Paul Walker’s 2 Brothers: All About Caleb and Cody Walker

When Paul Walker died in a tragic car crash at just 40 years old, those closest to him were left devastated — including his two younger brothers, Caleb and Cody Walker.

The actor, who was best known for his role as Brian O’Conner in the Fast & Furious films, was killed on Nov. 30, 2013, when the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT he was riding in collided with a light pole and trees before bursting into flames. Left to mourn his death were his parents, Cheryl and Paul Walker III, his then-15-year-old daughter Meadow and his three younger siblings, Ashlie, Caleb and Cody.

“Paul was just the most real guy ever. The best big brother, the best son, and the best father. The best everything,” Cody said in 2016. “I just want to call him so bad … but I can’t.”

Over 10 years have passed, and Paul’s brothers have dedicated themselves to keeping the late actor’s legacy alive by continuing his charitable work and living out his philosophy of kindness.

“He’d pat you on the head when he’d give you a kiss and he’d say, ‘Be good,’ ” Cody shared with PEOPLE in 2023. “It just meant be a decent person. Paul didn’t care if you were the bellhop or the busboy or the waiter, some big CEO or some other famous person. He treated everybody the same.”

Here’s everything to know about Paul Walker’s brothers — Caleb and Cody — and how they have honored the actor’s memory, including in the documentary I Am Paul Walker.

Paul and his brothers grew up outside of Los Angeles

Paul Walker with his sister Ashlie and brothers, Caleb and Cody.

Paul Walker Instagram

Born on Sept. 12, 1973, Paul was the eldest of four children born to Cheryl, a former model, and Paul Walker III, a former amateur boxer. He had a younger sister named Ashlie and two younger brothers, Caleb and Cody.

The siblings were raised in the Sunland neighborhood of Los Angeles, a blue-collar community at the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains. The Walkers also spent time by the ocean during their childhood — particularly at Carpinteria State Beach in California.

Caleb and Cody have fond memories of their family vacations at the beach, as they shared in the 2018 documentary I Am Paul Walker.

“If we were going on vacation or for spring break or whatever, we knew where we were going. We were going to Carpinteria State Beach, which was just south of Santa Barbara,” Caleb recalled. “We’d get a campsite and tents for the kids. Every night, we were roasting marshmallows and s’mores and doing the whole campfire thing.”

Cody echoed, “That was the Walker family vacation. Carpinteria — that’s where we went for everything.”

Paul was like a “father-figure” to Cody

Paul Walker with his brother Cody Walker.

Cody Walker Instagram

Paul and his younger brother Caleb were born four years apart — but there were 15 years between Paul and Cody. Despite their large age gap, Paul and Cody had a close relationship, with the late actor serving more as a second father than just a big brother.

“When Cody came into the family, he was a surprise to my parents and, so, obviously a surprise to all of us,” their sister Ashlie recalled in I Am Paul Walker. “But Paul was almost 15. I remember always a really sweet, really tender relationship between the two of them.”

Cody added, “Because of that age gap, Paul was not just like a big brother to me — he was another father figure to me.”

Over the years, Paul and Cody’s relationship “went through different stages,” Cody told PEOPLE in 2015. “There’s some things that you can’t share with a sibling when they’re that young. And then over the course of time, you start learning what kind of person they really are.”

According to Cody, Paul was a great role model as a big brother. The youngest Walker sibling paid tribute to his older brother’s influence on his upbringing on Instagram in 2016.

“To the man that influenced so much of my life and who I am,” Cody wrote alongside a throwback photo of the brothers. “I love and miss you everyday, Pdub.”

Paul was Caleb’s best man

Paul Walker hugs his brother Caleb Walker for a photo.

Caleb Walker Instagram

On Oct. 19, 2013 — six weeks before Paul’s death — Caleb married his longtime love Stephanie Branch in Orange County, California. Standing by his side at the nuptials was Paul as his best man.

Photographs from the wedding, published by the Daily Mail following Paul’s death, serve as some of the last family photos of the Walker brothers together. The shots, captured by Chard Photography, show Paul standing proudly next to his younger brother, as well as delivering a toast alongside Cody.

Caleb and Cody were body doubles for Paul in Furious 7

Caleb Walker and Cody Walker attend the Paramount Network World Premiere of “I Am Paul Walker” on August 7, 2018 in West Hollywood, California.

Jesse Grant/Getty

When Paul died, he was in the midst of filming the seventh installment of the Fast & Furious film franchise, Furious 7. In response, production was put on hold for four months while the cast mourned the loss of their costar, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

During this time, the Furious cast members were “all so supportive of the family,” Cody later revealed to PEOPLE in 2023.

“They were all at my mom’s [Cheryl Walker] house immediately following the accident for a couple of days,” he recalled. “They all flew in from Atlanta or wherever they were, and it really meant a lot.”

In addition to grieving the loss of the beloved actor, the Furious filmmakers used the hiatus to figure out how to proceed without Paul. Their solution involved tweaking the script and having Caleb and Cody step in as body doubles for their late brother so that filming could be completed. The experience of stepping into their big brother’s shoes was both emotional and cathartic for Caleb and Cody.

“We had to wear Paul’s tattoo, duplicates of the actual tattoo of Meadow’s name that Paul carried on his wrist,” Cody recalled to PEOPLE in November 2023, shortly before the 10th anniversary of Paul’s death. “Every time you looked down, it was a reminder of Paul. It was difficult. It was also healing in a way.”

Caleb shared similar thoughts about the filming process with Entertainment Tonight in 2016.

“We got to understand more about Paul, and what he was all about,” Caleb said. “We had to share Paul with a lot of people, in a weird way. He was gone a lot, he was filming, so we missed him. To kind of get that closure, and understanding [of] Paul was really special.”

Ultimately, the brothers were pleased with how the film turned out — and thought Paul would be happy with the result, too.

“It’s bittersweet, but I think Paul would be proud,” Cody said at the Furious 7 premiere. “I’m so happy with it. It was just so tastefully done and a great ending after everything.”

Cody launched his own acting career

Cody Walker unveils a giant mosaic plaque dedicated to Paul Walker at United Cinemas in Craigieburn, New South Wales.

Tony Gough/Newspix/Getty

After appearing in Furious 7, there were reports in June 2014 that he would join the Fast & Furious franchise as a new character, but he didn’t appear.

Then, in April 2015, the youngest Walker signed with Paradigm Talent Agency — the same agency that represented Paul — and Paul’s former manager, Matt Luber, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Cody landed his first major role in the 2016 World War II movie USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, which also starred Nicolas Cage and Tom Sizemore. Other notable roles include the sports comedy show In the Rough in 2017 and the Vietnam War flick The Last Full Measure in 2019.

Cody took over Paul’s charity work following his death

Paul Walker with his brother Cody Walker.

Cody Walker Instagram

Since Paul died in 2013, Cody has made it his mission to continue his older brother’s charity work — and ensure that the late actor’s impact is still felt around the world.

Though Paul was predominantly known for his acting roles, he was equally passionate about his volunteer efforts — mainly his nonprofit Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW), which he founded following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

When Paul began ROWW, which aims to transport first responders to disaster areas in need, “he didn’t go public about it for quite a long time, but he funded it 100% on his own,” Cody told PEOPLE in 2023. “When he passed away, there was no formal fundraising. There was no slush fund. He was the heart and soul of the organization.”

Since Paul was also the “sole contributor” to ROWW, there were a lot of “unknowns” about how the nonprofit would continue following the actor’s death. That was when Cody, a paramedic at the time, stepped in as brand manager at ROWW.

“He was very proud of ROWW and the incredible people he had surrounded himself to make up that team,” Cody told PEOPLE in 2015. “I’m just doing the best that I can to keep his vision consistent.”

Since then, Cody has become the CEO of the nonprofit organization and launched FuelFest, live car events that speak to his and Paul’s love of car culture. A portion of the proceeds from the experiences — which have been supported over the years by Paul’s Fast & Furious costars Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Vin Diesel and Sung Kang — help to fund ROWW.

If he could talk to his older brother again, he would want Paul to know what ROWW is accomplishing.

“I would tell him that his legacy is continuing on,” Cody shared. “I would tell him that the organization that he created, Reach Out WorldWide, is still alive and well and still helping people all over the world.”

Paul helped Caleb open his own taco restaurant

Cody Walker shows his support for Caleb Walker’s business Chronic Tacos.

Caleb Walker Instagram

Caleb currently runs three Chronic Tacos, a fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain in southern California — a career that his older brother Paul helped him launch prior to his death.

In 2011, Caleb opened his first Chronic Taco location in Huntington Beach, California, with the support of his brother Paul, according to RestaurantNews.com. After its success, he expanded to a second location in Costa Mesa — and by February 2023, he took over his third Chronic Taco spot in Laguna Niguel.

“I’m thrilled to see where this journey takes me,” Caleb said when news of his third location was announced.

Cody also supports Caleb’s taco business by paying visits to his locations.

“Blessed to have such a great crew!! Even though they only want a pic with me when my bro is visiting,” Caleb wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of himself, Cody and members of his staff.

Cody and his wife had a home renovation show

Cody and Felicia Walker present their renovation show ‘Fast: Home Rescue’ on The Weather Channel.

Felicia Walker Instagram 

Cody and his wife Felicia hosted the first season of Fast: Home Rescue, a home renovation show that premiered in September 2022 on The Weather Channel.

The reality show was a continuation of Paul’s charity work with Reach Out WorldWide and followed Cody, Felicia and a team of ROWW volunteers as they renovated homes destroyed by natural disasters.

The series focused its efforts on uninsured or underinsured homeowners in need and worked solely off of donated dollars and materials to get the jobs done — in just five days. The homeowners wouldn’t see the finished product until the big reveal.

Although the series presented its own challenges for the young family — including moving every week to the location of their next project — it was worth it for Cody to see his brother’s mission living on in the near-decade since his death.

“Paul’s legacy — and he would say this all the time — was to be good,” Cody told PEOPLE. “His mission was to be a good person and help others, and that’s certainly what Reach Out WorldWide continues to do to this day.”

Caleb and Cody have children named after Paul

Caleb Walker, Stephanie Walker, Maverick Walker, Remi Walker and Cody Walker.

Cody Walker Instagram

Following Paul’s death, Caleb and Cody found various ways to keep their older brother’s memory alive, including naming their children after the late actor.

When Caleb and Stephanie welcomed their first child, a boy, in August 2017, they named him Maverick Paul — with the middle name being an apparent nod to Caleb’s late brother. (Caleb’s father, grandfather and great-grandfather are also called Paul).

“We are so proud to introduce Maverick Paul Walker to the world,” Caleb wrote on Instagram when he announced Maverick’s birth. (The couple are also parents to a daughter, Everly Grace, who was born in January 2022.)

Cody and Felicia also named one of their children after Paul. The couple have three children together: Daughter Remi Rogue, born December 2017, and two sons, Colt Knox, born November 2020, and Paul Barrett “Bear,” born April 2023. Cody later confirmed to PEOPLE that his third son’s name was a tribute to the late Fast & Furious star.

“This November will mark 10 years since we lost my brother, Paul, and I just felt now was the appropriate time,” Cody said to PEOPLE about his youngest child’s moniker.

He added, “My brother, Caleb, and I are both done having children. My brother, Paul, was Paul William Walker IV and that name goes back four generations … It was important to me to have that name carry on.”

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Source: HIS Education