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# ‘Timeline’ star no Superman, but still flies high
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/timeline-star-no-superman-but-still-flies-high/
- Published: 2003-11-21T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:15:42.000Z
- Author: Dan Dunn
- Tags: Entertainment, Santa Monica, #archive-import

You gotta wonder just a little bit about a 30-year-old actor who claims the single most influential artist in his life is a one-hit hippie from the late ’80s.

“I am who I am today because of Edie Brickell. I tell people that all the time,” says Paul Walker of the folksy frontwoman of the New Bohemians. Hard to believe that prosaic pap such as “What I Am?” could have stirred the soul of one of Hollywood’s hottest leading men, but then again, there’s no accounting for taste, celeb or otherwise. If the star of such films as “Varsity Blues” and “The Fast And The Furious” thinks Brickell’s the bomb, well, who are we to judge?

Walker was reared in Southern California, and he looks, talks and vibes like the die-hard surfer he’s been most of his life. Acting, he maintains, is merely his job. The pursuit of a tasty wave and the love of family are true passions. Walker’s latest film, “Timeline,” sends him back to the Middle Ages — a great place to visit, he says, but you wouldn’t want to live there.

QUESTION: So what was it like being dropped into the middle of a feudal war in the 14th Century?

PAUL WALKER: I have a fascination with the Medieval period. I grew up using a trashcan lid as a shield and a stick for a sword. The thing that’s so cool is that it was just so raw. There weren’t really any rules. Everyone acted on their own accord. And the guys that were really cool were the knights, because, for whatever reason — maybe it was just an innate thing — they were good people who lived by a code of honor. I like that. But when I think of the Black Plague, the stench, women with hairy legs, unclean drinking water, no toilets — stuff like that goes through my head.

Q: You turned down the role of Superman in a planned big-budget trilogy. With all the exposure and money that was at stake, that must have been a difficult decision to make.

PW: I asked (“Timeline” director Richard Donner) if he thought I needed to do “Superman.” He asked, “For what?” and I said for financial reasons. He told me, “No, kid. You do it if you want to do it.” I said I don’t think I want to die as Superman, and he said “Well, that’s your answer.” He’s like a father figure to me. His opinion means a lot to me. You won’t find anyone in the industry who tells it to you straighter than Richard Donner.

Q: But published reports indicated that you did seriously consider taking the part. Are there any regrets?

PW: There was pressure to do it. The real pressure came from my representatives, and from thinking about my family. You know, I want everyone to live (well). My mom and my dad, especially, because they don’t have a lot of money. I hope one day to have the family compound on the big island of Hawaii. Having a jet to fly everyone out for Christmas sounds pretty sweet, too. So that was the hardest part, because signing on as Superman would have meant a lot of money for me and my family.

Q: Your first big break came in 1998 when you co-starred in “Pleasantville.” How has your life changed since then?

PW: I went from being completely crazy and super-scrambled to juggling a career, making money and being a father. Now I feel like I’m kinda zoning, just kinda cool. I think I got it nailed down pretty tight.

Q: So you’re not one of those stars who constantly gripe about a loss of privacy?

PW: That’s such a bunch of crap. I’ll tell you right now, people who whine about people bothering them and that sort of thing, well, they can get away from that. Yeah, you’re going to have paparazzi and this and that, but the bottom line is, if you don’t want people bugging you, don’t go to the mall.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 21, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/112103.pdf?ref=smdp.com)