Prior to the release of the long-awaited sequel to The Fast and the Furious, we talked to the three big stars of 2 Fast 2 Furious; Tyrese Gibson, Paul Walker and Eva Mendes. Here’s what Viewlondon reviewer Matthew turner found out.

Tyrese, how did you feel about moving into this team that had been partially created already?
Tyrese Gibson (TG) : Actually, I was involved in the first one. I did a little extra work, peeking my head around the set, you know, hoping that one day I might get that call to be a part of the second one.

But being a part of the sequel was a no-brainer, when I got the call I was like Let's do it, you know what I'm saying? I was just honoured that they had me in mind because I'd only been in one other movie so I was like Why you calling little old bitty me?

Paul, after the first film you bought one of these cars. Have you been racing in between times? Strictly legally of course?
Paul Walker (PW) : Yeah. Of course. The car I purchased was a Nissan Skyline R34, V Spec 2 and I'm on my fourth one. You guys are really fortunate because you can buy those here.

How fast does it go, not that you'd ever drive at that speed?
PW: It's putting out at just shy of 900 horsepower so it's fast. Top speed just over 200. I spend a lot of time on the track, actually. I love racing. It's one of those things ever since I was a kid, you know? I dreamed about being an auto racer one day and being in that movie I had the opportunity to make some pretty substantial contacts in the automobile industry and believe me I took advantage of it.

Eva Mendes (EM) : Well, I drive a Range Rover but we need to talk about my first car. My first car was cool, it was a 1956 Ford Mustang, original interior, vinyl top, I mean it was amazing.

PW: And what happened to that car, Eva?

EM: I crashed it, Paul! Yeah…

Tyrese?
TG: Well, since this is my first movie, I'm driving a Volkswagen Beetle, but I'm going to change really soon, man.

Did you do your own stunts on the movie and was there anything you weren't allowed to do?
TG: Yeah, we pissed a lot of stunt drivers off. John wanted us to do as much driving as possible but I wasn't willing to lose a leg for Universal, myself. I think the biggest challenge was to find a stunt driver with a head about the size of mine. We had a pretty strenuous stunt driver audition trying to find someone with the same size head.

Paul, in 2 Fast 2 Furious you're an all-out action hero. I was wondering, would you consider playing James Bond?
PW: Evidently you haven't heard me talk yet. Bond. James Bond. I can't even say it.

Did you do much driving?
PW: I got behind the wheel quite a bit, which made it fun. I think we were two weeks in before I got to do any driving though. Well, actually I got a bit heated at one point because John and I talked and I thought it was pretty clear that I was going to be driving as much as possible.

If John could have had it his way we would have gone ahead and gone with it from the get-go, but unfortunately there's this thing called insurance and the insurance company, for whatever reason, didn't like the idea of me being behind the wheel that much, so it took a while before I managed to get behind the wheel but we got to drive around quite a bit.

Whenever I got to work with the stuntmen, that was the best. I knew I was being allowed to do something actors aren't normally allowed to do. But upon getting in the car, I'd look over at the stuntmen and see them raising their eyebrows like 'Oh man, they're really going to let this kid do it?' but I got to mix it up quite a bit.

I was wondering if the cast are all willing to return for another installment, if there's going to be one?
TG: Well, I'm going to be like Vin Diesel and ask for a load more money.

How realistic is the film in terms of the street racing?
PW: Actually, what we did, that's like the craze in Japan right now. What we did in the first race? That's what they're doing right now. Japan's two steps ahead of us, they set the standard in street racing.

One of the attractions of the film is all the gadgets and so on. Are any of the cast prepared to admit to taking any freebies?
EM: God, you know, I'm like the worst person to answer that but I didn't get to drive, I don't know if I mentioned that already? No, I don't know, I think they overpaid me. No, that's a joke.

TG: My deal went from, like, two dollars and it went from that to a layaway plan and it worked out for me really well.

I gather they have an Eva Mendes Day in Miami - is that true?
EM: Oh wow, yeah, they did. They granted me a day, it's March 8th and what the hell does that mean?

PW: I want a day in Miami!

EM: You do? You could probably get one now.

PW: Yeah, give me the key to the city!

Paul, you've got a much higher profile now, what are the ups and downs of that?
PW: To be honest with you, I don't think things have really changed that much. I mean I get a few more offers and so on but as far as being recognised and loss of privacy, I don't really experience that too much.

I don't spend a whole lot of time in Hollywood, you know, I show up there for work. Other than that I'm usually hanging out with my family, doing things I did when I was a kid, surfing and so on, so things haven't changed that much. That's no joke. More offers, a little more work, I'm getting paid a little more, that's really the only difference.