Walker Explains Why Superman Isn't In His Timeline
I said, 'Well I don't think I want to die as Superman.'> And he said, 'Well there's your answer, don't do it.' And that was it."
What does it say about a movie project such as Superman when a critically-reviled actor such as Paul Walker turns it down? Nothing good, that's for sure. Walker isn't a bad actor. He just needs to project an air about him that he's willing to get serious about his work. And dude, lose the surfer/valley-boy lingo!
Meanwhile, as the marketing machine gears up for the impending release of Walker's new movie, TIMELINE, he shared this nugget of Superman information with Coming Soon!:
ComingSoon.net talked to Paul Walker over the weekend and shared these bits about Superman. Walker turned down the role, but says he did talk to "Timeline" director Richard Donner about it. Donner directed the original Superman movie.
"We had conversations and by the end of it, the closing thing I said, 'Do you think I need it, should I do it?' He said, 'For what sake?' I said, 'Financially.' He said, 'No kid, you do it if you want to do it.' I said, 'Well I don't think I want to die as Superman.' And he said, 'Well there's your answer, don't do it.' And that was it."
Walker added that he took Donner's comments very seriously. "He's like a father figure to me. His opinion means a lot to me. You won't find anyone who tells it straighter than Richard Donner in the industry anyhow, I'll tell you that."
But was it hard turning down Superman? "It wasn't that hard. The real pressure came from my representatives and thinking about my family. I want everyone to live sweet, my mom and dad especially they don't have a lot of money. I want one day to have the family compound maybe one day in the big island of Hawaii and having a jet to fly everyone out for Christmas is pretty sweet. I think in those terms. I feel like I don't know if I'd be letting them down or letting myself down if I didn't one day see it. That was the hardest part because that was it, potentially."
Though he liked Superman as a kid, another hero was even cooler to him. "Yeah. Putting on my underoos, I had Superman ones. Talking about pillows and mats to fall on for stuntwork. I was Superman from time to time but Aquaman was the coolest. I loved Aquaman. That guy could stay underwater, hangs out in dolphin."