Paul Walker Posthumously Appears In Shark Week Special

Paul Walker will posthumously appear in this year’s Shark Week as Discovery is set to air a special featuring footage of the actor and marine biology graduate filmed before his death late last year.

Appearing in Spawn Of Jaws during 2013’s Shark Week, Paul Walker aided Dr. Michael Domeier in tagging a pregnant great white shark in hopes of locating the species’ spawning grounds. According to Entertainment Weekly, a sequel, Spawn Of Jaws: The Birth, had just begun filming last year when Walker was killed in a car crash on November 30th, 2013.

See Paul’s passion for marine preservation on tonight’s “Spawn of Jaws: The Birth” at 10/9c on @Discovery! – #TeamPWpic.twitter.com/mpDNmedkU9

— Paul Walker (@RealPaulWalker) August 13, 2014

As The Inquisitr previously reported, Paul Walker’s friend and co-star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson filmed a tribute to precede the special, in which he addressed Walker’s commitment to marine conservation efforts. Before he found fame as an actor, Paul Walker graduated college with a degree in marine biology and supported The Billfish Foundation, remaining passionate about studying ocean life.

“Shark Week: The Rock honors Paul Walker” http://t.co/4fJRnU1lbm? via @EW — Hornimus Prime! (@HornimusPrime) August 14, 2014

Domeier struggled after Walker’s death to decide whether or not to finish the project. “Honestly, I really didn’t want to keep working on the film,” he said, “But after a few months went by, I decided, ‘Okay, Paul would want us to finish it, let’s finish it.'”

At first, Domeier didn’t want to work with Walker, according to MTV News, although his attitude changed when he realized that Walker was genuinely passionate about marine biology. Several times, Walker even contemplated quitting acting to return to school:

“He would call me in the middle of the night and say, ‘Hey, I want to quit acting. I want to go back to school. Can you help me?’ And I’d talk him off the ledge and go, ‘Paul, that’s a really bad idea…You can have much more of an influence on these topics as a celebrity. Let’s work together. I can help you, give you talking points.'”

Spawn Of Jaws follows Domeier and Walker while the pair work to track a great white named Gil Rakers as the female shark prepares to give birth. The two-year-long project is aimed at discovering the location of great white spawning grounds, a lingering mystery for researchers.

Paul Walker Almost Quit Acting To Become A Marine Biologist: http://t.co/F7GiNHSBGX

— Hon. S.A. Eletu (@etu_009freshkid) August 14, 2014

Spawn Of Jaws: The Birth airs tonight (August 13) at 10 pm ET on Discovery, preceded by Dwayne Johnson’s tribute to Paul Walker.

[Image via The Hollywood Reporter and ABC News]