Jean-Claude van Damme

Jean-Claude Van Damme (true name – Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg; born on October 18 of 1960, in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels metropolitan area, Belgium) — is an American actor, film director, screenplay writer and producer of Belgian origin, professional karate fighter and kickboxer.

His most famous works as an actor are: “Bloodsport” (1988), “Kickboxer” (1989), “Double Impact” (1991), “Universal Soldier” (1992), “Hard Target” (1993), “Timecop” (1994), and “Street Fighter” (1994).

In April of 2010, he was awarded with international award “The Grand World Prize” and Golden Order — “Golden Talents of the Planet,” for his will to victory, for unshakable morale and brilliant achievements in the field of movie industry.

Jean-Claude van Damme was born on October 18 of 1960, in Belgian municipality Sint-Agatha Berchem of Brussels metropolitan area in the family of an accountant and flower shop assistant. Jean Claude’s father brought him to a shotokan karate school when he was ten years old. From the age of 12, van Damme continued his training under Claude Goetz.

When he was sixteen, van Damme qualified for the Belgian national karate team, in which he became the European champion and received the black belt. Later, van Damme continued to participate in different tournaments and in 1979 met with American kickboxer Sherman Bergman to finish his fight by knocking out his opponent on the 59th second. The following year, van Damme defeated the United Kingdom’s champion Michael G. Hemming. His total fighting record is 18 victories against one loss – the only defeat was in November of 1979, when he lost to Patrick Teugels. Van Damme’s last fight in his professional career was against the same fighter and it ended with Jean-Claude’s victory in the first round.

In March of 2011, Jean-Claude van Damme will fight an Olympic boxing champion of 1996 from Thailand Somluck Kamsing. Preparations for this fight will be made into a reality show. In his interview to Le Martin Van Damme said the following:

“It will be a real fight in Las Vegas. I will show what I am capable of on the ring. This victory will be an achievement in my life!”

His first noticeable screen appearance was in the movie “No Retreat, No Surrender” (1986), where he played Russian fighter Ivan Krushinsky. Due to difficult pronunciation of his name, Jean-Claude van Varenberg changed it for Jean-Claude van Damme, in memory of his dead friend.

What happened next can be considered now as history. Jean-Claude with great difficulties got into the office of a famous producer Menahem Golan. After long negotiations the actor unknown to the public received a role in the movie “Bloodsport” (1988), the scenario of which was dusting in the producer’s office for over two years. The film was first shown in Malaysia, then in France, and only after that in the United States. The movie was a world-wide success bringing in more than 30 million dollars.

The success of the “Bloodsport” immediately made Jean-Claude a new star of martial arts action films. As they watched van Damme, young people all over the world went to karate sections and started their training in sports. New films with van Damme — “Cyborg” (1989), “Kickboxer” (1989), “Lionheart” (1990), “Death Warrant” (1990), and “Double Impact” (1991) just added to his popularity.

As he gained more experience and worked to improve his skills, Jean-Claude began to receive roles in the top-class movies — “Universal Soldier” (1992), “Hard Target” (1993), “Nowhere to Run” (1993), “Timecop” (1994). Thus, very soon van Damme was ranked with such action film stars as Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The actor’s fees reached six million dollars.

Film “Quest,” which was released in 1996, became van Damme’s director debut. Jean-Claude also wrote the scenario and acted as its producer.

Years were passing by and Jean-Claude van Damme grew as an actor. In such movies as “Legionnaire” (1998), “Replicant” (2001), “In Hell” (2003), and “Wake of Death” (2004), van Damme’s fans saw the actor’s mature performance, where he was able to show a wide range of different emotions on the screen.

Films with his participation have already become the trademark of a “hard-boiled” action movie. Karate style with skillful kick technique and traditional demonstration of a classical leg split differed van Damme from other screen heroes.

Jean-Claude refused to participate in gross budget films, such as “Street Fighter 2” and “Rush Hour 3,” and on the latest occasion he turned down Sylvester Stalone’s proposal to appear in his action movie “Expendables,” arguing that he was not satisfied with the character image he was offered. As van Damme said himself in his interview to TotalFilm:

“I told him: you are going to make lots of money on this. But I do not want to hear anything about it; I want to hear what my character would be. He could not give me an answer to that question… That is why I refused.”

Nevertheless, Jean-Claude van Damme agreed to appear in the same movie together with another Hollywood action movie star – Steven Seagull – in the film “Weapon.” Although along the way this time it was Steven Seagull who refused to participate in the filming and he was replaced with Scott Adkins. The movie is due to be released in 2011.

In 2008, half-biographic film “J.C.V.D.” was released, in which van Damme’s dramatic performance was highly estimated all over the world. In 2009, van Damme presented the picture at the international film festival “Molodost 39” in Kiev.

In the fall of 2009, van Damme made a tour through the cities in Ukraine: Kiev, Odessa, Krivoy Rog, where he plans to shoot his new film “The Tower.” He also visited an orphanage in Krivoy Rog (here he will choose some children to participate in his film).

In October of the same year, the third part of the famous fantastic action movie “Universal soldier” under the title, “Universal Soldier 3: Regeneration” was released. The main roles in the movie were played by Jean-Claude van Damme, Dolph Lungren, who appeared in the first part of the movie, and multiple mixed fights heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovsky.

In the spring of 2010, at the Cannes Film Festival there was a premiere show of van Damme’s new film “The Eagle Path,” into which the actor put a lot of his efforts. Van Damme starred in this film and also acted as its director, scenarist and producer.

Jean-Claude van Damme is on friendly terms with the prime minister of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and multiple mixed fights heavyweight world champion Fedor Emelianenko.