Born in California, Diesel attended NYC's Hunter College, where studies in creative writing led him to begin screenwriting.

He gained stardom as a leading action star headlining numerous franchises, including Fast & Furious, XXX, and The Chronicles of Riddick.

His voice acting work includes The Iron Giant (1999), the video games The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (2004) and The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (2009), and the voices of Groot I and Groot II in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU); he portrayed the characters in six superhero films, beginning with Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).

[6] He was raised by his white mother and adoptive African-American father, Irving H. Vincent, an acting instructor and theater manager.

[10] He has never met his biological father, and has said that "all I know from my mother is that I have connections to many different cultures";[11] Diesel believes that his parents' relationship would have been illegal in parts of the United States due to anti-miscegenation laws.

[12] Diesel made his stage debut at age seven when he appeared in the children's play Dinosaur Door, written by Barbara Garson.

His involvement in the play came about when he, his brother and some friends had broken into the Theater for the New City space on Jane Street with the intent to vandalize it.

They were confronted by the theater's artistic director, Crystal Field, who offered them roles in the upcoming show instead of calling the police.

[13][14][15] Diesel remained involved with the theater throughout adolescence, going on to attend NYC's Hunter College, where studies in creative writing led him to begin screenwriting.

[18] In 1997, Diesel secured funds to make his first feature-length film, Strays, an urban drama in which he played a gang leader whose love for a woman inspires him to try to change his ways.

Written, directed, and produced by Diesel, the film was selected for competition at the 1997 Sundance Festival, leading to an MTV deal to turn it into a series which never came to fruition.

Director Steven Spielberg took notice of Diesel after seeing him in Multi-Facial[19] and cast him in a small role as a soldier in his 1998 Oscar-winning war film Saving Private Ryan.

[20] In 2000, Diesel had a supporting role in the drama thriller Boiler Room, where he appeared alongside Giovanni Ribisi and Ben Affleck.

[29] In 2016, Diesel appeared as a supporting character in Ang Lee's war drama Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk.

[38] He debuted the song on The Kelly Clarkson Show on September 24, stating: "I am blessed that on a year that I would normally be on a movie set — and as you know, that's not possible — I've had another creative outlet.

[40] Diesel has said he prefers to maintain his privacy regarding his personal life, stating: "I'm not gonna put it out there on a magazine cover like some other actors.

[57] The lawsuit also names Diesel's sister and production company as defendants for allegedly creating a hostile work environment and wrongfully terminating her, among other complaints.