Brian O'Conner is a fictional character and the former protagonist of the Fast & Furious franchise. He is portrayed by Paul Walker and first appeared on film with fellow protagonist Dominic Toretto in The Fast and the Furious (2001). Brian was created by screenwriter Gary Scott Thompson, who was inspired by an article on street racing that was published in the May 1998 issue of Vibe magazine. Walker was directly approached by director Rob Cohen to play the character.