It's a given that some squabbles are bound to happen between co-stars when working on a film franchise for over 16 years. Granted, Dwayne Johnson only joined THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS franchise in 2011 with the property's fifth installment, FAST FIVE, but last year, it appeared as if the brakes had ben pumped by Johnson when he remarked that some of his unnamed male co-stars were "candy asses". After a bit of investigation, it was concluded that Johnson was referring to franchise star and executive producer Vin Diesel. Now, Vin Diesel has come forward and is downplaying and notion that he and Johnson are anything less than family.
“I don’t think the world really realizes how close we are, in a weird way,” Diesel told USA today in the vaguest of ways. He then followed up on that comment by stating, "I think some things may be blown out of proportion. I don't think that was his intention. I know he appreciates how much I work this franchise. In my house, he’s Uncle Dwayne."
While it was reported that there were some creative tension between the two actors while working on the set, Diesel went on to say, "I protect the franchise. I protect everybody including Dwayne. I protected Dwayne more than he’ll ever know. And it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t have to know. But he appreciates it. He knows it," says Diesel. "Dwayne has only got one Vin in his life. Dwayne Johnson only has one big brother in this film world and that’s me."
So does this mean that the Diesel and Johnson bromance remains intact?
"Always, always, always. I’m always rooting for Dwayne. I’m the first multicultural megastar in Hollywood. They didn’t exist," Diesel clarified. "To see another multicultural star come up is something I am very proud of. I’m always rooting Dwayne on. It’s not always easy being an alpha. And it’s two alphas," says Vin Diesel. "Being an alpha is sometimes a pain in the (butt)."
I don't know about you, but I hate the thought of either of these two behemoths getting on each other's bad side. Both Diesel and Johnson strike me as really nice guys, whose partnership has the potential to go down in the Hollywood history books as the stuff of legend. Here's hoping that whatever did transpire between these two has passed, and we can look forward to more from THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS franchise for at least a few more sequels to come.
THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS, starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Charlize Theron, Kurt Russell, Michelle Rodriguez, Jason Statham, Scott Eastwood and Tyrese Gibson will drift into theaters on April 14, 2017.