Vin Diesel Explains Why Rita Moreno's Casting In Fast X Makes Perfect Sense

Besides fast cars and daring heists, one of the underlying aspects of the "Fast & Furious" franchise is family. This isn't to say that the only family one has are the people that share similar genetics, but also the friends that one chooses. They often say that blood is thicker than water, but the phrase really refers to how the bonds that are chosen are stronger than those that are given. Of course, when you throw in some fast cars and illegal street racing, family begins to take on an exciting new direction.

Fans of the "Fast" franchise have already been given snippets from the early life of Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel). In the previous movie, "F9," audiences were treated to Dom's backstory involving his father (JD Pardo) and brother Jakob (John Cena), which forms one of the major plots of the movie. Now with "Fast X" on the horizon, another family member from Dom's life will be front and center, and this time it is his grandmother, played by the legendary Rita Moreno.

In May 2022, Diesel took to Instagram to express his excitement and released a short clip with him, Moreno, and Michelle Rodriguez where he said, "It's been my dream forever to work with Rita Moreno, and the fact that she's here playing my grandmother makes my soul smile. I'm so blessed." So, besides loving the fact that he gets a chance to work with an iconic actress, Diesel recently explained the exact reasoning as to why she was cast, and it definitely deals with Moreno's long and extensive career.

Speaking with ET Online, Vin Diesel explained some of the major influences in his life, and how it relates to the "Fast & Furious" franchise. He first started off by saying how important family is to the overall theme of the "Fast" saga, and how one of the most important moments of the first film is when Dom is talking about his father. Diesel then added that he felt like audiences would want to see more of Dom's family at some point, and that it would be a treat for fans to see the powerful women in Dom's life that have influenced his behavior. "My hero has always been Sidney Poitier, so, my whole life, I have been like, Sidney Poitier was the guy that opened the doors for my father and everyone in the world, but five years earlier, Rita Moreno won an Oscar, and nobody really thinks about that, and kind of realizes how much of a pioneer she was," Diesel elaborated. 

"And so, the Latin community has always embraced this family so deeply, and we've always responded by the incredible cast that we've included like, Don Omar and Tego Calderón, and there was something special about saying, this iconic character, this regal and incredible talent in Rita Moreno, is responsible for the DNA of the Toretto," the actor continued. This makes sense, considering that Moreno is the first Latino actor to win all four major entertainment awards, according to Women's History. It also highlights that Diesel himself appreciates the history of Hollywood and those that were willing to shatter preconceived notions and boundaries, like the aforementioned Poitier and Moreno, and to honor these trailblazers in any way he can.