Vin Diesel: Paul Walker was a 'special angel'

Alongside his co-stars of 'Fast and Furious 7', the 47-year-old actor thanked the film's fans for their touching words about his "brother", who died aged just 40 in a car crash in Los Angeles last year.

Speaking at the premiere of the film's trailer, Paul's co-star, Tyrese Gibson said: "Even when that moment happened, of us losing our family and Paul, we all have significant others ... or not, we all have our own immediate circle of family and friends and loved ones, but they didn't know Paul the way we knew Paul.

"So if it wasn't for us meeting up, talking, having those conversations...I mean, me and Michelle [Rodriguez] were hanging for like four or five days straight until I [saw] her smile again."

The 35-year-old singer and actor credited the film's "family" unit for helping them all get through the tragedy of losing a close friend.

He added: "I was at Vin's house, I did everything I could possibly do, you know, Jordana [Brewster] was out of town a lot [filming 'Dallas'] ... we did whatever we had to do as a family to, like, rebuild each other and have the conversation that only we could have, to help us to get through that very rough patch."