What the Hell Happened to Jean-Claude Van Damme?

In the late 80s and early 90s, Jean-Claude Van Damme was part of a wave of martial artists turned movie stars.  Movies like Van Damme’s break-out role, Bloodsport, were cheap, easy to make and usually provided a great return on investment.  Van Damme in particular seemed poised to break out of low budget movies into legitimate movie stardom.  But instead, the action movie craze subsided and Van Damme was cast aside along with the other action heroes of the time.

What the hell happened?

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Jean-Claude Van Damme

Van Damme was born in Belgium.  His full name is Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg.  His father was an accountant.  At the age of 10, he enrolled in a Shotokan karate school.  At the age of 15, Van Damme began a career in competitive martial arts.  At the age of 17, he began competing in full-contact events which were new to Belgium.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme

At the age of 16, Van Damme took up ballet.  Van Damme described ballet as an art form and an intense sport.  “Ballet is an art, but it’s also one of the most difficult sports. If you can survive a ballet workout, you can survive a workout in any other sport.”

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Jean-Claude Van Damme

Ever the Renaissance Man, Van Damme also took up body building.  During his body building career, Van Damme was dubbed “Mr. Belgium”.  It’s unclear what exactly that title means.  Although it sounds like an official body building title like Mr. Universe, there is no indication any one else has ever won it.  Some have suggested that the Mr. Belgium moniker was more of an unofficial nickname made up for Van Damme than an actual title from a competition.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme

Van Damme competed in full-contact martial arts events from 1977-1982.  During his career, he had a record of 18 victories (all by Knock Out) and 1 defeat.  Only one opponent ever knocked Van Damme down in a match.  Van Damme went on to knock that opponent out in less than a minute.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Monaco Forever – 1984

In 1984, Van Damme broke into movies.  His first role was in the movie, Monaco Forever.  Charles Pitt starred as an American jewel thief trying to set up a robbery in Monaco.  Along the way, he encounters several characters including “Gay Karate Man” played by Van Damme:

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Breakin’ – 1984

Van Damme traveled with a childhood friend to the United States where they were both cast as extras in the breakdancing classic, Breakin’.  

Van Damme was excited to be in a real Hollywood movie and did everything he could to make an impression.  In addition to popping and locking  (or whatever that was) he jumped as high as he could to be noticed.  Van Damme describes the experience:

“I was only an extra. But to me at the time, a movie was a movie. I didn’t know the difference between medium, high, and low budget. So I was trying to win the scene: I was behind the lead actor in the group, and I was jumping as high as I could, and doing a flip in the air. But of course they cut that, because I was eating the screen with that fantastic jump.”

A few years later while making Bloodsport for Canon, Van Damme tracked down the lost Breakin’ footage:

“I saw those jumps, and it looked like a rabbit was trying to take so much attention away from the camera. Jumping behind the people who are standing up. You see a guy going “BOING! BOING! BOING!” in the air. It was so funny.”

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – No Retreat, No Surrender – 1986

In 1986, Van Damme starred in the martial arts flick, No Retreat, No Surrender.

Kurt McKinney starred as a karate kid who trains with the ghost of Bruce Lee so he can challenge the top Russian martial artist played by Van Damme.  Seriously, he trains with the ghost of Bruce Lee.

Screenwriter Keith W. Strandberg had never so much as seen a screenplay before writing No Retreat, No Surrender.  During filming, he was constantly on set doing re-writes trying to improve the script.

Van Damme had some difficulty with stage fighting.  Twice, he knocked out his co-star Peter Cunningham.  The first time, he stopped to ask Cunningham if he was okay.  But he was chastised by the director for breaking character.  Another co-star, Tony Baker, complained that Van Damme continuously made contact when he wasn’t supposed to.  A flying kick was supposed to hit Baker in the chest but instead landed on his face.

Reviews were negative, but what do you expect?  It’s the Karate Kid meets Rocky IV with the ghost of Bruce Lee thrown in for good measure.  Despite the bad reviews, the movie performed well enough at the box office to inspire two sequels.  Van Damme did not participate in any of the sequels.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Predator – 1987

In 1987, Van Damme was cast as the alien in Predator.  As Van Damme tells it:

“They did a cast of my body. My feet were in the cast of the alien. My hands were in the forearms, my head was in the neck. I was moving everything with cables. It was a very unsecure, very dangerous type of outfit. It didn’t work for nobody. They put air conditioning into my back, because it was very hot in Mexico. So they did another outfit with a bigger guy, taller guy on the inside. So I was hired, then I was cancelled.”

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Bloodsport – 1988

In 1988, Van Damme starred in the martial arts movie, Bloodsport.

Van Damme played a U.S. Army Captain who competes in a secret martial arts tournament against the wishes of his superiors.  The Army sends two officers to track him down and bring him back because he is too valuable an asset to risk in the dangerous tournament.

Bloodsport was “based on a true story”.  American martial artist, Frank Dux, claims to have served in the military and competed in the “Kumite”.  Dux’s claims have been disputed.  The LA Times ran a story which claimed that the organization that held the secret tournament has the same legal address as Dux’s house.  They also claimed to have a receipt for Dux’s trophy which indicates Dux bought it at a local trophy shop.  Obviously, Dux denied the article and claimed a rival fabricated the receipt to discredit him.

Dux served as the fighting coordinator on Bloodsport.  When Van Damme was cast, Dux announced that the Muscles from Brussels was not in good enough shape to portray him.  So he subjected VanDamme to a grueling 3-month training program which Van Damme called the hardest training in his life.

Reviews were negative and Van Damme was nominated for a Golden Raspberry for Worst New Star.  But the movie was a hit at the box office and inspired three sequels.  Van Damme did not return for any of the sequels.  According to Van Damme:

“They made sequels to all my movies, to be honest with you. Bloodsport 2,Cyborg 2Kickboxer 2Timecop 2. And all the sequels were so sad, because Bloodsport 2 with me in it would be great.”

There have been rumors of rebooting Bloodsport in recent years.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Black Eagle – 1988

Van Damme played another Russian bad guy in the 1988 action flick, Black Eagle. Shô Kosugi starred as a Japanese martial artist assigned to bring back a laser-tracking device which was lost when an F-111 jet was shot down.  Van Damme played his KGB adversary.

Black Eagle did not inspire any sequels.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Cyborg – 1989

In 1989, Van Damme starred in the low-budget sci fi movie, Cyborg.

The movie is set in a post apocalyptic future which has been ravaged by a plague.  Van Damme plays a hero tasked with saving a cyborg who contains the cure to the plague.  But he is opposed by a band of pirates who want the cure for themselves.

Canon Films had plans to film a sequel to the He-Man movie, Masters of the Universe and a Spider-man movie.  Albert Pyun was set to direct both films.  But Canon was going through money problems and lost the rights to both He-Man and Spider-man.  Since Canon had already invested $2 million dollars in sets, they let Pyun come up with a story for a movie that would allow them to recoup some of that investment.  Pyun came up with the story-line for Cyborg in a single weekend.

Cyborg received negative reviews.  But it was a hit at the box office which lead to two sequels.  Van Damme did not participate in any of the sequels, but a young Angelina Jolie stars in Cyborg 2.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Kickboxer – 1989

Later that year, Van Damme starred in the martial arts movie, Kickboxer.

Once again, Van Damme played a Westerner competing in an ancient martial arts tournament against incredible odds.  But this time, it is to avenge his brother who was paralyzed in the ring by the Thailand champion.  Van Damme must learn the ancient art through the time-honored tradition of training montages.

Michel Qissi was originally hired as the fight choreographer for the film.  But when he overheard crew members saying that they were looking for a tall Asian guy with a background in martial arts, he spoke up and was cast as the film’s bad guy.  Qissi was also a childhood friend of Van Damme who traveled with him to America.  He appeared in several other Van Damme movies as well.

Reviews were mixed.  Several critics noted that while it was formulaic, Kickboxer was the best of Van Damme’s movies.  It was a hit at the box office inspiring several sequels.  Van Damme did not participate in any of them although his friend, Qissi appeared in Kickboxer 2.

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Jean-Calude Van Damme – Death Warrant – 1990

In 1990, Van Damme starred in Death Warrant.

Van Damme played a Canadian cop who goes undercover as a prisoner.

The screenplay for Death Warrant was written by David Goyer, writer of the Blade movies, the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy and Man of Steel.  Goyer wrote Death Warrant while he was still a student at USC. Despite bad reviews, Death Warrant was a hit at the box office.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Lionheart – 1991

In 1991, Van Damme starred in Lionheart.

VanDamme played a legionnaire who deserts in order to avenge his brother who has been killed by drug dealers.  In order to raise money for his brother’s family, Van Damme competes in an underground fighting circuit.  Any of this sound familiar?

The story, which is clearly stitched together from Van Damme’s previous movies, was co-written by Van Damme himself. As usual, Lionheart received negative reviews but was profitable at the box office.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Double Impact – 1991

Audiences clearly craved more Van Damme.  So in 1991, they got twice the Van Damme in Double Impact.

Van Damme played identical twins separated at birth who reunite in order to avenge the death of their parents.

Double Impact was loosely based on Alexander Dumas’ novel, The Corsican Brothers.  Very, very loosely.

Van Damme described the acting challenge of playing dual roles, “The only thing different between Alex and Chad was the silk underwear. Mr. California, Mr. Silk Underwear. It was kinda funny.”

Despite negative reviews, Double Impact was a hit at the box office.  In recent years, Van Damme has discussed the idea of making a sequel.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Universal Soldier – 1992

In 1992, Van Damme starred opposite Dolph Lundgren in Roland Emmerich’s sci-fi action movie, Universal Soldier.

Van Damme and Lundgren played soldiers killed in Vietnam who are reanimated as part of a top secret military project.

The script for Universal Soldier started as an adaptation for the Marvel comics character Deathlok.  And one point, director Andrew Davis was attached to the project.  But for budgetary reasons, he moved on and was replaced by Emmerich who was still relatively unknown at the time.

At the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, Van Damme and Lundgren got into a fight.  Lundgren later confirmed that the altercation was staged as a publicity stunt.

Once again, reviews were negative.  But Universal Soldier was a big enough hit to inspire several sequels.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme and Rosanna Arquette – Nowhere to Run – 1993

Van Damme had a busy year in 1993.  He kicked the year off by starring opposite Rosanna Arquette in the action flick, Nowhere to Run.

Van Damme played an escaped convict who has nowhere to run but into the arms of a widow played by Arquette.  Arquette’s character has problems of her own.  She is raising two boys and fighting off a powerful land developer who will stop at nothing to buy her farm.  When thugs show up to chase her off her land, Arquette discovers it’s helpful to have a heavily accented martial artist living in her barn.

Arquette didn’t care for her co-star and was very vocal about it in interviews.  She stated very plainly that she only agrred to be in the movie because her options were limited.

Reviews were mostly negative.  In fact, I’m going to save us all some time.  All of Van Damme’s movies received negative reviews until I say otherwise.  Like most action stars of the time, the critics just didn’t warm to the Muscles.

Nowhere to Run grossed just over $20 million domestically which was disappointing given the movie’s budget.  But it did better overseas.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Hard Target – 1993

Van Damme ended 1993 by starring in John Woo’s first American film, Hard Target.  He also grew a killer mullet.

Van Damme played a drifter who is hired by a young woman played by Yancy Butler to find her missing father.  Lance Henriksen plays the villain who organizes some kind of Most Dangerous Game hunt in New Orleans.

John Woo was an international sensation.  But Hollywood was reluctant to give an Asian director complete control of an American movie.  Universal eventually agreed to hire Woo on the condition that Sam Raimi produce the film.  The idea was that if Woo needed to be replaced for some reason, Raimi would be on hand and ready to step in.

Woo wanted Kurt Russell for the lead role.  But Russell wouldn’t be available for two years.  After the success of their previous films with Van Damme, Universal decided to double down on the Muscles.  So they developed Hard Target with Van Damme in mind.  This lead to a power struggle between the director and the star, neither of whom spoke English fluently.

Hard Target had a relatively short shooting schedule.  The cast had to adjust to Woo’s direction.  Frequently, Woo struggled to get his point across in English. Henriksen later recalled that it took a while to get everyone on board with making a John Woo movie instead of a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie.  Producer James Jacks explained that Woo was not “the most powerful person on the set but as far as I was concerned, he was certainly the most respected.”

For his part, Woo tried his best to collaborate with Van Damme.  He changed a lot of the action scenes to accommodate Van Damme’s skills.  According to Woo, ” I know how to make an actor look good on screen, make him look like a hero. I thought I could do the same for Van Damme.”  Woo went on to explain the difficult on-set relationship.  He claimed Van Damme had “a pretty big ego, but he’s still professional and always tries to do a good job.”

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Hard Target – 1993

The movie originally received an NC-17 rating.  Woo re-cut the movie six times in hopes of securing an R-rating which he was contractually obligated to deliver.  Eventually, Van Damme hired an editor.  They spent two days locked in an editing room re-cutting the movie.  Woo’s cut focused more extensively on Lance Henriksen’s bad guy.  Van Damme’s version of the film cut Henricksen’s screen time in favor of his character.  According to Van Damme,  “People pay their money to see me, not to see Lance Henriksen.”

Despite the difficult production, Hard Target was a hit at the box office.  Van Damme and Woo even considered working together again although that project never materialized.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Timecop – 1994

In 1994, Van Damme starred opposite Ron Silver and Mia Sara in Peter Hyams’ sci fi thriller, Timecop.

Timecop is set in the distant future of 2004, ie the year before my first kid was born.  In 2004, time travel is a reality.  It is also a crime.  So time cops like Van Damme police the time stream.  Sara played Van Damme’s wife who is murdered when he joins the Timecop project.  Silver played a politician who runs the program and, because he is a politician, is shady as hell.

Timecop was based on a story from Dark Horse Comics.

Reviews were mixed rather than universally negative.  Many critics, whether they liked the movie or not, noted that it was better than Van Damme’s usual fare.  Timecop was Van Damme’s biggest hit at the box office grossing almost $60 million dollars domestically and over $100 million world wide.

Universal offered Van Damme a three-picture contract at $12 million dollar per movie.  Van Damme demanded $20 million.  Years later, he laughed at his own arrogance:

“I was fucked up, man. But you know, it was not about the money. The people in the UK will read this and say, ‘What a fucking piglet.’ Sorry about my expression! I was making movie after movie, and in between movies I was doing promotion. I was tired. Everything I was touching was making money. Jim Carrey was being paid a fortune. And I wanted to play with the system. Like an idiot. Ridiculous.  I was on the blacklist. That was it.”

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Street Fighter – 1994

Later that year, Van Damme starred opposite Raul Julia in Steven E. de Souza’s movie-based-on-a-video-game, Street Fighter.

Van Damme plays a martial artist who leads a bunch of other martial artists to fight the evil ruler of a fictional country.  Or something.  I saw Street Fighter when it was in theaters and I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.  The video game makes more sense.

Adapting a video game into a movie is a difficult task.  Most who have attempted it have failed.  A fighting game like Street Fighter is particularly hard to adapt.  Fighting games consist of dozens of characters with cartoonish styles and ridiculous backstories to distinguish themselves from one another.  Often times, they are based on characters from pop culture.  One Street Fighter character was deemed too similar to Bruce Lee, so he was changed for the movie.

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Ironically. Van Damme himself had inspired a character in a fighting game.  Johnny Cage from the Mortal Kombat games was originally inspired by Van Damme in Bloodsport.

The creators of Mortal Kombat sought out Van Damme’s involvement when they were making the original game.  But he was already committed to another game for the Sega Genesis system.   Later, when the Mortal Kombat movie was being developed, Van Damme was approached about playing Cage – the character he inspired.  But he opted for Street Fighter instead.

Sadly, Street Fighter was Raul Julia’s final movie.  It was an unfitting ending to a terrific actor’s career.  The film was dedicated to Julia after his death.

Street Fighter was a disappointment in the US where it grossed just over $30 million dollars.  But the international cast helped the movie gross nearly $100 million world wide.  It also spawned a spin-off video game and animated series.  

A sequel to Street Fighter was in the works for years.  Eventually, the rights to the franchise reverted from Universal to 20th Century Fox.  They sought Van Damme’s involvement, but he declined to participate.  The end result was Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li which was released in 2009.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Sudden Death – 1995

In 1995, Van Damme reunited with his Timecop director, Peter Hyams, for the hockey-themed thriller, Sudden Death.

Van Damme played a Canadian-born firefighter (he played a lot of Canadians to explain his accent – I guess it’s more believable somehow than a Belgian firefighter?) who works as fire marshall at a civic center hosting a big hockey game.  The vice president is in attendance because presidents don’t go to hockey games.  But vice presidents love that shit.  Of course terrorists lead by Powers Booth hold everyone hostage and of course Van Damme has to rescue his daughter.  What else do you want from a movie called Sudden Death.

In the 90’s, every other action movie could be summed up as “Die Hard on a …”  Speed was Die Hard on a bus.  Under Siege was Die Hard on a boat.  Passenger 57 was Die Hard on a plane.  Eventually, they started running out of ideas.  Speed 2 was Die Hard on a cruise which should have been a sign that the Die Hard formula was wearing thin.  But the genre could not be put to rest until after someone made Die Hard at a hockey game.

Screenwriter Randy Feldman claims he wrote the first draft as a Die Hard parody.  The only scene from the original draft that made it to the final movie was the one in which Van Damme fights the Penguins mascot.

Sudden Death was one of the few Van Damme movies to actually crack a 50% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.  Reviews were still mostly negative.  But a few critics like Roger Ebert gave it grudging respect.  Ebert wrote:  “Sudden Death isn’t about common sense. It’s about the manipulation of action and special-effects sequences to create a thriller effect, and at that it’s pretty good.”

Pretty good, huh?  I bet Van Damme framed that review.

In spite of the better than average reviews, Sudden Death disappointed at the box office.  It barely grossed $20 million in the US.  Fortunately, it fared better over seas.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – The Quest – 1996

In 1996, Van Damme made his directorial debut with a personal story about a martial artist who competes in an international tournament.

Something about that premise sounds vaguely familiar.  It might have something to do with the fact that it is the same plot as roughly half of the movies Van Damme has starred in.  But The Quest is different.  How so, you ask.  The Quest is a period piece.  Van Damme’s character is kidnapped by pirates and sold to an untrustworthy character played by Sir. Roger Moore.

The story was based on the life experiences of Frank Dux, the martial artist who was also the inspiration for Bloodsport.  Dux got a story credit, but later sued Van Damme for 1.5 million dollars.  Dux claiming that Van Damme ripped off his unproduced screenplay, Enter the New Dragon: The Kumite.  A jury dismissed the charges in 1998 which lead Dux to threaten an appeal, “If you remember ‘Rocky,’ he didn’t win his first fight either,”  In 1999, a superior court judge denied Dux’s request for an appeal.

The Quest did not do well in the US, but it turned a profit overseas.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Maximum Risk – 1996

Later that year, Van Damme starred opposite Natasha Henstridge in Ringo Lam’s American debut, Maximum Risk.

Van Damme played a cop who discovers too late that he had a twin brother.  But these twins don’t team up to avenge their parents.  Instead, Van Damme goes solo to avenge the death of his brother who had been involved with the Russian mafia before he died.  Van Damme’s character takes his brother’s identity as well as his girlfriend played by Henstridge.

This was Henstridge’s followup to Species.  So she was prominently featured in the film’s marketing material.  If Maximum Risk had been a hit, it would have gone a long way to establishing Henstridge as a star.  Unfortunately, the movie bombed in the US.  But it did well overseas.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Double Team – 1997

In 1998, Van Damme starred opposite Mickey Rourke and America’s diplomat to North Korea, Dennis Rodman in Double Team.

Van Damme played some kind of anti-terrorist agent.  Rourke played his arch nemesis, Stavros.  Van Damme gets one final shot at apprehending Stavros, and he blows it.  So he is sent to an island called The Colony where former agents are kept because they are too valuable to kill and too dangerous to be set free.  Think The Prisoner.  Van Damme must escape The Colony to team up with a weapons dealer (named Yaz) played by Rodman.  Despite the fact that Rodman’s character has no connection to basketball whatsoever, he constantly makes basketball-themed puns.

This was another film in which Van Damme worked with an Asian director on his first American movie.  In this case it was Tsui Hark.  These kinds of movies with international casts and crews can be a little over the top.  But Double Team is just insane.  Check out this clip from the film’s ending in which 1. Rourke is standing on a land mine while fighting a bengal tiger 2. Van Damme and Rodman rescue a baby while outrunning a fireball and 3. They all find safety behind a row of Coke machines.

Double Team was a flop in the US.  It was nominated for and won several Golden Rasberries.  Rodman won Worst Supporting Actor and Worst New Star.  And Van Damme and Rodman won Worst Screen Couple.

I’ve given Van Damme a gentle ribbing so far and I’m going to continue to do so.  But I do want to take a minute to recognize the guy’s influence on cinema.  He was directly responsible for recruiting guys like Woo, Lam and Hark to the US.  As Van Damme tells it, “I’m proud to say I started the Chinese flavor, when all these Chinese directors came to the States, because I really opened the gate for them.”  That may be bragging, but it’s also a legitimate claim. Van Damme went on to describe working with the three directors he brought to the US:

“It’s very difficult, because John Woo knows how to make people look like heroes. Tsui is like the Steven Spielberg of Asia. He’s a very good shooter, and he’s very out there. Crazy, crazy, but he’s fantastic. And Ringo Lam is like the Martin Scorsese of Asia. Very dark type of movie. Very into the story. Super, super realistic. All these guys, they were accustomed to making movies for $2 million. Very low budget, and they shot movies in Malaysia and China. So for them, for Ringo for example, it was difficult for them to spend more than $2 million. They’re all good. They’re all different.”

So what does Van Damme think of Double Take?

“Let me tell you, on Double Team, I made a huge mistake. Not Tsui. Not the studio, which was Columbia. But I wasn’t really Jean-Claude Van Damme. I was not me. The movie did well, by the way. They spent money on that film, and if I was what I am today or 15 years ago, that movie had the chance to be a super hit. Tsui was ready. Everything was good, all the tools were there. The casting was there. Then Van Damme fucked up.”

Ummmm.  Okay.  So what does he mean “Van Damme fucked up”?

Van Damme with his third wife, bodybuilder Gladys Portugues.
Van Damme with his third wife, bodybuilder Gladys Portugues

Specifically, he’s talking about some issues in his personal life.  Van Damme has been married five times.  He married his third wife, Gladys Portugues, in 1987.  They remained married until 1992 when Van Damme had an affair with actress Darcy LaPier.

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Van Damme with his fourth wife, actress Darcy LaPier

After the split, Van Damme married LaPier in 1994.  During the first year of his fourth marriage, Van Damme had an affair with his Street Fighter co-star, Australian pop sensation, Kylie Minogue.

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Van Damme and Australian pop sensation, doer of the locomotion and on-set tryst, Kylie Minogue

Oh, and LaPier was pregnant with Van Damme’s son at the time.

Ever the gentleman, Van Damme kissed and told.  He described how he was lucky at love:

“Sweet kiss, beautiful love-making.  It would be abnormal not to have had an affair, she’s so beautiful and she was there in front of me every day with a beautiful smile, simpatico, so charming, she wasn’t acting like a big star.  I knew Thailand very well, so I showed her my Thailand. She’s a great lady.”

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During the 90s, the stress of international stardom took a toll on Van Damme which resulted in a nasty cocaine addiction.  By 1996, Van Damme was spending up to $10,000 a week, and consuming up to 10 grams per day.  Van Damme was coked up and partying hard.  Sylvester Stallone tells a story of a party that nearly turned into a fight.

“I remember once, at my home in Miami, I believe it was in 96 or 97, Van Damme was there with Seagal, Willis, Schwarzenegger, Shaquille O Neal, Don Johnson and Madonna, it was a heck of a party. Van Damme was tired of Seagal saying he could kick his ass and went right up to him and offered him the chance to step outside so he could wipe the floor with him, or should I say wipe the backyard with him. Seagal made some excuse and left. His destination was some Ocean Drive nightclub in Miami. Van Damme, who was completely berserk, tracked him down and again offered him a fight, and again Seagal pulled a Houdini. Who would win? I have to say I believe Van Damme was just too strong and Seagal wanted no part of it. That’s just my opinion.”

In 1999, Van Damme was arrested on a DUI charge.  Van Damme tried rehab, but it didn’t take.  So instead he went cold turkey and focused on exercise to clean up.

He also remarried his third wife, Gladys Portugues.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Knock Off – 1998

In 1998, Van Damme reunited with his Double Team director, Tsui Hark, for the Hong Kong action movie, Knock Off.

Van Damme plays a sales rep for a company that sells knock off products in Hong Kong.  He and his partner played by Rob Schneider discover that the products contain bombs which will be used by terrorists because of course they will.

Knock Off tanked.  The writing was on the wall.  Van Damme was Van Done.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Legionnaire – 1998

Later that year, Van Damme starred in Legionnaire.  It was deemed unfit for theaters and instead debuted on video.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – Universal Soldier: The Return – 1999

By 1999, Van Damme was Van Desperate (I can do this all day).  So he made his first-ever sequel, Universal Soldier: the Return.

After the success of the first film in 1992, two direct-to-video sequels had been made.  But with Van Damme back, The Return was released theatrically.

But Van Damme’s return didn’t bring audiences back to the theater.  Universal Soldier: The Return bombed.

For the next several years, Van Damme starred in a string of direct-to-video action movies.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme – JCVD – 2008

That changed in 2008 when Van Damme starred in the meta crime drama, JCVD.

Yes, the title of the movie is Van Damme’s initials.  That’s because Van Damme plays a fictionalized version of himself.  The Van Damme of the movie is a struggling actor caught in the middle of a heist.

JCVD played the film festival circuit where it received mostly positive reviews.  Roger Ebert described it as “almost endearingly savage.”  According to Ebert, Van Damme  “says worse things about himself than critics would dream of saying, and the effect is shockingly truthful”.

Most audiences were not aware of JCVD.  But at long last, Van Damme had achieved a grudging respect from critics.

van damme - universal soldier regeneration
Jean-Claude Van Damme – Universal Soldier: Regeneration – 2010

In 2010, Van Damme reunited with Dolph Lundgren for Universal Soldier: Regeneration.  Despite the presence of two original cast members, Regeneration went straight to video.

van damme - kung fu panda 2
Jean-Claude Van Damme – Kung Fu Panda 2 – 2011

In 2011, while still toiling away in direct-to-video movies, Van Damme lent his voice to the Dreamworks Animation sequel, Kung Fu Panda 2.

Van Damme - Behind Closed Doors
Jean-Claude Van Damme – Behind Closed Doors – 2011

Van Damme also appeared in a British reality show called Jean-Claude Van Damme: Behind Closed Doors.

Van Damme discussed his drug problems and bipolar disorder.  The show was also supposed to document his return to kickboxing but the fight was repeatedly postponed.  Like most reality shows, one suspects it was highly scripted.

Hilary Swank and Jean-Claude van Damme - Party for Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov - 2011
Hilary Swank and Jean-Claude van Damme – Party for Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov – 2011

Oscar-winner Hilary Swank and non-Oscar-winning actor, Van Damme, made headlines for agreeing to appear at a lavish party for Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov in 2011.  Human Rights Watch issued a statement condemning the Hollywood actors for accepting money to party with a dictator:

Ramzan Kadyrov is linked to a litany of horrific human rights abuses.  It’s inappropriate for stars to get paid to party with him. It bolsters his image and legitimises a brutal leader and his regime. And getting paid to be part of such a lavish show in Chechnya trivialises the suffering of countless victims of human rights abuses there.

During the ceremony, Swank wished Kadyrov a happy birthday.  The master of ceremonies then asked her how she knew it was his birthday to which Swank replied, “I read. I do my research.”  Apparently that research did not include the many atrocities that have been linked to Kadyrov because Swank later pleaded ignorance and expressed her “deep regret” at having participated.

Van Damme was less apologetic.  In as much as he did not in any way express regret for appearing at the event or offer to donate his fee to charity.  But in fairness, he really needed the money I’m sure.

van damme - expendables 2
Jean-Claude Van Damme – The Expendables 2 – 2012

In 2012, Van Damme got another shot at the big screen in The Expendables 2.

In 2010, the first Expendables film was a surprise hit.  Sylvester Stallone called up a bunch of his aging action star buddies and audiences turned out to see them.  According to Stallone, Van Damme turned down the first film because he refused to lose a fight in a movie.  Van Damme denies this.  After the success of the first film, Van Damme was willing to play the villain in the sequel.

Van Damme was unhappy with the way his final showdown with Stallone was written.  Originally, his character was supposed to turn and run after a brief confrontation.  But with Stallone’s permission, Van Damme beefed up the fight which he thought audiences would want to see.  He was probably right.  But it probably helped his ego too.

The Expendables 2 was not as big of a hit in the US as the first film.  But it was still a huge movie worldwide.  Van Damme wanted to return to The Expendables 3, but was not invited to do so.  It bombed without him.  Coincidence?  Probably.

van damme - day of reckoning
Jean-Claude Van Damme – Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning – 2012

Also in 2012, Van Damme and Lundgren starred in another direct-to-video Universal Soldier sequel subtitled Day of Reckoning.

Van Damme continues to work in direct to video movies.  But in 2013, he went viral for a Volvo commercial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7FIvfx5J10

So, what the hell happened?

First off, Van Damme’s rise to fame was part of a wave of action heroes in the 80s and early 90s.  That wave crashed.  Action movies went away from guys like The Expendables as Jason Bourne became the new face of the genre.  Like all the other action stars of the time, Van Damme rode that wave and then got left behind by changing tastes.

But Van Damme will be the first to tell you that to a large degree he did himself in.  Fame did a number on his head.  He was partying too hard.  His ego and his personal life were out of control.  He very nearly ruined his family and his career.  Even if the action genre hadn’t changed, Van Damme probably cooked his own goose with his behavior.

However, I think you have to give the guy some credit.  He owns his mistakes.  Sometimes very publicly.  And you can tell the guy is still busting his ass to be a star.  He’s got heart and a sense of humor.  As that Volvo video shows, JCVD is still kind of relevant.

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Dorian
Dorian
10 years ago

Great article.
Suggestion: WTHH to Lelee Sobieski, who was once poisoned to be the next Helen Hunt.

daffystardust
Editor
10 years ago
Reply to  Dorian

and THAT’s what happened to Helen Hunt.

Mastro
Mastro
10 years ago
Reply to  Dorian

Lelee Sobieski did a Uwe Boll movie- where she has a fling with Ray Liotta.
Its actually worse than it sounds…

Dorian
Dorian
10 years ago

ooops, I mean “poised”.

daffystardust
Editor
10 years ago

Ummm…wow. I have actually never seen any of JCVD’s movies.
But I did see the episode of ‘Friends’ he was in!
I’m pretty sure I haven’t missed anything.
Fun article, though.

Mikko
Mikko
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

I was surprised at how few of Van Damme’s films I’d seen; Universal Soldier (where his accent was explained away by him being a cajun!), Sudden Death (at least I think I saw it, but these diehards all blend into each other) – and No Retreat, No Surrender, which was one of the greatest films me or my mates had ever seen in our (young) lives! Bruce Lee’s ghost! Bruce Lee’s wooden trouser press as training equipment! How COOL was that!? I suspect that fond memories would probably not be enough to carry a re-watch. Continuing down the memory lane:… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

Read This: There’s a reason the Street Fighter movie was so awful: http://www.avclub.com/article/read-theres-reason-street-fighter-movie-was-so-awf-202068 By Eric Lindvall Mar 11, 2014 2:30 PM 1994’s Street Fighter: The Movie is a glorious disaster. Other than character names, it retains almost none of the source material: no hurricane kicks, hadoukens, and, perhaps most damningly, none of Guile’s theme. The film is just straight-up bad, and now, thanks to Chris Plante over at Polygon, you can get an idea why. Plante’s piece details the trials of first-time (and only-time) feature-film director Stephen de Souza as he tried and ultimately failed to make a decent Street… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

The Nostalgia Critic’s Real Thoughts On: Street Fighter:
https://youtu.be/eBxCHN6lEGs
Of course!

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

6 True Stories That Explain Why Famously Bad Movies Sucked: http://www.cracked.com/article_23130_6-true-stories-that-explain-why-famously-bad-movies-sucked_p2.html #1. Street Fighter Was A Perfect Storm Of Cocaine, Hand Jobs, And Terminal Illness Street Fighter was enjoying a period of extreme popularity in the early ’90s, thanks to its colorful cast of characters and the fact that virtually every other game of its type at the time was unspeakably shitty. So naturally, when a film adaptation directed by Steven de Souza (the man who wrote Die Hard) was announced, expectations were high. Unfortunately, what we got was an incomprehensible two-hour G.I. Joe commercial that was universally hated. The… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

10 Greatest Villains From Otherwise Disappointing Movies: http://whatculture.com/film/10-greatest-villains-from-otherwise-disappointing-movies.php/5 M. Bison – Street Fighter The Disappointing Movie: Though this video game adaptation offered action aplenty, it was so prolific that there was barely any time for story, and when there were any development, they were often campy and trite. The Great Villain: In what would be Raul Julia’s final film role, it’s a good thing that he went out with a bang. Starring as the vaguely Eurasian General M. Bison in the overstuffed martial arts fest, Julia is literally the sole redeeming feature of this video game adaptation. His boring plan… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TpbZs-X8jw
Street Fighter 1994 Commentary (Podcast Special) with Oliver Harper, Duncan Casey and Richard Jackson.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

16 Things You Never Knew About The Failed Street Fighter Movie
https://screenrant.com/street-fighter-movie-failed-steven-e-de-souza-facts-trivia/

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

STREET FIGHTER (1994) Jean-Claude Van Damme – WTF Happened to This Movie? Hollywood has had its fair share of historically troubled productions. Whether it was casting changes, actor deaths, fired directors, in-production rewrites, constant delays, budget cuts, or studio edits, these films had every intention to be a blockbuster but were beset with unforeseen disasters. Sometimes huge hits, sometimes box office bombs. Rarer still are the movies that, while they’re shooting, seem like disasters in the making but wind up being classics.In the mid-nineties, Capcom’s “Street Fighter 2” was the hottest video game in the world. Introducing the one on… Read more »

chris cardinuto
chris cardinuto
9 years ago
Reply to  daffystardust

Your out of your mind van dam movies are awsome lionheart bloodsport is a awesome kickboxer double impact

daffystardust
Editor
9 years ago

I’m just not a fan of these kinds of movies in general. I’m sure for fans of the genre they are very enjoyable.

Dar
Dar
10 years ago

Van Damme has certainly had a much more successful and longr (as a threatrical star) career than Seagal.
Still, Seagal has to be given some grudging respect for trying some new stuff with some of his more “environmental” movies and less actiony films.
But yeah, Van Damme would likely beat Seagal in a fight today or at their prime even.

Dorian
Dorian
10 years ago

Maybe the fuel in those Volvo truck´s tanks will help him…

stoilstoichev
stoilstoichev
10 years ago

the final fight in Expendables 2 was the bomb. nice article I love Van Damme I grew up on his movies. somebody mentioned Michael Dudikoff that guy was never anything close to a bankable star.he’s worked on nothing but be movies throughout his career

Stoich
10 years ago

WTHH to Michael Paré 🙂

Stoich
10 years ago

@I wrote about him a bit in the Rick Moranis article I think – I actually tried to find it and I think you must have meant Tom Berenger. Anyway, it probably wasn’t at all clear but I would actually really enjoy WTHH to Dudikoff and Pare. I have a thing for 80s action guys. As for Van Damme: I want to make sure everybody checks out this scene:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYB48hSyKVU Really awesome stuff. I honestly think it might be the best acting I’ve seen from the Jean Claude (saw JCVD and didn’t like it much). Overall he’s kind of a lousy… Read more »

Liz
Liz
10 years ago

“However, I think you have to give the guy some credit. He owns his mistakes. Sometimes very publicly. And you can tell the guy is still busting his ass to be a star. He’s got heart and a sense of humor. As that Volvo video shows, JCVD is still kind of relevant.” I’ve never been a fan of JCVD (and definitely not his movies), but, recently, I’ve come to respect him and, consequently, 100% agree with that last paragraph of your summation. I feel that he absolutely deserves some credit. A lot, actually because you’re right — he’s recognized, admitted… Read more »

Mastro
Mastro
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

” I mean, the guy sounds like an ass when he talks about his affair with Kylie Minogue. He makes it sound like he would have been an idiot not to cheat on his wife.”
Yeah- when i first heard him talk about it- I was like “OK- you have a hot pop-star co-star- go for it!”
Only later did I realize he was married and his marriage history looked pretty – er- complicated.

Liz
Liz
10 years ago

Oh, there’s no doubt about it — JCVD is a World. Class Idiot. And I say that with the assuredness (and shame 🙂 ) of someone who just watched ALL eight episodes of “Behind Closed Doors”. Back to back to back. I kid ye not. My curiosity with it happened to coincide with a wicked case of insomnia, unfortunately. Needless to say, I learned more about JCVD and his family than I ever wanted to know — EVER — but I just couldn’t stop watching. LOL (Though, that seems to be a theme here — I’ve read, written, and thought… Read more »

Stoich
10 years ago

You might say that because of his big legs and karate he can do the splits no problem 😉

vitieddie
vitieddie
10 years ago

Thanks for this. Been looking forward to the JCVD article.
Bring on Stallone!

jeffthewildman
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

I’ll tackle Stallone for my next one (using some of the tips you suggested) before I move on to Oliver Stone and John Carpenter in my directors series.

Craig Hansen
Craig Hansen
9 years ago

That video is very revealing about Van Damme’s role as The Predator. Everybody that is a fan of Predator should definately follow the link and check that out. It’s only 3 minutes, very digestable. Funniest of all is when one of the special effects guys is describing Van Damme showing up to work on the first day, fitted into this absolutely ridiculous-looking costume, and “HE IS JUST SEETHING”. Ultimately, who can blame him? Truth is, my God that first alien costume design was absolutely silly looking. Predator is genuinely a great sci-fi/action film and a classic, I think you’ll find… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

When Jean-Claude Van Damme played Predator:
http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/predator/32595/when-jean-claude-van-damme-played-predator
In 1986, Jean-Claude Van Damme was the title alien in Predator before he was hurriedly recast. Ryan looks back at what happened…

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Here’s Why Jean-Claude Van Damme Left the Original Predator Movie
http://screenrant.com/predator-jean-claude-van-damme-john-mctiernan/

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

All the different reasons Jean-Claude Van Damme was allegedly fired from #Predator
https://t.co/gwpLbJYllh

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

7 Actors Who Tried To Be Directors (And Totally Failed): http://whatculture.com/film/7-actors-tried-directors-totally-failed.php/5 Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Van Damme proved in his 2008 movie JCVD to be more perceptive than most of us probably expected, though that doesn’t mean he’s ever been qualified to direct one of his own movies. Nevertheless, he gave it a shot with 1996′s The Quest, a typical martial arts flick which, if Van Damme had paid any attention to his previous movies, he might have actually been able to pull off. Sadly, The Muscles from Brussels’ directorial debut suffers from poor camerawork and, strangely enough, a distinct… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Jean-Claude Van Damme’s ego (allegedly) almost ruined Manu Bennett’s (Spartacus) career. Read the shocking, behind the scenes story here:
http://cblend.co/1kPE6cV

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Creator Killer (TV Tropes) “A near-consensus pick as the worst movie ever made, Gigli improbably serves as the bookend of [Martin] Brest’s directing career.” — Dirk Knemeyer, “The Curious Career of Martin Brest” A rather unpredictable phenomenon, this is when one or more works flop badly enough to take down or badly damage the publishers, the reputation of creative talents behind it, or both. Though there are usually many factors needed to cause the death of a publisher or a creator, some high-profile flops are linked (rightfully or not) to the death of the organization working on it. They will… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

With JCVD, a fading action star stepped outside himself: http://thedissolve.com/features/departures/711-with-jcvd-a-fading-action-star-stepped-outside-him/ by Scott Tobias Departures looks at films by talents who defied expectations and tried something different. Are these films true anomalies, or not quite the left turns they appear to be? In the decade leading up to 2008’s JCVD, Jean-Claude Van Damme, “The Muscles From Brussels,” the martial-arts sensation of Bloodsport and Timecop, made the following movies: Legionnaire, Inferno, The Order, Replicant, Derailed, In Hell, Wake Of Death, The Hard Corps, Second In Command, Until Death, and The Shepherd: Border Patrol. Every single one of them was released straight to… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Which actor has wasted their talent or good will the most?
https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/3r5oso/which_actor_has_wasted_their_talent_or_good_will/cwl4sjg
After seeing JCVD, I realized how much Jean Claude van Damme wasted his career..

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

What is that one amazing performance from an otherwise mediocre actor?
https://forum.dvdtalk.com/13157718-post3.html
Jean Claude Van Damme in the movie Bloodsport. The last scene which he was maliciously blinded and he started crying, confused and lost knowing so much is at stake. Then the dramatic symphony music coupled with the crowds chants. Van Damme screaming his heart and lungs out you can feel the emotional presence. The pain the agony of near defeat.
Shocked he didn’t win an Oscar for his great and natural performance.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

The birth, death and regeneration of the Universal Soldier movies: http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/31802/the-birth-death-and-regeneration-of-the-universal-soldier-movies Universal Soldier began in 1992 before suffering from some tawdry sequels. Then John Hyams revived the franchise in spectacular fashion… The Universal Soldier films are a strange case of life imitating art. Much like how series protagonist Luc Deveraux is killed in action then resurrected into something post-human, Universal was a pretty standard 90s action film which crashed and burned when it came to sequels, but became something unique and beautiful when it was reanimated for the straight to DVD market. It’s a hushed secret among genre fans, but… Read more »

Debbie
Debbie
9 years ago

I don’t know what kind of skin treatment Jean does but it has not worked for him. Unless this is from years of drug/alcohol use. I am his age and I am a sun worshiper and do not look as bad. Needs to consider cosmetic surgery.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

Re: Celebs with HIV or serious STD’s tea?
http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php/419738-Celebs-with-HIV-or-serious-STD-s-tea?p=24238477&viewfull=1#post24238477
Jean Claude Van Damme (HIV) he looks like total sh**, and he also used male and female hookers a lot. Into anal, is what was said somewhere around here. Also was undiagnosed bipolar, which may have fueled some of his crazy. I have to read the rest of this here, don’t have time.

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