Vin Diesel was born of mixed heritage on July 18th 1967 in New York NY USA, never knowing his biological father. He was raised by his astrologer mother and adoptive father in the Westbeth artist's housing project in New York's Greenwich Village. He first showed an inclination to becoming a performer at the age of three during a visit to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus when he tried to join in with the show, before being rescued by his mother. His father, a theatre director turned drama teacher at New York University, further stimulated the young Diesel's innate interest by taking him, his twin brother and his younger sisters to the movies.
His first steps to becoming a professional actor happened almost by chance, when at the age of seven, he and his friends decided to break into the Jane StreetTheatre to cause havoc and vandalize the place. Much to their surprise a woman appeared on stage and ordered the troublemakers to come to her. She gave them each a script and $20, on the proviso that they attended every day after school. And so for the first time Diesel became a paid actor and was able to entertain people without getting into trouble at school. That led to his debut in a play called The Dinosaur Door, for the Theatre of the New City. Rather than taking the 'normal' child star route, via movies, TV and commercials, Diesel spent his formative years perfecting his craft in the theatre. Most of this was for his father and mentor, who ran a New York repertory company, which eventually led to him hitting the Off-Off-Broadway circuit at places like Amas Rep, La Mama, and Riverwest.
The work wasn't well paid, but it allowed him to be the artist. However, by the time he was 17 he needed a way to supplement his income. The compulsive weight training that began at 15 made him more than equipped for the job of a bouncer, leading him to work some of Manhattan's hippest nightclubs. To add to his already formidable presence, he adopted the name that we all know him by, Vin Diesel. None of this altered the man beneath, who in the moments of calm between sending people to hospital and restraining them would find time to read the likes of Camus. Being a bouncer allowed Diesel to act out his second career choice, a superhero, while perfecting his diplomacy and people skills. However, the effect of conveying a tough, commanding persona every night was a two-edged sword, which although giving him the time to audition and study acting during the day, left a hardened edge to him that would carry over into auditions.
Following high school, Diesel enrolled in Hunter College to major in theatre. However, on the advice of his father and his friends, he changed subject. After considering his long-term goals, he decided upon English, as it would give him the opportunity to study writing for screenplays. This was so that he could at least create parts for himself; if one didn't materialise. This was his first step towards taking a more proactive approach to his career in the film industry. Which so far, has produced the following films. |
