It's hard to believe that 20 years have passed since the franchise began.
Archive PhotosGetty Images 1 of 40 Then: Vin Diesel
We’d met Vin Diesel prior to The Fast and the Furious, but not quite like this. The action star perfectly carried the role of street-racer Dominic Toretto, and the rest is history.
CHRIS DELMASGetty Images 2 of 40 Now: Vin Diesel
The Fast and Furious franchise has given us a lot, but most of all, it’s given us Vin Diesel. Since starring in the action film twenty years ago, Diesel has revived his character six times — and has even announced Fast and Furious 10, or Fast X which lands in May 2023.
Kevin WinterGetty Images 3 of 40 Then: Michelle Rodriguez
Michelle Rodriguez was a relatively unknown actress when she appeared as Letty Ortiz in first The Fast and the Furious. Here, the young actress is photographed attending the premiere of the film in 2001.
Paul ArchuletaGetty Images 4 of 40 Now: Michelle Rodriguez
After her big break in The Fast and the Furious, Michelle Rodriguez starred in major films like Blue Crush and Resident Evil.However, the actress is still most well-known for her work in the action films and has continued to portray the love interest of Vin Diesel’s character throughout the Fast and Furious franchise.
Archive PhotosGetty Images 5 of 40 Then: Paul Walker
There aren’t many characters more iconic than Brian O’Conner in Fast and Furious. And Paul Walker soon became just as close to icon status as he played the character throughout the first seven films in the franchise.
Stuart C. WilsonGetty Images 6 of 40 2013: Paul Walker
Shortly after the premiere of The Fast and the Furious 6, Paul Walker was tragically killed in a car accident. The actor, who was in the midst of filming Furious 7, posthumously appeared in the film. There’s even a subtle nod at the end of F9 that the O’Connor character might return in future iterations.
Getty ImagesGetty Images 7 of 40 Then: Jordana Brewster
Jordana Brewster has been a part of the F&F franchise since the very first film. She soon became a fan-favorite as Mia Toretto, the sister of Dominic Toretto and love interest of Brian O’Connor.
Frazer HarrisonGetty Images 8 of 40 Now: Jordana Brewster
While the actress rose to fame through the action films, Jordana Brewster branched out to other genres, appearing in the horror film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. She has continued to reprise her role as the beloved Mia up to the upcoming Fast X.
Ron GalellaGetty Images 9 of 40 Then: Rick Yune
You might remember Rick Yune as Johnny Tran from the first Fast and Furious film. The actor portrayed the leader of a Vietnamese gang and Vin Diesel’s hated rival.
David M. BenettGetty Images 10 of 40 Now: Rick Yune
While Yune didn’t make an appearance in any subsequent Fast and Furious films, the actor did continue landing action roles. He appeared in the James Bond film Die Another Day,as well as Ninja Assassin and Alita: Battle Angel.
Frederick M. BrownGetty Images 11 of 40 Then: Matt Schulze
Matt Schulze starred as Vince, one of the founding crew members in the first Fast and Furious film. After not returning for any of the subsequent films, Shulze reprised his role in the fifth film, Fast Five.
David LivingstonGetty Images 12 of 40 Now: Matt Schulze
Just one year after his breakout role in The Fast and the Furious, Matt Schulze starred in The Transporter with — wait for it — future Fast and Furious cast member, Jason Statham. He is also known for Blade and Blade II. (And yes, he still has those tattoos.)
Vince BucciGetty Images 13 of 40 Then: Ludacris
It wasn’t until the second Fast and Furious film that Ludacris graced us with his screen presence as Tej Parker, technical expert and former racer. Then, it wasn’t until the fifth film that he became a firm member of the crew — but it was worth the wait.
CHRIS DELMASGetty Images 14 of 40 Now: Ludacris
The rapper/actor has now played Tej Parker in six and counting of the Fast films. Ludacris continues to balance his music career with acting credits.
Universal 15 of 40 Then: Eva Mendes
Eva Mendes was relatively unknown when she starred as Monica Fuentes in 2 Fast 2 Furious in 2003. The actress portrayed an undercover U.S. Customs Agent, who just so happened to fall in love with Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker). And yes, this was when the iconic stare and drive move was born.
Phillip FaraoneGetty Images 16 of 40 Now: Eva Mendes
After her role in the Fast and Furious film, Eva Mendes’ career really took off. The actress is known for films like Hitch, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Between the Pines,and many more.
Universal 17 of 40 Then: Tyrese Gibson
While Tyrese Gibson was primarily known for his career as a singer, his appearance in the Fast and Furious franchise (along with his role in 2001’s Baby Boy) firmly established his acting chops. The actor joined the franchise in 2 Fast 2 Furious as Roman Pearce.
Rich FuryGetty Images 18 of 40 Now: Tyrese Gibson
After his Fast and Furious debut, Tyrese Gibson became a longstanding character of the franchise. In between installments, Gibson starred in several other successful films, such as Transformers, Legion,and Annapolis.
Universal 19 of 40 Then: Ja Rule
Who can forget about Ja Rule appearing in the first film of the Fast and Furious series!? The rapper was only a minor character, but honestly, he made a big impact.
Mindy SmallGetty Images 20 of 40 Now: Ja Rule
Unfortunately, Ja Rule didn’t reprise his role of Edwin in any of the longstanding series sequels. He continues to work as a rapper and performer — and was infamously bamboozled as an investor in the Fyre Festival.
Universal 21 of 40 Then: Lucas Black
Lucas Black began his journey with the Fast and Furious franchise during the third installment, Tokyo Drift. Portraying Sean Boswell, he quickly became an important character in the film.
CBS Photo ArchiveGetty Images 22 of 40 Now: Lucas Black
After appearing in the third film, Lucas Black shifted his career to television with roles on American Gothic and later NCIS: New Orleans. However, Black returned as Sean Boswell for the franchise’s ninth film, F9.
Universal 23 of 40 Then: Sung Kang
Sung Kang landed his first major role on The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Playing Han Lue, a Korean mechanic and street racer, Sung Kang quickly became a fan favorite.
CHRIS DELMASGetty Images 24 of 40 Now: Sung Kang
Sung Kang appeared in five of the Fast and Furious sequels. Thanks to the fan-lead Twitter campaign #JusticeforHan, he’s returning with gusto in the latest film, F9 and the upcoming Fast X as well.
Universal 25 of 40 Then: Charlize Theron
Yup, that is Charlize Theron in blonde dredlocks as Cipher, a cyber terrorist who is introduced to the Fast and Furious crew in the 2017 film, The Fast of Furious.
Frazer HarrisonGetty Images 26 of 40 Now: Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron was already a mega-movie star when she graced our screens in Fast and Furious. MOre recently, she earned acclaim for her portrayal of Megyn Kelly in Bombshell returned as Cipher in the 2021 film, F9: The Fast Saga.
Universal 27 of 40 Then: Nathalie Emmanuel
Nathalie Emmanuel joined the cast of Fast and Furious as Ramsey, the crew’s resident hacker, in 2015. Before that, she was on a little show called Game of Thrones.
Kurt Krieger – CorbisGetty Images 28 of 40 Now: Nathalie Emmanuel
Emmanuel returned in 2017 as Ramsey in The Fate of the Furious. The actress then finished out her role as Missandei on Game of Thrones and landed one of the starring roles in the TV adaption of Four Weddings and a Funeral. Don’t worry, she’s back for Fast X.
Universal 29 of 40 Then: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
In 2011, the Fast and Furious franchise made the fantastic decision of including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the series. The actor appeared as Agent Luke Hobbs for the first time in The Fast Five.
NBCGetty Images 30 of 40 Now: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
The Rock is…well, he’s The Rock. His profile has only grown even more since his Fast and Furious role, becoming one of the most bankable stars in the world. Among his many, many successful movies was his own Fast and Furious sequel: 2019’s Hobbs and Shaw.
Keyword: The Stars of The Fast & The Furious, Then & Now