At the age of 7, he and his friends broke into Theater for the New York City’s space on Jane Street with the intent to vandalize it. They were busted by the theater’s artistic director Crystal Field. She could have called the police, but you know how these artistic types are. Instead, she handed them scripts and offered them parts in the upcoming show, Dinosaur Door.
This opportunity diverted Diesel away from destruction and towards creation. He remained involved in theater throughout his teenage years. He also started his creative writing studies which led him to begin screenwriting. He changed his name to Vin Diesel while working as a bouncer. The name "Vin" is simply a shortened version of "Vincent". He received the nickname "Diesel" from his friends, who said he ran off diesel fuel, referring to his non-stop energy
