Paul Walker's Last Movie, 'Hours'
Hours director Eric Heisserer tells ET that Meadow visited Walker on the Hours set revealing, "It was important for him to have her close. We even talked about the fact that he had a tattoo of her name. I saw the connection he had [with her] from that and we agreed not to cover it up for the movie. He had a really special relationship with her." He goes on to say, "Paul had so much worry and fear about being a good father, and the right father, to Meadow." source
Heisserer took to Imgur to share his memories of working with Walker on the New Orleans-based set, the admiration he had for the actor and the laughs they shared. This touching tribute serves as a way for Heisserer to honor Walker even as the movie they made together starts to play. source
Hours costar Judd Lormand said “What I’ll remember most was how his blue eyes lit up when we talked about our daughters,” source
Walker's enthusiasm landed him the role in "Hours." He hired acting coaches to prepare and rehearsed with Heisserer at the filmmaker's house three times a week in the two months leading up to the spring 2012 shoot. The director and the actor talked about how to get Walker into the right head space on set, developing code words that would throw the actor into an emotional state.
It was during those visits that Heisserer learned just how close Walker had gotten to his own daughter, who until 2011 lived in Hawaii with her mother. Because his character is alone on screen for much of "Hours" performing numerous monologues - what Heisserer calls "proscenium acting" - the filmmaker found any reminder of Meadow helped ground Walker's performance. So they put pictures of her inside of the incubator that was supposed to be holding the protagonist's baby and left a tattoo reading "Meadow" on Walker's wrist uncovered.
The personal touchstones ultimately helped Walker turn in a performance he was proud of. Earlier this year, he brought Meadow to a private screening and though he quickly ran out as the credits rolled - the room was crawling with agents - he called Heisserer from the road, "beaming with pride," the director said. source
You said that this movie is a little bit like your life and you have a teenage daughter. Is it difficult raising a teen?
Well, we’re finding our balance. She started living with me last year, and just when I was leaving to go work on Fast - and I’m doing another one now. It’s really kind of tearing on me, to be honest with you, to try and maintain the balance. And fortunately enough, we’re filming in Atlanta - but I’ve come home every weekend. Two weeks in a row, I came back three times. She just turned 15. It’s critical times. I’m big on analogies, and I look at her like she’s this rocket ship, and I’m this kind of launching pad, and I want to get the trajectory right. You know, she’s going to be my daughter and I’m going to be her dad for the rest of our lives, and I want it to be cool. I sure don’t want to be looking back and go, “Fuck! Because you were gone. Maybe. What if? And you should have been home more!” So, that’s the noise in my head right now - is trying to find the balance… and she’s super supportive and is like, “No. Go. This is what you do.” But I’m like, “Yeah, but how significant is it really? It’s kind of trivial. This is our time together. We’ve got 3 years, and then you’re going to be out of the house.” She’s like, “You’re talking like I’m going to be gone forever.” I’m like, “Yeah, but how much longer is it going to be before you show up at the door with Johnny.” She’s like, “Who is Johnny?”
Is she dating already?
[Jokingly laughs] No. No. No.
So you’ve got that to look forward to… [laughs]
We’ll see. It’s a cool time right now. We’re both just kind of finding our stride. We’re really honest with each other, which is cool. She tells me what her needs are. I think sometimes she tries to be a little tougher than I want her to be. I want her to be more revealing like, “You’re not home enough!” or “Sometimes you don’t pay enough attention to what I’m saying.” I want her to say those things ‘cause I know there’s times that I’m not… but I police it pretty well, I think.
Has she seen you in this?
Yeah, I took her. The first time I saw it I took her. It was cool to watch the reaction because I’m proud of the work that I did - because I told the truth the whole time. There was only a couple of times where there was a take and I didn’t believe it, and I would say to Eric, “I didn’t like that one. I didn’t believe it. I was trying to force something. I was just saying words.” And I remember when I was talking with my agent Teresa, she’s like, “Well how’s it going?” I’m like, “It’s going really well. I’m probably about halfway through it.” She’s like, “What’s the experience like?” And I’m like, “I don’t know. It’s good. I’m telling the truth the whole time.” I realize I told her - and it’s kind of scary too, you know. If people don’t like my performance in this, they just don’t like me, because I’m putting it all on the line in this. It’s who I am. So, at the end of it… for people… the response… I’m like, “Thank God.” I guess it means I’m OK. source
Paul, to go back to something you just said, is looking for a project that resonates with where you are in your life something new for you?
Walker: I think it’s something I’ve always known. I think that’s why there’s been so much ambivalence and why I’ve been so uncomfortable, to be honest with you, for this whole ride. It wasn’t something I ever chose and it wasn’t until recently that I realized, “Hey, look, you can make this work for you.” It’s just a matter of just taking the reins. And it’s not a matter of taking control, but you can get off the fucking hamster wheel, right? I’m really grateful for the opportunity, but I think not knowing how to manage it, how to make it work for you… It’s all a balance. And once you find it, you lose it. And I think now, too, my daughter is 14 years old and I want to take God-given opportunities and I want to maximize. I want her to see it. She was there for the premiere and she’s proud. She’s excited. And she’s proudest, I think, for the same reason why I wanted to be a part of it. It’s truthful, it’s pure. Of course, I think there’s a part of her that also thinks it’s cool when dad’s in a big studio movie. [Laughs]. I think if it wasn’t for the fact that I’d had the blockbusters, that’s probably what I’d be pursuing. But I’ve had those for a period and now I want to plug in to whatever fills the soul. Source
Is the reason you're busier than ever on the acting front because you're more secure in the other areas of your life/career?
To me, I have a daughter that’s 14 years old. I’ve always been more of a transient sort of dude, I’ve always gone with the energy and the way it takes me. And she’s living full time with me now; I’m a full-time single father as of this past fall. This opportunity’s been put in my lap so I want to seize it, I want to make it work. And if it isn’t exactly what I want then I want to figure out a way to make it that. So all this information I’m sharing with you and where I’ve been on this journey, that’s open conversation. I mean we talk about it all the time. She’s getting to a place now where she’s trying to figure out who she, what she is in this world, forming a sense of identity, trying to find her sense of purpose, her style and all this stuff. So I think it’s the more we talk about it, this is just kind of life’s path.
Everyone’s in a difference at different times, everyone learns in his or her own time whatever it is they’re supposed to learn and what’s supposed to be revealed to them. It’s cool, she gets it, she appreciates it. She’s here with me at the festival. She gets into it, she wants to go into environmental law right now. That’ll change next week. It’s a fun time for both of us and she’s a cool partner, she’s the best partner I’ve ever had. Source
