In this article Past jobs for Vin Diesel

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Vin Diesel means business

From cracking heads as a bouncer to saving the universe in the cineplex, this symbol of multiculturalism calls the shots. Got a problem with that?

By Jamie Malanowski

The world is full of people who spent chunks of their childhoods playing "Dungeons & Dragons", but hardly any played quite as cool a version as Vin Diesel did. The son of a theater director, Diesel grew up in a Manhattan housing development reserved for actors, dancers and others in the arts. "The way we played was very theatrical," he says. "When we had maps, the maps were pieces of art, and when the players had to do something, they performed it. I was Melkor." Diesel jumps up and announces the name in a voice so deep it could jiggle bedrock. He grins ear to ear. "When an arrow flew past your head in our game, it flew past your head!"

An imagination trained on "D&D" is on full display next weekend in the sci-fi extravaganza "The Chronicles of Riddick." This sequel to 2000's "Pitch Black" makes a gigantic leap forward in both production values and vision. It's five years later, and merciless murderer Richard Riddick (Diesel) finds himself in a conflict where the future of the galaxy hangs in the balance. If there's any doubt about the class of Riddick's new neighborhood, note that the ethereal ambassador from the Elemental race is played by Judi Dench.

The story's expanded vision is mostly due to Diesel. There is no "Lord of the Rings"-type literature to base Riddick's adventures on, no "Spider-Man" series of comics -- just the actor working out a set of ideas with various screenwriters, most especially director David Twohy. Diesel, who is credited as a producer, continued his inspirational duties during filming.

Co-star Alexa Davalos says: "Vin's a huge motivator. The actors would sit around the set, and Vin would tell us, 'This is what happened to your character,' and 'Your character belongs here in the scheme of things,' and he was so passionate it was contagious."

Perhaps Diesel is so fascinated by mythology because his life is full of mythic moments. His first break came at age 7, when little Mark Vincent (his real name) and his playmates were making mischief in a theater they mistook for an abandoned space. The director caught them, and instead of shooing them off or calling the cops, she gave them lines to learn. Rewarded with applause and $20, Diesel discovered a career.

Twenty years later, making little progress as an actor, Diesel -- he took the name from body-building slang that means "muscled" -- saved money he made as a nightclub bouncer and made a short called "Multi-Facial." The film is an acting tour de force: As an actor shuttling from audition to audition, the biracial Diesel convincingly portrays an Italian street tough, an angry Hispanic lover and a rapper before delivering a moving monologue about his desire to become "not a black actor, just an actor." The short was shown at Cannes in 1995 and soon got noticed by Steven Spielberg, who then wrote a plum role for Diesel in "Saving Private Ryan," which soon led to movies like "Iron Giant," "The Fast and the Furious" and "XXX."

"The money doesn't interest me," he says, not completely convincingly, about reports of commanding $20 million a movie. "First, you don't really get $20 million. Second, it's like Biggie Smalls said: 'More money, more problems.' " Diesel has a beleaguered look when he says this. "What excites me is the chance to be productive. I worked hard for a long time to get to this place."

Now Diesel is very much in a sweet spot. One film is opening; he's shooting another, is deep into planning a third and has pulled together a bunch of ideas for a fourth. He describes himself simply as "a man who's caught the wave and is riding it for all it's worth." Diesel so easily switches the discussion from project to project that he jokes he's diagnosed himself with ADD. He's just bursting to talk about the combat choreography in "Chronicles;" or the military innovations of Hannibal, the Carthaginian general he hopes to play next year; or the scene he's just shot in "The Pacifier," a 2005 comedy in which he directs a bunch of kids in a production of "The Sound of Music."

No sooner does he say that than he fills the cozy backroom in the tony Toronto restaurant where we're talking with the sounds of Rodgers and Hammerstein. "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens," he sings, a little crustily. But his voice is on key and not unpleasant, lending credibility to his next claim, that he's tried to woo Nicole Kidman to play opposite him in a remake of "Guys and Dolls."

He lights up a cigarette. "I'm a social smoker," he says, "and I hate it. I won't do it in front of kids."

He says he's ready to settle down. "I'm 36 and enjoying this phase of my life, but I want a family very much," Diesel says. "The question is finding the right person, and so far I haven't." He maintains he has little interest in pursuing the kind of splashy Hollywood life that would land him in the gossip columns. He says he's a reformed extrovert, content to haunt the periphery of the few parties he attends. His avocations remain working out and playing video games -- "my drug of choice." His company, Tigon Studios, is working with outside development teams to create new titles for major video game publishers.

Tigon's first release, "The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay" (Xbox), preceded the movie by two weeks. The game serves as a prequel to "Pitch Black," explaining how Riddick got to be the moody, misunderstood character we meet in the films. More and more, Diesel says, video games are essentially interactive movies. "Seeing the "Grand Theft Auto" commercial, which sells not the game-playing, but the characters and dialogue and ambience, I realized games seemed like a place where I could explore my imagination without limits."

The question about Diesel the actor is whether he will expand beyond popcorn pictures. Unlike many action stars, says Brian Koppelman, who co-directed him in "Knockaround Guys," "Vin can really act. I hope he picks projects where he'll continue to grow and not just [be] a brand."

Diesel acknowledges most of his hits have an action component but says blowing stuff up and pithy post-killing catchphrases aren't the hook when he chooses roles. "Right now, for example, Spike Lee wants me to play Joe Louis," he says. "A very physical character, obviously. But the boxing is the least of the reasons why I'd be interested in that part."

When asked, point blank, if he is in fact a tough guy, Diesel pauses. He seems reluctant to have this become the dominant aspect of his persona. "I guess," he answers. "I used to be a bouncer. I'd get into fights every night."

It would be interesting to see Diesel play Louis, a man who in the '40s was a symbol of his race. In recent years, Diesel has become something of a symbol of multiculturalism. In spite of his mixed-race background, he has adamantly refused to be pigeonholed; even his production company is called One Race Films.

"It's ironic," he says, "that in refusing a label I've acquired the multicultural label. But I'm proud I've played a role in erasing these barriers." Growing up, he had a lot of questions about his ethnic origins and what they made him. "I'm hoping I can show kids where you came from isn't as important as what you can make of yourself."

Although Diesel finds his work, in a word, "fun," there is a question of whether he will ever find that special someone he can spoil with affection and cook waffles for on the weekend. "Will I ever? You tell me," he says, and smiles. "Meanwhile, I'm having a blast."

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On-the-job training

Before Vin Diesel became famous, he had to struggle like everyone else. But even the most mundane jobs can help build the skills needed to become a movie star. A look at some of Diesel's past careers:

Bouncer
Why he did it: To make a little money while being part of New York's club scene.
Skills needed: Courage, alertness, ability to look cool with a clipboard.
How it helped: By turning away people night after night, he perfected an intimidating glare that would serve him well in hits like "XXX."

Telemarketer
Why he did it: To raise money for his self-produced early feature film, "Strays."
Skills needed: Confidence, persistence, a willingness to interrupt people at dinner.
How it helped: Being repeatedly hung up on helped build a thick skin needed to fend off critics and paparazzi.

Struggling screenwriter
Why he did it: To make his first short, "Multi-Facial."
Skills needed: Creativity, literacy, typing.
How it helped: By putting his career in his own hands, he created the part he was born to play: himself.

-- Bryan Tucker

Photograph by Andrew Macpherson, Corbis