REPUBLIKA, LOS ANGELES -- Long before he was fast or furious, actor Paul Walker got a big break on the CBS soap “The Young and the Restless.”
Walker worked often with that show’s Eric Braeden, known to daytime audience as billionaire and ruthless businessman Victor Newman.
Walker played Brandon Collins, an employee of Newman’s who also dated the boss’ daughter, in 1992.
Braeden heard the sad news via his publicist. He came to the KCAL9 studios Saturday evening to share his memories of the young star.
“[My publicist] knew we worked together,” said Braeden to KCAL9′s Andrea Fujii. “He knew I worked with Paul. One of the most decent men I’ve ever worked with. He was easy-going, a nice man. Just the nicest man. A kind man.”
Braeden was especially touched, but not surprised, that Walker was helping raise money for needy children or victims of the typhoon in the Philippines on this day that would end in tragedy.
“He was just so unpretentious,” said Braeden. “An easy-going, Southern California guy. I’ve worked with quite a few young people over the years. But I had a feeling, that he would make it on the big screen.”
The two didn’t stay in touch, but Braeden says he did run into Walker a couple of times since Walker was on the show in the early ’90s.
“You find very few actors with his basic honesty or sincerity,” Braeden said.
The 40-year-old Paul Walker died on Saturday when a Porsche being driven by a friend, who also died, crashed near Los Angeles.
The accident happened while Walker was attending an event for his charity Reach Out Worldwide.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's department said deputies found a car engulfed in flames when they responded to a report of a collision. Two people found in the car were pronounced dead at the scene.
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