Vin Diesel, original name Mark Sinclair, (born July 18, 1967, Alameda county, California, U.S.), American actor and producer who was best known for his action films, most notably the Fast and Furious series. Sinclair grew up in New York City with his mother, fraternal twin brother, and African American stepfather, Irving Vincent, a theatre manager who provided him with some of his first stage roles. While still in his teens, he worked as a club bouncer and took the name Vin Diesel.