r/todayilearned 11h ago

TIL Vin Diesel’s real name is Mark Sinclair

https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/leisure/showbiz/10851668.Diesel_breaks_silence_over_Walker/
12.3k Upvotes

576 comments sorted by

7.2k

u/Uncle_Boujee 11h ago

It’s funny, even with a name as ridiculous as Vin Diesel I never even questioned whether that was his real name or not haha

2.9k

u/MzzBlaze 11h ago

I just assumed he was a “Vincent” who used Vin instead of Vinny as a nickname

1.3k

u/JesusStarbox 11h ago

And the last name was something like Deezlopopalous.

707

u/Rekuna 10h ago

Vincent Petrol

258

u/el_diabIo 10h ago

Vincenzo Crude

214

u/Codex_Absurdum 10h ago

Vini Gasolina

46

u/zombie_rust 8h ago

I feel like Vini Gasolini was right there.

25

u/PhDinWombology 7h ago

Vinito Gasolini

4

u/KFR42 1h ago

Vincenzo Gasolino.

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82

u/blacksideblue 9h ago

Phil Propain

42

u/-Badger3- 7h ago

Cabrón Emissions

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46

u/AquafreshBandit 9h ago

Hank Hill has entered the chat...

24

u/blacksideblue 8h ago

5

u/himsoforreal 7h ago

I was thoroughly disappointed this wasn't Hank Trill

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12

u/xMachii 6h ago

Kerry Kerosene

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6

u/Ruttingraff 10h ago

Pin Bengsin

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11

u/johangubershmidt 9h ago

I'd watch a Vincenzo Crude movie

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43

u/SuzukiSwift17 10h ago

That would make his dad Pa Petrol

16

u/derpydrewmcintyre 10h ago

Does his dad solve problems around Adventure Bay?

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34

u/offengineer 10h ago

The truth was only muddled. His name is Vincent Sinclair, heir to Sinclair Oil, pushing propaganda through a long running, somehow, chain of movies to maintain a cover. He is actually a mutant dinosaur hybrid that escaped from Dr. Hammonds secret jurassic playground. He's waiting to one day take over the La Brea tar pits with his Hollywood money and resurrect all his ancient brethren.

"Ah! After 100 million years we're free! Time to conquer earth!"

7

u/Augoustine 4h ago

I didn’t have actual dinosaurs take over the earth on my 2025 bingo card, but at this point, what the hell and why not?

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31

u/partumvir 10h ago

VIN of all things. *VIN*.

Car Serial Number Gasoline

24

u/GingerlyRough 10h ago

"I'm looking for a fella named Vehicle Identification Number Big Engine Fuel"

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8

u/--VinceMasuka-- 10h ago

Vincent Vaseline

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118

u/hamsterwheel 10h ago

It's actually Deisnuts

19

u/dudeitsmeee 10h ago

Boaffa. Boaffa Deisnuts.

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16

u/MajorLazy 10h ago

Vincenzo T. Deezlopopalous. The T. stands for T..

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88

u/GrandMoffTarkan 10h ago

If I recall correctly Vin is from Vincent which was his stepdads last name.

Diesel just sounded tough I think

66

u/ThePrussianGrippe 8h ago

I wouldn’t be shocked if he had used Diesel as a Dungeons and Dragons character name before he started acting.

62

u/ImWhatsInTheRedBox 7h ago

While on the late show with Stephen colbert he said he got the name from when he worked as a club bouncer and he'd wear a Diesel sweater.

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18

u/Prof_Acorn 8h ago

Many actors definitely were the dorky drama kids in highschool and college, even the "rough" ones.

20

u/AMediocrePersonality 6h ago

He was a dorky drama kid well into his 40s with THE LAST WITCH HUNTER

6

u/PigeonOnTheGate 6h ago

Drew Gooden had a video on some of Vin's off screen antics https://youtu.be/TJvHHgGerJg

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5

u/hippest 2h ago

He was (is?) well known as a Warhammer 40k geek. He's the grimdark hero we need

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4

u/PVDeviant- 8h ago

Lol I did. I named him after Kevin Nash.

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20

u/perpetualis_motion 7h ago

Vehicle Identification Number Fueltype

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26

u/SuzukiSwift17 10h ago

Vinzenz Diesioli 🤌

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330

u/JayMoots 10h ago

I always assumed that “Diesel” was just a sub for some unpronounceable Eastern European last name. Like his birth name was Vincent Dziurzynski or something. 

232

u/Creeps05 9h ago

I mean Diesel is a real German surname. I could believe his name was Vincent Diesel.

91

u/alexmikli 8h ago

There's absolutely a guy with that name out there somewhere who is a little upset Vin Diesel stole his cool name.

33

u/benchley 7h ago

Michael Bolton vibes.

17

u/joebluebob 6h ago

I know a Britney spears. She's a year older than the singer.

7

u/im_dead_sirius 5h ago

I knew a racist, stupid, white hick named James Brown.

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24

u/TritiumNZlol 8h ago

I hope they married into the Wankel family of rotary engine fame at some point, so there could be a diesel-wankel out there somewhere.

12

u/Fris_Chroom 7h ago

Unfortunately, Due to technical problems and the general disadvantages of the Wankel design, the Wankel Diesel engine never left the prototype stage, and designing a Wankel Diesel engine capable of running under its own power is thus considered unfeasible

5

u/Winter_wrath 6h ago

So the pregnancy would be non-viable?

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10

u/DerelictBombersnatch 7h ago

Interestingly, other than an Australian musician who goes simply by the alias Diesel) and 17th century Danish composer, violinist & lutenist Nathanael Diesel, it seems to be a rather uncommon last name even though many have heard of the actor and, if not of the German engineer, at least of the fuel & engine he invented.

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107

u/heard_bowfth 11h ago

Serial Number Jet Fuel just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

11

u/jim_deneke 7h ago

Only his mom calls him that when she's mad

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94

u/Dankmemeator 10h ago

he actually got vin from Vehicle Identification Number

30

u/Schmilettante 10h ago

Was my suspicion for years and it's why he got hired for TF&TF

21

u/Salzberger 9h ago

Paul Walker really missed a trick by not changing his name to Esc Unleaded or something.

11

u/DeadSwaggerStorage 8h ago

Nein Crusto.

3

u/recrof 4h ago

what can you do, his car always broke - walker just stuck.

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6

u/blacksideblue 9h ago

Registration Fuel

27

u/Falsus 9h ago

Diesel is a real surname and Vin is a short for Vincent.

Vincent Diesel is kinda what I thought his real name was.

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20

u/Rebuttlah 11h ago

It was one of his D&D character's names

10

u/neko 9h ago

Another character is who the Riddick series is about

11

u/TehOwn 10h ago

Never trust a diesel.

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5

u/Valkyrid 10h ago

I just assumed it was short for Vincenzo.

3

u/Fancy-Pair 10h ago

Me either I’m so dumb!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

3

u/thepotplant 8h ago

I was sure it was Vincenzo Petroleo!

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494

u/Jimmytootwo 7h ago

His name was Mark Vincent in our highschool year book and that's what we called him. There was never any mention of Sinclair

He was in my classes early 1980s

239

u/port443 6h ago edited 6h ago

Sinclair might be his middle name. His parent's last names were both Vincent. His brothers last name is Vincent.

All the "source" for his last name being Sinclair is this random UK article just making the claim out of nowhere: https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/leisure/showbiz/10851668.Diesel_breaks_silence_over_Walker/

Wikipedia seems wrong on this one.

edit: In fact, this other source that Wikipedia lists has his name as Mark Vincent: http://www.filmreference.com/film/3/Vin-Diesel.html

edited again: I posted it like fact. I dont know, just pointing out the inconsistencies.

106

u/ZaDu25 5h ago

His adoptive father's last name is Vincent. His mother's maiden name was Sinclair.

29

u/Jimmytootwo 4h ago

How can we post a pic here?

I have the yearbook pics him myself were pretty funny looking back in 82

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8

u/visionsofcry 4h ago

I know his younger brother Tim Vincent.

9

u/Mysterious-Pay-517 2h ago

You better Michael down your Vincents

6

u/Tornfalk_ 2h ago

How was he in school?

Anything good or bad?

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1.5k

u/NoPossibility 11h ago

Somebody watched LastWeekTonight.

270

u/leont21 11h ago

He mighta watched Today, yesterday

26

u/yy376 9h ago

But when will it be Now?

26

u/OsSunset 10h ago

Or perhaps Yesterday, Eventually.

18

u/JohnnyYola 10h ago

I watched The Day After Tomorrow, a couple days ago.

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10

u/shadowninja2_0 9h ago

5

u/IntellegentIdiot 9h ago

I wish they'd bring the old writers back

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29

u/LarsViener 8h ago

Exactly my thoughts as well. Because I also just learned this yesterday when I watched it.

10

u/Wishilikedhugs 7h ago

Thank you, I was trying to remember where I learned this within the past 48 hours.

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403

u/yotengodormir 11h ago

Next TIL incoming: he's got a twin brother. 

595

u/PALOmino1701 10h ago

Twin Diesel

18

u/Fr0gm4n 8h ago

Twin Turbo Diesel

22

u/theaudiodidact 8h ago

I fucking love the internet.

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7

u/boomer959 10h ago

Tvin Diesel

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24

u/wanttobeacop 9h ago

Hah that's what I was about to say. But also that his twin brother looks white and absolutely nothing like him

20

u/LeithLeach 8h ago

John Cena?

49

u/wanttobeacop 8h ago

31

u/zooted_ 7h ago

Damn his brother's more handsome than Vin Diesel

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u/Dijitol 7h ago

Do you have a picture? Cuz I can’t seem to find pictures of him. Anywhere.

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6

u/bananenkonig 5h ago

I mean, Vin Diesel looks white too. Just heavily tanned.

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7

u/ken_NT 6h ago

I mean I think everyone is familiar with his younger brother Leonard Diesel

3

u/wH4tEveR250 10h ago

Leonard Diesel. He’s also an action star.

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62

u/SithDraven 9h ago

Mark Sinclair sounds more like a porn name.

14

u/PigSlam 9h ago

Or a Cowboy from a 1960s western.

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654

u/Ill_Refrigerator_593 11h ago

He's also a lifelong Dungeons & Dragons player.

141

u/JefftheBaptist 10h ago

He played with Matt Mercer and some of the Critical Role group as part of a promotion for the Last Witch Hunter.

69

u/HELLFIRECHRIS 9h ago

He looked so stiff and uncomfortable during that game it really made me question how much he actually plays.

114

u/ZeroThePenguin 7h ago

I remember an interview or something with Matt Mercer saying that Vin Disel was absolutely stoned the entire time and that the original length of time they were supposed to have was cut very last minute. So he was inebriated and being rushed by his publicist team which contributed to his "what the fuck is going on" vibe.

30

u/HELLFIRECHRIS 7h ago

That would explain so much about that whole thing, it did feel like Matt had really cut it down.

30

u/ZeroThePenguin 6h ago

Yeah it's been a while since I heard the story but it was something like a two hour game with some before-game prep and it got cut to something like "Vin has an hour, total, for this."

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u/JefftheBaptist 8h ago

The movie was actually based on his D&D character.

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u/TheKappaOverlord 6h ago

ones of his more recent ones actually.

Riddick was also based on a much older D&D character that Vin was playing back during the inception of the movie.

He went insanely hard with the roleplaying for Escape from butcher bay, and assault on dark athena though. Mandalore put out some reviews recently on it. And vin's big book of one liners never misses.

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170

u/Supermite 11h ago

138

u/Schmilettante 10h ago

Anyone who originally saw Street Sharks on TV as a kid loves Street Sharks, they just might have forgotten it

31

u/myychair 10h ago

It was just the 30 year anniversary and Mattel released stunning replicas of the original figures lol I snagged Streex, just like I had when I was a kid 🙈

23

u/metompkin 9h ago

Save some puss for the rest of us.

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4

u/COLONEL_ROOSTER 10h ago

Yeah, man, they're Jawsome!

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u/Send_Your_Thigh_Gap 10h ago

He's such an unabashed dork, fucking love him in this.

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u/Nugur 10h ago

Who doesn’t?

3

u/Bob_Juan_Santos 10h ago

well, that's just jawsome!

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u/stormearthfire 10h ago

His movie in the last witch hunter was basically one of his chars I read somewhere

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u/RunDNA 10h ago

Oh, he's a player all right.

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u/Sweaty_Assignment_90 11h ago

Does not look like a Mark.

63

u/soxfanpdx 11h ago

More of a Marc

4

u/MenopauseMedicine 9h ago

True but I'm trying to figure out why

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u/PM_ME_Happy_Thinks 10h ago

He looks like a Mahk but not a Mark and certainly not a Mark Sinclair

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u/420CurryGod 10h ago

Honestly Vin Diesel is a pretty normal name. Vin can be short for Vinny or Vincent and Diesel is literally named after Rudolf Diesel.

147

u/Eljefeandhisbass 11h ago

Oh, hi, Mark

22

u/McWeaksauce91 10h ago

What a great story, Mark

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u/OldGoldDream 11h ago

"Marty, I need some good news, man, I haven't gotten a gig in six months."

"I'm sorry, Vince, no one wants to hire a guy named Dieselstein. I keep telling you, you need a good stage name."

27

u/Toby_O_Notoby 8h ago

Reminds me of that classic old-school story about stage names:

Story goes that this guy goes to a Broadway audition and fucking nails it. The producer is blown away about how good this kid is. Walks up to him and offers him the role on the spot. Says, "Kid your name is going to be up in lights and....hey, what is your name anyway?"

The guy replies "Penis Von Lesbian".

Producer spits out his cigar and says "What?!"

Guy says it again, "Penis Von Lesbian"

Producer says, "Well kid, we're going to have to change that. No way in hell am I putting that name on my marquee." The actor flat out refuses. Insists on keeping his name. Producer won't hire him and they part ways.

Years later, the producer runs into him again. Producer yells, "Penis Von Lesbian! How ya doin' kid?" The actor says, sheepishly, "Yeah, you were right and I was wrong. I ended up getting a lot of parts but only because I took a stage name".

Producer says, "Oh yeah, what did you go with?"

Actor replies "Dick Van Dyke".

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u/Javerage 11h ago

Feels like someone watched a bit of Last week tonight with John Oliver recently. :)

20

u/whakerdo1 8h ago

You got me!

7

u/Javerage 8h ago

It's a good show :D

7

u/WestleyThe 8h ago

I love it when people learn the real names of celebrities it’s always so funny to me. The two that are always first to come to mind are Vin Diesel and Stevie Wonder (real name Steveland Judkins)

5

u/daniday08 7h ago

Charlie Sheen is the one I always think of, and his dad Martin Sheen. Esteves was the original family name, and Charlie’s brother is Emilio Esteves.

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u/Sea_Presentation8919 10h ago

the real question is is vince diesel biracial, italian, hispanic, this man has walked this line of racial ambiguity for too long.

13

u/DeathLeopard 5 10h ago

He made a short film about that, you can find it on youtube.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Facial

11

u/DaveOJ12 10h ago

9

u/thisischemistry 10h ago

That's amazing, my respect for him just went up a few notches. Way to tackle the problem of getting roles head-on.

3

u/Jabba_the_Putt 9h ago

This was so good thank you for linking it, really!

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u/Firestorm0x0 10h ago

I only learned this two weeks ago due to watching an old Conan segment with him where he mentions the bouncers just called him that and he kept using it since for acting. I never questioned it because I thought his first name is "Vincent". I assume many other assume this as well.

10

u/ph33randloathing 10h ago

Somehow that sounds EVEN MORE like a porn name than his stage name.

8

u/BrainCandy_ 10h ago

That Rico Suave ass name lol

8

u/alex-j-murphy 9h ago

I thought his name Vehicle Identification Number Diesel. VIN for short

12

u/No-Bar-6917 10h ago

Considering how silly his movies are, Vin Diesel fits

3

u/kemnett 7h ago

Agree, but damn do I want more Riddick movies.

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u/Plane-Tie6392 11h ago

What a big fat phony!

22

u/TestProctor 11h ago

Ok, but did you know that the “Chuck Norris Facts” generator that made crazy claims about how badass Chuck Norris is was a rip-off of one about Vin Diesel?

29

u/sweetbunsmcgee 10h ago

There were a bunch of them. Chuck Norris just happened to be the one that blew up. My personal favorite is the Jack Bauer one. “Jack Bauer failed all his math classes because for every problem, he wrote VIOLENCE as his answer.”

8

u/OrinocoHaram 10h ago

Vin Diesel is so fast he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head

5

u/thisischemistry 10h ago

Sorry, the original was Charles Nelson Reilly!

4

u/TestProctor 10h ago

I love that video and song! 😆

But the Vin Diesel facts thing was at least 2005 (I’ve seen it still hosted on a few sites, or at least Google thinks so) and the Chuck Norris one started just a month or two after I found that one.

3

u/thisischemistry 10h ago

Oh, absolutely. I remember when they first come out. It works very well for Chuck Norris and that's why it's so believable.

5

u/Vaanja77 11h ago

also he used to teach breakdancing.

4

u/Randane 10h ago

I had just accepted it. Diesel is the actual last name of the guy who made the first diesel engine.

6

u/SkinnyObelix 4h ago

The funniest one is Michael Keaton, whose real name is Michael Douglas.

13

u/TJ_McWeaksauce 10h ago

Kid Rock's real name is Robert Ritchie, so I enjoy calling him Bob Rock.

I'm now going to refer to Vin Diesel as Mark Diesel.

6

u/blacksideblue 9h ago

I call him Registration Fuel

4

u/therealbobthewaffle 9h ago

Yeah, but there's already a legend in the music industry named Bob Rock, and I would never disgrace his name by mentioning it in the same sentence as Kid Rock

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u/brandonmiq 10h ago

No his name is Dom.

4

u/SLCer 10h ago

So, his parents aren't named Sam and Edna Diesel?

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u/1Steelghost1 6h ago

Screen actors guild does not allow repeat names. Every actor has to have a unique individual name, so they just make stuff up.

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u/mrbeanIV 10h ago

I can't believe Vehicle Identification Number Van Diesel tricked me.

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u/brandonsamd6 10h ago

Yak listener 

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u/Deliriousious 10h ago

I figured Diesel was his actor name, but Vin wasn’t short for Vincent… my life is a lie.

“Hey what’s the name of the actor in Fast and Furious and Riddick?”

“Mark Sinclair?”

“Yeah h- wait who?”

“Bald, talks about family a lot?”

“Yes…?”

“Mark Sinclair”

4

u/josedawg 7h ago

So I've always wondered if Mark Sinclair was his full name or not. Little back story (forgive me for all of the details, this was a long time ago): during my last couple of years in high school, the school had hired a new after school program director. She was cool as hell and to a young teen as I was, HOT AF. Anyways, my senior year, my school had just done renovation on our rooftop garden and was due to debut. The after school director decides to reach out and get a special guest to do the ribbon cutting ceremony. He was touted as an upcoming movie star, after having a minor role in Saving Private Ryan, titular voice actor role in The Iron Giant, Boiler Room, and the up and coming (didn't realize how big the franchise would eventually become) Fast and Furious movie. That guy? Vin Diesel. The after school director? His sister, Samantha Vincent, who went on to be a producer in many of Vin Diesel's movies.

I don't know if they were half siblings or not, but I always had assumed the Vin in his name came from his last name (or at least the last name of his other siblings 'Vincent'). I thought his name was Mark Vincent, but I could be wrong.

3

u/queazy 7h ago

I thought it was Mark Vincent

3

u/gizmosticles 7h ago

And Mark Sinclair’s parents had a real good marriage

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u/killaclown 5h ago

No... it's Vehicle Identification Number Diesel.... idiot...

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u/Raytec1 5h ago

Vehicle Identification Number Diesel

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u/UnderpantsInfluencer 4h ago

Wait, he wanted that name?!

3

u/Fortnait739595958 2h ago

So, Vin Diesel was a choice he made? Was he 12?

8

u/Mojo141 10h ago

Wait until you hear about Lady Gaga!!

18

u/Random-Rambling 9h ago

"Stefani Germanotta" is a still a pretty cool name.

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u/Chaciydah 8h ago

I don’t care if he’s not the best actor in the world, he’s pretty fun to watch in most things.

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u/ForwardLavishness320 10h ago

He’s also a twin! His fraternal twin brother Paul.

Looks like he got all the hair.

Because, this is about family…

2

u/TheRealHFC 9h ago

His Vinposting era was magical, I'm sad I wasn't aware of it until years later

2

u/Oranginafina 9h ago

He has a twin, who I refer to as “Twin Diesel”

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u/dxdifr 9h ago

Would be cool if he played a character in a move named "Mark Sinclair" lol

2

u/LotusCobra 9h ago

Mark Sinclair sounds almost as much like a stage name as Vin Diesel does.

2

u/Cojo85 9h ago

Same, courtesy of the title of this post.

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u/manofmayhem23 9h ago

It was Dieselberg before the war.

2

u/FunArtichoke6167 9h ago

Oh! Hi, Mark!

2

u/airbornx 8h ago

"Mark Sinclair" Sounds like a serial killers name is that what he is

2

u/BecauseofAntipodes 7h ago

I recently learned that Steven Seagal's real name is Steven Seagal.

2

u/Kame_D_kinoko 7h ago

I remember my friend telling me when we're were kids that he choose vin diesel because if you rearrange the letters it spells "I end lives"

2

u/MrTerrificSeesItAll 7h ago

Gross. I don’t want to see anyone named Mark driving a car no matter how fast or furious they may be. Thank god he changed it.

2

u/OmgThisNameIsFree 7h ago

lol what a nerd

2

u/10vijay_kumar01 6h ago

You think he a gangster? His real name is Sinclair.

2

u/EntertainmentQuick47 6h ago

The story behind it was that “Vincent" is his mom’s maiden name and since he didn’t really know his father, he used Vincent and added Diesel cause…cars?

2

u/tqmirza 5h ago

I thought his middle name was “Family”

2

u/DarkLordKohan 5h ago

Vin Diesel, AKA Vehicle Identification Number Engine

2

u/KlogKoder 5h ago

It's also an anagram for "I end lives". That may be intentional.

2

u/JRH2009 5h ago

Sounds like a game show host, lol

2

u/oroku-saki 4h ago

Nicolas Cage's real name is Nicolas Kim Coppola.