Paul Walker was instrumental in my segue into fatherhood: Vin Diesel

London: Action star Vin Diesel says his "Fast & Furious" co-star and friend Paul Walker persuaded him to have children. The 49-year-old actor said his late co-star was instrumental in encouraging him to start a family, reported Female First.

"He must've been God-sent because he put me on the right path. He set me up. And when we did the first 'Fast & Furious', I was already 30 years old or something, but he was a father.

"When we were in the cars in between takes, he would tell me, 'Hey, Vin, it's not a scary thing to become a father' [and] give me all the good advice. Next thing I know, I am a dad ... (He) is why I named my daughter Pauline because of the credit that Paul Walker deserves in my personal life," Diesel said.

The "xXx" star said it was Paul who told him to go to hospital and be there for the birth of Pauline, now 18 months. "Paul was very instrumental in my segue into fatherhood. He was the one that told me to go to the hospital.

"He's the one that told me to cut the umbilical cord. He told me to cut the umbilical cord! (He was) the only person, in California, that knew I was about to have a child."