Fast & Furious films: Things you might not know

FROM what Michelle Rodriguez really thinks about her co-stars to how they actually film those crazy car stunts. Here’s what you never knew.

FANS just can’t seem to get enough of Fast & Furious movies.

The franchise’s latest instalment, Furious 7, is the biggest movie in the world right now, pulling in more than $497 million worldwide since being released last week.

Even though people are flocking to see it, how much do they really know about the high octane films?

Here are some fun facts about all seven Fast & Furious movies:

Not impressed:

When the cast first met back in 2001, it’s fair to say Michelle Rodriguez didn’t think much of her co-stars.

“I was like, ‘Who’s the Kenny Barbie doll?’ when I looked at Paul (Walker),” Rodriguez said to MTV in 2013.

“I thought Jordana (Brewster) was a prissy ninny. I thought Vin (Diesel) was a d**k ... and I was wrong about each and every one of them.”

The Fast and the Furious cast from the first film in 2001.

The Mic Rig:

It’s not that easy to act and drive at high speeds at the same time, so to help the actors, stunt director Mic Rodgers developed what became known as the ‘Mic Rig’.

“The ‘Mic Rig’ is essentially an elongated van with a flat-bed on which we mount the picture car,” said Rodgers.

“Because that flat-bed is much lower than previous driving rigs, the car is just slightly higher than it would be if its wheels were actually touching the ground. The ‘Mic Rig’ can pretty much do anything that a car can do.”

The Mic Rig. Photo: exoticpursuits.com

Vin Diesel’s favourite car:

Out of all of the amazing cars featured in the films, Vin Diesel said the red 1970 Chevy Chevelle is his personal favourite, so much so that he has kept it in the family.

“My daughter was born while we were shooting Fast & Furious [in 2008],” he said to MTV.

“[The film] opened on April 2 [2009] which was my daughter’s first birthday and I gave her the red Chevelle.”

That’s a pretty impressive present for a one-year-old.

This car now belongs to Vin Diesel’s daughter.

The Rock:

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has appeared in the past three Fast & Furious movies but it turns out he owes his inclusion in the films to a single Facebook comment.

“Before Dwayne ever came on for Fast Five, there was a girl named Jan Kelly who wrote a comment [on Facebook] and said: ‘I would love it if you and Dwayne were in a movie together - can he be in Fast?’” said Vin Diesel on The Talk.

“Initially the role that he plays was written for a Tommy Lee Jones type, and after hearing that and the studio getting excited about it, he became Hobbs.”

Dwayne Johnson and Elsa Pataky in a scene from Fast & Furious 5.

License:

Neither Jordana Brewster or Michelle Rodriguez had driver licences when they landed their roles in The Fast and the Furious.

They both got them before filming started, but learning to drive specifically for a movie all about speeding hasn’t exactly been great for Rodriguez’s legal record.

“I got such a bad record with speeding,” she said to ET. “After 11 points on your license, you’re like, ‘Yo, where’s that Prius at? I’m dropping this M3 somewhere.’”

Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez on the red carpet for Fast and Furious 7.

Special effects:

According the Vulture, special effects are used in the Fast & Furious films to make it appear as if all of the lead males are roughly the same height when in real life, they’re definitely not.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is actually 196cm tall, Vin Diesel is 182cm tall and Paul Walker was 188cm tall.

But they look the same here don’t they?

Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson face off.

Bonus:

In the seven films, 60 vehicles have been flipped and 60 police cars have been damaged.

Flipped.

Originally published as Fast & Furious films: Things you might not know