It’s hard to imagine the “Fast & Furious” franchise without the hard-hitting presence of Vin Diesel at the wheel.
The title of this Hollywood production seems to have emerged from a laboratory designed for action movies offering speed and immense power and memorable impact.
But as fans dig deeper into the actor’s past, many are realising the persona of “Vin Diesel” is, in fact, a character that began long before he hit the big screen.
And his real name? Social media users throughout the world look in astonishment at this name to stage because it diverges sharply from his acting pseudonym.
At the beginning of his life the person who would later become Vin Diesel was an average New York City youngster.
Functioning as an action star in the future the actor emerged from Alameda County in California under the care of his mother Delora and stepfather Irving Vincent in Greenwich Village.
At seven years old Diesel discovered acting when his stepfather who worked in theater accepted him and his friends and brother into a theater after their attempt at breaking in.
No punishment was given to the group which then received roles in a play. Performance became the new focus of his life after this experience.
Before venturing into his career he spent most of his time living in darkness without cameras and without high profile chases.
During his teenage years Diesel maintained his role as a nightclub bouncer at well-known New York establishments The Tunnel and The Limelight which required both physical strength and privacy.
During his late nights on countless club shifts his worldwide recognizable brand started to form what became his global brand.
The tradition of bouncers requiring stage names applied to Diesel so he adopted “Vin Diesel” as an alias to divide professional from personal life activities.
He took “Vin” from his stepfather’s last name, Vincent—and “Diesel” came from a nickname friends gave him for his endless energy.
“They just started calling me Vin Diesel, for some crazy reason,” he once told Ellen DeGeneres during a 2005 interview.
When DeGeneres welcomed him to her show she made a humorous comment about no one having such a name as his at birth.
Diesel’s response? He smiled while admitting his birth name was actually different from what people called him.
The public first learned that Mark Vincent serves as the authentic name of Vin Diesel during a life-changing instant.
The disclosure about his real name has caused widespread online interest. One user joked, “He got Vin from Vehicle Identification Number,” while another quipped, “Diesel is the last name of the guy who made the first diesel engine!”
Even though “Mark Vincent” might not scream action hero, it’s clear that the name “Vin Diesel” helped shape the career he has today.
Through his unique stage name Vin Diesel moved between independent films initially then starred in major movies that included Saving Private Ryan alongside a certain Private Ryan.
His most lucrative work came from his role in the Fast & Furious films alongside a certain Furious.
Both Mark and “Diesel” have become the public face of the actor who made his way into historical records of popular culture through his unique combination of charm and determination along with an alias that someone else owned.
Featured Image Credit: (Instagram//@vindiesel) (Youtube//@TheEllenShow)
