Vin Diesel's currently plugging his latest film, Last Witch Hunter, and while speaking with the Associated Press on Friday, the actor admitted the role helped him cope with the death of close friend and Fast and Furious co-star, Paul Walker.

"Death was a huge theme last year," Diesel disclosed. "There was something therapeutic about playing this role after going through [Walker's death]."

He continued: ""The idea that someone immortal could be so melancholy. 2014 was a tough year for me in some ways — a lot of ways. Playing a character that was masking his sorrow—his loss—was very appropriate for the time, because that's what I was doing in real life with the post-Furious 7."

Walker died in 2013 when his Porsche crashed during a break in filming Fast and Furious 7.

"Paul said, 'You know [Furious] 7 could bomb and [Furious] 8 is still guaranteed,'" Diesel explained. "When somebody who is like your brother makes a promise, you feel inclined to want to honor that."

And honor he did by continuing the saga. Last week, it was announced that Straight Outta Compton director F. Gary Gray had signed on to Fast and Furious 8.