8. Car-mageddon
"If someone defines my ego as being the last arbiter of quality on a script, then so be it,” says Diesel.

“My ego is so big that I'm going to say, 'Whoa, kemosabe!' My ego is big enough that I'm going to say, 'Not interested...'”

It took the prize of a producer credit to bring Diesel back on board for Fast And Furious (2009) – this time if he didn't like the script, he had the power and profile to change it.

His efforts paid off, though. Fast And Furious topped the US box office and looks set to do the same here.

VIN FACT: Before the idea of reuniting the original cast came up, Fast And Furious was simply going to be a movie about Diesel's bald-headed, deep-voiced car-hijacking character.

9. Future Schlocks
One hit is seemingly enough to drag Vin's career off the ropes.

The chances of there being more Riddick movies suddenly has a heartbeat for the first time in years and there's even a return for VD to the stalled xXx franchise in development.

Best of all, as far as Diesel is concerned, is the possibility that he might get to direct, write and star in his dream project - a biopic of dark-ages military mastermind Hannibal who probably had a bald head and a deep voice.

"It's about overcoming insurmountable odds," he says. “It takes someone with enough of an ego to believe they can tell this story better than anybody else... They can't stop me. They can stomp me, kick me when I'm down... But they won't stop me. Cross your fingers for me, brother!"

VIN FACT: He's a huge Dungeons & Dragons fan and once starred in a breakdancing video.