Paul Walker didn't get to see his daughter, Meadow Walker, grow up. But his family knows he'd be beyond proud of the woman she's become in the decade since his untimely death in 2013.
"That was his pride and joy, his baby girl," Paul's younger brother Cody Walker exclusively told E! News ahead of what would have been the actor's 50th birthday on Sept. 12. "He loved her to death, he only wanted what's best for her."
Meadow, who Paul shared with ex Rebecca Soteros, was only 14 when her dad died and there was hardly a remembrance of the Fast and Furious franchise star that didn't mention how much he adored his kid.
"He loved being a dad," Cody reminisced at FuelFest Mid-Atlantic in Millville, N.J., the latest stop on the motorsports tour he co-founded to benefit Reach Out Worldwide, the humanitarian aid organization Paul started in 2010. "He had a lot of guilt for not being able to always be there."
Meaning, any misgivings Paul had about Hollywood stemmed from the fact that acting took him away from his No. 1 role.
"That's why Paul didn't like the industry," explained Cody, himself a father of three (including 4-month-old Paul Barrett "Bear" Walker). "There were people he liked, many of them." But, Cody added, all the traveling that making movies entailed meant Meadow had to share her dad with the world.
Nowadays, however, the 24-year-old model appreciates that the world is happy to join her in honoring her father body of work, including the films he was inevitably most famous for. And she remains connected to him in her own special ways.
"For me, it's numbers," Meadow, who made her franchise debut with a cameo in Fast X, shared with E! News Chief Correspondent Keltie Knight at the movie's Rome premiere in May. "Four and seven are my dad's favorite numbers. And I swear whenever I'm doubting anything or whenever I'm in an argument with someone, I start seeing four and seven everywhere. So I always know that it's him."
Her godfather Vin Diesel, who walked her down the aisle when she married Louis Thornton-Allen in 2021, told Knight on the red carpet that he believed Paul was smiling at Meadow's performance. Added Jordana Brewster, whose character Mia is still enjoying her life with Paul's Brian O'Conner in the Fast cinematic universe, "Meadow has so much grace and she carries on her father's legacy in such a beautiful way so I love the fact that she's in the film."
Meadow said being surrounded by her Fast family at the premiere "brings out the happiness. For me this is super exciting and he would be amazed that this is happening."
She said she was thinking about the possibility of more acting in her future, but for now, modeling was her focus and "big passion."
Meadow made her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week in 2021, walking the walk for Givenchy, and has fronted campaigns for Tiffany & Co.'s luxury eyewear and Givenchy Beauty.
"She's so beautiful and she's doing what she wanted to do," Cody told E! at FuelFest before upcoming stops in Las Vegas and Scottsdale, Ariz. "She's just crushing it. We're super proud of her and Paul would be so proud of her, too."
Keep reading to see Paul and Meadow Walker's forever-bond in photos:
Meadow Walker shared a text message between her and dad Paul Walker's co-star Vin Diesel, with Vin writing, "Where the brotherhood began" with prayer emojis.
The image showed Paul and Vin at an event for the first Fast & Furious film from 2001.
"20 years later," Meadow captioned in June 2021 ahead of the F9 premiere.
Meadow simply captioned "miss you" to a series of throwback photos of her and dad Paul celebrating her birthday on May 22, 2021.
"Legend. Miss you," Meadow wrote in April 2021 under a screenshot of a text message showing her and a cartoon Vin together.
The father-daughter duo took a nap together as Paul held Meadow in his arms.
"A silly day to remember in sadness," Meadow captioned on Nov. 30, 2020, the seven-year anniversary of his fatal accident. "Today's a celebration of the love and happiness you brought to the world. Here's a photo of my best bud & I napping."
Paul was a picture perfect father while holding a camera to capture daughter Meadow's curtsy.
"Miss you so so much, best friend forever and ever," Meadow wrote in October 2020.
"The moment I realized we are twins," Meadow captioned a gorgeous photo of her and dad on Sept. 12, 2020. "Happy birthday to the most beautiful soul."
Meadow captioned a cute pic of her and Vin's kids: "family forever."
It's clear Paul and Vin were more than just Fast & Furious co-stars.
The adorable father-daughter duo played together in a throwback photo. Meadow described the moment as her "happy place" in May 2020 Instagram post.
Meadow shared a never-before-seen video of her surprising dad Paul.
"I never thought I'd share this. But it felt right," Meadow wrote in April 2020. "Be good. I love you. Stay safe. xx"
Paul grinned beside daughter in a sweet snapshot. "happy birthday to the loveliest soul I'll ever know," Meadow captioned the throwback pic on Sept. 12, 2019.
A young Meadow flashed a big smile to the camera in this throwback photo she posted to Instagram in April 2015.
The then-16-year-old shared the pic shortly after attending Coachella, where she hung out with Fast and Furious friends Vin and Elsa Pataky.
Meadow shared this cute flashback photo to Instagram in memory of her unforgettable dad for Father's Day 2015.
Sharing this adorable pic with her proud daddy on his 41st birthday, Meadow wrote on Instagram, "Happy Birthday, I love you."
On the first anniversary of her dad's tragic death, Meadow posted this touching tribute photo on Instagram, simply saying, "I love you."
"Reflecting on my father, I found myself reflecting on his passions," wrote Meadow on her inaugural Instagram post for The Paul Walker Foundation on September 12, 2015. "His passion for the ocean, his passion for rescuing animals, his passion for helping people and his passion for spontaneous goodwill. I wanted to start this foundation because I want to share that piece of him with the world."
Meadow posted this super cute pool pic to Instagram on July 20, 2016, to raise awareness for The Paul Walker Foundation and its mission to "do good."
On the website, a quote by film producer Brandon Birtell about his close friend is featured on the main page: "Paul was the kind of person that valued and respected others. He would go out of his way to do the simplest things from stopping to open the door for others, making sure he looked someone in the eye when they were speaking, or help someone that clearly needed to be helped."
Paul's daughter posted this throwback photo of the two dancing together on September 12, 2017. She encouraged her followers to do good, writing, "In honor of my dad's birthday today, we're challenging you to DO GOOD!"
Gleefully sticking out her tongue, little Meadow joked with her dad in this flashback photo.