The 40-year-old actor, who died in a car accident Saturday, wanted to make up for lost time with Meadow, now 15, after she spent the first 14 years of her life in Hawaii, where her mother, Rebecca Soteros, lived.
This is according to two of his closest friends, Ronn Shikari and Vince Krause, who both live in Hawaii.
Paul and Ronn Paul and Ronn Long-distance friendship: Whenever Walker (far right) would come to Hawaii to see his daughter, he would spend time with Shikari (center)
They were introduced to Paul seven years ago through their mutual love of jiu-jitsu. Ronn has a school there called Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Ronn Shiraki Academy (RSA), where Meadow also used to learn her moves.
They've both seen the love Paul has for Meadow and say he was sick of filming abroad and away from his daughter. That is why he was due to retire from acting and lead a life away from the limelight, so that he could get to know his daughter even more.
Ronn says: 'We were really good friends and whenever he was in Hawaii, I would always see him. He's such a great guy and about as anti-Hollywood as you can get.
'There's this image of the movie superstar with the swagger and arrogance and being the big man, but Paul was none of that, he wanted to just be a regular guy.
'He was a family man and I know it hurt him to be spending so much time away from Meadow on location; he loved being with his daughter, she was his world. That's why he wanted to retire from acting and talked to his family about it, as he'd achieved everything he wanted to achieve.
Loving dad: Friends said Walker, seen here during filming in Montreal, wanted to spend much more time with his daughter, Meadow (pictured right) to make up for 'lost years' Inseparable: One of Walker's other closets friends was Vince Krause, pictured in the center with Don Lee
'He earned millions from the last Fast and Furious. The big reason he wanted to quit acting was so that he could spend more time with Meadow. It's a shame that it could never happen.'
Friend Vince Krause confirms that the most important thing in Paul's life was his family and not his acting career.
'Paul was one of the best people I have ever known,' he added. 'He was as selfless a person as I have met. He loved being a father and it was very clear that his daughter was the most important thing in the world to him.
'Being a father myself, it was one of the topics we discussed most.'
Earlier this year, Walker admitted that he only recently found out just how important his daughter was to his life after she moved from Hawaii to live with him in Santa Barbara.
'She's the best partner I've ever had. I've never had anything like this in my life. I've been so transient; I've been on my own since I was 16,' he said. 'There's a part of me who feels like I'm making up for lost time.
Happier times: Paul, Vince (crouching) and friends, May 2010, Lanikai Beach House Kailua, Hawaii Male bond: Vince Krause, pictured from the back far right, said Paul was fiercely loyal and loved his friends unconditionally
Before this, Paul would be to-ing and fro-ing back to Hawaii and built up a rapport with Ronn and Vince, who could never believe they were dealing with a superstar as he looked more like a tramp!
'We developed a great friendship, one that lasted to this day. As with any sincere and fun person, it was easy to like Paul: he was just like your everyday awesome, cool dude that loved to laugh, joke around and have fun,' says Ronn Shikari.
'I remember on many occasions, girls would walk by or waitresses would serve us at a restaurant and not even recognise Paul because he looked like one of the boys, wearing flip flops, surf shorts and a T-shirt, often sporting a scraggly beard.'
He added: 'There's a side to him that I think people didn't really know about. He was an amazingly positive person and loved to play and live life to the fullest but those close to him recognised that he was a heavy thinker and felt on a deeper level than most people.
'I don't think fans or the general public knew that about him. He analyzed life and we would converse on all topics, from relationships to struggles to humanity. This was the true Paul in my opinion.
Extended family: This picture was taken on the Fourth of July last year in Kailua, Hawaii, showing Paul, Vince (second row, second left) and Ronn (second row, third left)
'I think that some people may decide to do charity work because it's fashionable or strategically good for their social status, but Paul was the antithesis of superficiality.
'Paul Walker was no ordinary man. Even now, in his passing, he is teaching the world to give more, teaching his friends to love and forgive more. It makes me more want to be like him,' says Shikari.
Krause added: 'He was humble, accommodating, sincere, appreciative, grateful, fiercely loyal, and loved his friends unconditionally. There was no ego to his outlook.
'He always showed a deep thirst to learn more, and gobbled up knowledge wherever and whenever he could. I'm sure that's why he knew so much about so many different things. He challenged everybody to be the best versions of themselves that they could be, while expecting the same of himself.
Retirement plans: Walker's friends revealed that the actor (center) was planning to quit Hollywood so he could spend more time with his beloved daughter
'People will think that he had such an impact on others because of his celebrity status and fame, but they'd be wrong to think it. Paul was larger than life and lifted everyone up around him because of his heart and soul. He was genuine. He was real.
'You felt like a better person just being around him. He will be greatly missed and we should all honor his memory by being the best people we can be.'
Krause and Shikari's characterization of Walker dovetails with the words of his other close friend Ricardo 'Franjinha' Miller, who told MailOnline that the tragic actor was more interested in being a good father and than a movie star.
Ricardo and Paul struck up a close bond after the Fast and Furious star came to him asking for help in perfecting his fight scenes nearly a decade ago when he was living in Santa Barbara, California, where Ricardo has a Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy.
Since then, the pair have worked together on almost all of Paul's films, with Ricardo being on set helping to co-ordinate fight scenes.
Long friendship: Brazilian Ju-Jitsu trainer Ricardo Miller (right) was Paul Walker's personal trainer and close friend for nearly a decade In training: Walker relied on Miller to help him with his fight scenes on film sets
Only last May, they were working together in Montreal for Brick Mansions, which is due out next year.
Ricardo says: 'He was a really great guy, so down to earth. His life was really special, he had a lot to live for. He loved to have fun, he wanted to help everybody and he illuminated everyone's life.'
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