Changing Lanes,'' with Ben Affleck.

Reuters/Variety REUTERS

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XXX gets villain

Kiwi thesp Marton Csokas ("Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones") has been tapped to play a villain in Revolution Studios' "XXX," the Rob Cohen-directed actioner that starts lensing next month. A secret-agent pic with extreme sports-style stunts, "XXX" stars Vin Diesel and Samuel. L. Jackson in an undercover operation designed to infiltrate a Russian crime ring. Csokas also appears in "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" from New Line and Fox Searchlight's "Garage Days."

variety

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Vin Diesel Returns for Riddick
By Spencer Garvey

1)
After tough negotiations which concluded Tuesday night, Vin Diesel has agreed to reprise his Pitch Black role for the sequel, The Chronicles of Riddick, for an $11 million paycheck. The actor, who is receiving $10 million for his role in XXX, has been seeing his paycheck rise after the success of Universal's The Fast and the Furious, which grossed over $140 million domestically.

Eyeing a spring production start and a summer 2003 release, Universal is currently shopping around for a director for the film, which was written by David Hayter. Scott Kroopf, Ted Field, and Tom Engleman of Radar Pictures, producers of the original, will be back as producers, along with Diesel and producing partner George Zakk of One Race Prods.

In the film, Diesel will reprise the role of Riddick, a short-tempered convict transported on a space ship that crashes on a mysterious planet. Pitch Black was written by David Twohy and Jim and Ken Wheat, and directed by Twohy. It went on to gross around $40 million domestically for Universal.

Diesel had other offers on the table. He had been bargaining with Fox and New Regency to headline the film Daredevil, for writer-director Mark Steven Johnson. That film, based on the Marvel Comic, follows the adventures of a blind lawyer who becomes a superhero.

Other than Black and The Fast and the Furious, Diesel has been seen in Saving Private Ryan, The Iron Giant, and Boiler Room.

www.reel.com/reel.asp?node=movienews/topstory&pageid=18548

2)
Cinescape.com Movie News - Vin Diesel Set For RIDDICK; Star signs on board PITCH BLACK sequel.

Dateline: Wednesday, September 26, 2001

By: FRANK KURTZ
By: News Editor
Source: Variety

Though it was a foregone conclusion that he would be doing so, only now has Vin Diesel finally put his name on the dotted line to star in Universal's THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK.

Universal is looking to make the PITCH BLACK sequel a summer 2003 tentpole property.

PITCH producers Scott Kroopf, Ted Field and Tom Engelman will return to resume those duties, though Diesel and George Zakk may join them doing so as well. The project, which has a script by David Hayter (X-MEN), is currently looking for a director with an eye towards a spring production start.

Variety reports that Diesel chose doing RIDDICK over taking on the title role in the DAREDEVIL movie.

Links to more about the same

: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010926/en/film-diesel_1.html

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010926/en/variety-fronted_828.html

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ESPN Transcript

This was taken from the Art of VD, and was transcribed by the lovely lady CCL - so all credit goes to her for her hard work

Well Ladies our Vin was in rare form!! Sporting a lovely XXX tanktop (at least I think that's what it was! Sorry I was drooling over the man and trying to pay attention to what he said!), black sunglasses and nice fitting jeans as he and the host walked around the X games.
Rick Thorne is the host...Vin...well obviously we know who Vin is! LOL!

Rick: Welcome back to X2Day. You never know who you're gonna meet here at the X-games. Check it out, Vin Diesel! What are you doing here??

Vin: I...I came down to pay homage to one of the most fascinating sports of our era.

Rick: Well, did you...did you ever do any of these sports growing up?

Vin: Well...I grew up in New York City and you know we couldn't play football or anything so we skateboarded. I dunno...I never had the money for a BMX bike so I always got whatever bike they gave me for Christmas.

Rick: Right.

Vin: And I would use that for jumping and we'd create these ramps...

Rick: Right.

Vin: But in New York City it was always cement and you always had cement ground so if you crashed you crashed. You crashed hard.

Rick: Yeah cause the concrete doesn't give...

Vin: But we boarded like crazy in New York City. I mean, New York feels like one of the original places that it all came...ya know...came together. I remember when there were like classic skateboards...

Rick: Right! Old school see through, right?

Vin: Ahhhh....

Rick: Old school see throughs...

Vin: Yeah!

Rick: That you could stand on them and they'd go Wahhhhhh Wahhhh (makes this weird breaking motion with his two hands...and I'm still confused about what he's talking about...but maybe I wasn't into skating long enough! LOL)

Vin: That's right, that's right! (nods and grins as only our Vin does!)

Rick: So you could relate to all of this actually?

Vin: It reminds me of...of...of what youth is all about. This is always a...a true expression.

Rick: Right

Vin: That's what I like about this.

Rick: That's cool! Well we're psyched that you're here. Ya know what I'm saying?

Vin: Well...we're doing a film called XXX...

Rick: What's the film about?

Vin: A guy who's an ex...X-games champion. That is...now becomes the new James Bond.

Rick: Oh, really?

Vin: It's phenomenal. So imagine if you had all the skills of everybody in the X-games. Of all the masses in the X-games...

Rick: Yeah...

Vin: And you use that to take care of whatever you had to take care of.

Rick: That's awesome. Well listen right now we're gonna check out some free style flatland on bikes. We got highlights comin' atcha of park...of bike, park and vert highlights from the X-games. Listen, Vin, you got alotta people noticing you. If you need some protection...

Vin: I could use some protection...(Val is lurking in the backgrounds at this point)

Rick: (yelling) GET BACK PEOPLE!! BACK!!

(Vin laughes and smiles)

Rick: Is that good?

Vin: That's good... (Vin grins and say something I can't understand!)

~~~~~Commercial Break~~~~~~~

Rick: So, Vin, you used to ride bikes, right? You said back in the day you guys set up ramps. So you could relate to all this...

Vin: Yeah

Rick: Did you ever do any freestyle flatland?

Vin: I never did...I never did the freestyle flatland, but we would do alotta...it was alotta jumps and stuff...

Rick: So you've always been pretty athletic?

Vin: Oh yeah, athletic or...stupid...

Rick: Just stupid? Yeah!

Vin: Pretty dumb, yeah (grins)

Rick: Me too, dude!! I've always been stupid!

Vin: Rebellious, yeah...

Rick: Rebellious idiot

Vin: You're either born a rebel or you're not..

Rick: Which leads back to the movie...

Vin: Yes!

Rick: I wanted to talk about...

Vin: Yes...

Rick: When is the...when is the release date on the movie?

Vin: July 26th of 2002. So we're here a year early...

Rick: Rumor has it you guys are gonna incorporate athletes...

Vin: Tons of athletes from this school. We're really reaching out to the athletes that are masters in this sport to create the authenticity. If you're making a film and you want the film to be credible...

Rick: Right...

Vin: Aside from being entertaining...Like during Saving Private Ryan...we went to bootcamp.

Rick: Right...

Vin: And that helped the authenticity of the film.

Rick: Right...

Vin: So this acts as a boot camp

Rick: Right...

Vin: For XXX.

Rick: Right...

Vin: So I'm...ya know I'm gonna go to the Swiss Alps and train there for a few weeks with the masters up there. And then I'm gonna go up to Sean Palmer and train with him up in Tahoe...

Rick: And chill with him, right!

Vin:...and train with Matt Hoffman and all these different guys...And go through the boot camp of each sport.

Rick: Right...

Vin: Ummmm...If nothing else just to understand the mentality...because it's a true...which I already have...it's a true rebellious...ya know...creative...

Rick: Outlet...

Vin: It's so artistic. And this stuff...it's like a dance. It's so...it's so profound. Everything that goes into it.

Rick: Alright. So be on the lookout, ready?
XXX coming out next summer. Vin, it was nice meeting you and listen in boot camp training with bikes, if Matt doesn't teach you to do that Tummel (don't ask I don't know) Foot Plant, I'll give you my number dude!! I'll fly out, teach the Tummel Foot Plant. Hey listen don't go anywhere you're watching X2Day. Let's walk around check out some other sports. There's some people I want you to meet.

Vin: Okay, sounds good.

(both point at the camera)

Rick: Stay right there!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay...that's it! Whew!! If I screwed up something or missed something I'm sorry...I did this in an hour with a very bad audio track and god love him but Vin mumbles sometimes!

the resident class clown,

CCL

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