Freddie Prinze Jr. says he took friendship with Paul Walker 'for granted': 'Don't make the mistakes I made'
Freddie Prinze Jr. shared an important “life lesson” he learned after the untimely passing of Paul Walker: don’t take friendships for granted.
In an interview with Access Hollywood, Prinze Jr. got choked up while reminiscing about his She’s All That co-star. The actor, who played Zack Siler in the 1999 film, said he has “probably the best memories” from that set out of “any job” he’s had.
“Rachael [Leigh Cook], I’m still really close with her to this day. I’m still really close with her,” he explained. “Dulé Hill was at my wedding, I’m still really close with him today, he’s a brother of mine. Good life lesson for people is the relationship I should have had with Paul — I think a lot of times in life we take friendships for granted and we put things off that we could do on that day, and Paul and I were the same way.”
The actor said he and Walker had a “unique bond with Gracie jiu-jitsu.”
“We rolled a few times, but we never really sparred and gone hard,” Prinze Jr. said. “And we put it off for probably a good two years, as I’m sure a lot of people have. And then uh…”
Prinze Jr. got emotional before adding, “Don’t make the mistakes I made. Cultivate those friendships.”
Walker died in a car crash in 2013 at the age of 40.
Prinze Jr. has spoken about their bond before, revealing he gave Walker, then an up and coming actor, crucial advice while auditioning for the role of Dean Sampson.
“When Paul came in to audition, I didn’t have cast approval, but I had what they called consultation. I knew Paul was the right guy, and when he finished the audition, I asked if I could excuse myself to go to the bathroom,” Prinze Jr. told Us Weekly. “I ran outside where his car was parked. I said, ‘Hey man, you’re gonna get this job.’ They didn’t pay us anything. It was a small movie. [I said], ‘They’re gonna offer you $25,000, they have $75 in the budget. Don’t say no.’”
Apparently, that stuck with Walker.
“I heard, years later, after he passed away, that he had told his brother and his mom that story. To hear that, that meant a lot to him to share that. I loved that there was still that connection there,” Prinze Jr. added
She’s All That is still adored by fans 21 years later — and it’s even getting a gender-swapped reboot.
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