The world is still mourning the death of Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash last weekend. Ludacris, Chris Bridges, of the upcoming Fast & Furious 9 made sure to tell Entertainment Tonight that the NBA legend served as an inspiration for him and the rest of the cast. Loss has only strengthened the bond between all of the cast members after the tragedy of losing Paul Walker. Now, this latest loss was a focal point for them as they completed their work on the film. Inspiration comes in a lot of forms, and Bryant proved to be a fountain of it for millions across the world.
“We start off with prayers, we always talk about family and how important family is and this is a whole family,” Bridges began. “This entire cast, I’m talking about on and off-screen. I think that’s what makes our chemistry so well. It’s always in remembrance and in motivation of how we’re doing our duty and honoring Paul Walker and now even Kobe Bryant. Making sure we do everything in our power to make the best movie possible. So that it resonates with everyone.”
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These comments come after Vin Diesel paid tribute to the star recently as well. The Fast Saga star said there was “something so special about Kobe.”
“It’s such a shock for us. The world was rocked to the core. He made this world a better world, and for some reason…obviously, there’s the Pablo comparison, the Paul Walker comparison, but what’s ironic is [Kobe] would say to me, ‘How are you doing? I know you miss your brother, Pablo.’”
“Oh, my God, he’s always with me wherever I go,” Diesel reminded Extra. “He’s a huge part of why we make these movies. And why we want them to be so significant. You feel his presence almost in every frame. Something that is so important, and why the quality has to be [there].”
Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s “See You Again” is a special song for many people after its inclusion in Furious 7. The two stars sang the song in tribute to the fallen Lakers star on Friday night. Fans packed the Staples Center for the memorial held before the Los Angeles club’s game against the Portland Trailblazers. Halftime brought the performance and drew out more tears from a crowd that had been emotional from the moment they set foot inside.
Fast & Furious 9 opens May 22
