Vin Diesel is trading his high-speed Fast & Furious lifestyle for something a little slower.
The 57-year-old actor stars in the new Häagen-Dazs Super Bowl commercial “NOT SO FAST, NOT SO FURIOUS” and says he’s ready to embrace a more relaxed pace — if there’s ice cream involved.
“My mother introduced me to Häagen-Dazs when I was a teenager; coffee was her favorite,” Diesel tells PEOPLE about his long-standing love for the iconic ice cream brand. “I can still remember rewarding myself [with it] after an audition as a young actor.”
The commercial pays tribute to Diesel’s Fast & Furious franchise — an experience he’s excited to revisit. “You know, when Häagen-Dazs asked me to do the commercial, and given that I’ve been a fan of theirs, I thought about the idea of involving Fast as an ode to its roots and in Los Angeles,” he says about the ad, which also features Fast & Furious franchise costars Ludacris and Michelle Rodriguez.
Reflecting on the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, Diesel adds, “Filming it here and looking back now, I feel it makes it even more special as we look to return and rebuild because L.A. needs the work more than ever.”
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Diesel is currently in the midst of production on Fast X: Part 2, the sequel to 2023’s Fast X. He shared that the remainder of filming will take place in Los Angeles to help the city recover from a series of devastating wildfires, following a request from his Fast & Furious costar Jordana Brewster.
“Last week, during the fires that displaced LA… my sister Jordana reached out to me and said… Please have Universal film the rest of Fast X Part 2 in LA,” Diesel wrote on Instagram on Jan. 23, alongside a photo of him hugging Brewster, 44.
He added, “Los Angeles needs it now more than ever… Los Angeles is where Fast and Furious started filming 25 years ago… and now Fast will finally return home. All love…”
Brewster responded to the post, writing, “Our home ♥️.”
Having grown up in New York City, Diesel is grateful to bring more recognition to Los Angeles through his partnership with Häagen-Dazs, a brand that grew up alongside him. “A brand with roots in the South Bronx, that has grown into a global pastime, feels meaningful because it’s been part of my story for so long,” he tells PEOPLE. “It’s more than just ice cream — it’s memories.”
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