Over the years, the Fast & Furious franchise has become wildly successful, hauling in nearly $6 billion at the box office so far. Its films are known for high-octane action. In addition, the Fast & Furious films are also among those that defined the one last job genre quite well.
The films’ success can also be attributed to its incredible cast. In fact, Dwayne Johnson’s Fast & Furious movies are considered among his best films today. On the other hand, there are also other actors who delivered quite a performance in the franchise, although you may have already forgotten them.
Reggie Lee
Lee appeared in the 2001 original, The Fast and the Furious as Lance Nguyen, the cousin of main villain Johnny Tran. He had some significant screen time but his character could have been utilized more. Also, if you think about it, one of the things that don’t make sense in the Fast & Furious series is that Lee’s character never returns to avenge the death of his cousin.
If that were to happen, the franchise wouldn’t even have to think about actors who would perfect as the next villain. They would just bring Lance back instead. After all, it's possible that he survived his bike crash.
Johnny Strong
Just like Lee, Strong also appeared in the first film. Instead of playing a villain though, he played a man named Leon who part of Dominic’s original crew. If you ask Strong, however, it was completely expected for the character to disappear.
While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, the actor explained, “If you watch the film and you understand the characters, it would be understandable that he would disappear and move on, just as he showed up.” Perhaps, by utilizing some unused ideas from the Fast saga though, Strong’s Leon can return in some capacity.
Chad Lindberg
Lindberg’s Jesse was a well-loved member of Dom’s family who also appeared in the 2001 film. In fact, if you rank the Fast & Furious family according to likability, this character would be near the top of the list if you can just remember him.
Among Dom’s crew, Jesse was quite the genius. He had some serious math skills and knew his way around engines. In the film, Jesse even famously explained that there’s “something about engines that calms me down.” Sadly, Jesse doesn’t survive in the end after he gets gunned down outside Dom’s house.
Matt Schulze
Schulze’s Vince was a prominent character in The Fast and the Furious. If you can recall, he was a member of Dom’s crew who was also trying to win Mia’s affections.
Vince was also among the strongest men in the team and that is no surprise, considering Schulze spent four hours a day at the gym while preparing for the role. Meanwhile, it also turns out that the actor developed his character himself, telling Hollywood.com, “I basically wrote most of my own stuff and brought that character to life.”
Eva Mendes
Mendes starred in 2 Fast 2 Furious as Monica Fuentes, an undercover U.S. Customs agent who ends up working with the late Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner. Since then, fans haven’t seen much of her, except in a little teaser towards in the credits of Fast Five.
That’s because incorporating Monica again has been tricky. “I could never figure out a way anyway,” Lin admitted while speaking with Indie Wire. “So the best way to incorporate her was the tag.” Despite her brief stint in the franchise, what Mendes wore as Monica became on the best outfits she’s rocked for a movie.
Devon Aoki
Like Mendes, the model/actor also appeared in 2003's 2 Fast 2 Furious as Suki. Suki is one of O’Conner’s friends who also enjoys participating in street races. Unbeknownst to many, however, Aoki didn’t really have any driving experience prior to landing the role.
“I actually didn't have a license when I first got the role,” Aoki confessed while speaking with the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “And when I went to Miami for pre-production, I had to do a two-week crash course, learning how to drive.”
Nathalie Kelly
Kelly appeared in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift as Neela, who was a love interest to Lucas Black’s Sean Boswell. The problem is, Sean had a serious rival in Brian Tee’s D.K. While making the film, Kelly was also surprised that she got to keep her Australian accent.
“Funnily enough, I’d come out here and tried to teach myself to lose it,” the actress revealed while speaking with Moviehole. “Then, they decided they wanted it for this film, so I had to sort-of re-learn it.” Today, it is unclear if Kelly would ever reprise her role in the franchise.
Gina Carano
Gina Carano was introduced in Fast & Furious 6 as DSS agent Riley Hicks who later turns out to be an accomplice of Owen Shaw. In the film, Carano’s character famously gets into an intense physical fight with Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty and that was a scene that the women had rehearsed “until we were absolutely sick of it.”
That said, Carano also told Collider, “That made it, on the day, so much easier to perform, like a dance that we had done over and over and over…”
Ronda Rousey
Rousey ended up getting cast in the franchise as Kara, a bodyguard to a prince in Abu Dhabi in 2015's Furious 7. Just like Carano, Rousey also got to share a fight scene with Rodriguez’s character. While talking about the scene, the actress told E! News, “Heels, designer dresses, marble floors...It was the most intense and painful fight that any of the guys could possibly have.”
Meanwhile, Rousey also said that she’s truly grateful for Diesel’s “advice and mentoring.” She remarked, “I’m very appreciative to him for everything.”
Djimon Hounsou
Hounsou may have starred in the Guardians of the Galaxy but as it turns out, he never got to share a scene with Diesel’s Groot. In Furious 7, the Oscar-nominated actor starred as Mose Jakande, a Nigerian mercenary who decides to work with Shaw. Unfortunately, some felt that the character wasn’t as well-developed as it could have been.
That may have something to do with the decision to make changes to the film following the unexpected death of beloved cast member Paul Walker. In the wake of the tragedy, the ending had been changed.