Jean claude

Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (born 18 October 1960), professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme [a] and abbreviated as
JCVD, is a Belgian actor, martial artist, screenwriter, film producer, and director best known for his
martial arts action films. The most successful of these films include
Bloodsport (1988), Kickboxer (1989),
Lionheart (1990), Double Impact (1991), Universal Soldier (1992), Hard Target (1993), Street Fighter (1994),
Timecop (1994), Sudden Death (1995),
JCVD (2008) and The Expendables 2 (2012).
Early life and education
Van Damme was born Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg, on 18 October 1960, in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe , Brussels , Belgium , the son of Eliana and Eugène Van Varenberg, who was an accountant and florist . [1]
[2][3][4] His father is Walloon (French-speaking ) from Brussels, and his mother is Flemish (Dutch-speaking ).[5] Van Damme's paternal grandmother was Jewish . [6]
He began martial arts at the age of ten, enrolled by his father in a Shōtōkan Karate School. [7] His styles consist of Shōtōkan Karate and
Kickboxing .[8] He eventually earned his black belt in karate at 18. [9] He started lifting weights to improve his physique, which eventually led to a Mr. Belgium bodybuilding title. [10] At the age of 16, he took up ballet, which he studied for five years. According to Van Damme, 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." [11] Later he took up both Taekwondo and Muay Thai .[12]
Career
Early 1970s to early 1980s: Martial arts career and first film appearance
Martial arts start
At the age of 12, [13] Van Damme joined the Centre National De Karaté (National Center of Karate) under the guidance of Claude Goetz in Belgium. Van Damme trained for four years and he earned a spot on the Belgian Karate Team; later training in full-contact karate and kickboxing with Dominique Valera.[14]
Semi-contact karate career
At the age of 15, Van Damme started his competitive karate career in Belgium. From 1976 to 1980, Van Damme compiled a record of 44 victories and 4 defeats in tournament and non-tournament semi-contact matches.
Van Damme was a member of the Belgium Karate Team when it won the European Karate Championship on 26 December 1979 at La Coupe François Persoons Karate Tournament in Brussels. [14][15]
Van Damme placed second at the Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials). At the 3-day tournament, Van Damme defeated 25 opponents before losing in the finals to teammate Angelo Spataro.[14]
1980 Forest National match
On 8 March 1980, in Brussels, Belgium, Van Damme competed against his former teammate Patrick Teugels at the Forest National Arena on the undercard of the Dan Macaruso-Dominique Valera
Professional Karate Association Light-Heavyweight World Championship bout. [14] Prior to this match, Teugels had defeated Van Damme twice by decision, including a match for the Belgium Lightweight Championship. Van Damme had a 1977 victory over Teugels. Teugels was coming off an impressive showing at the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations World Championships four months earlier, and was favored by some to win this match. According to reports, and Patrick Teugels' own interview (with photos), Teugels lost to Van Damme by TKO in the 1st round. Teugels was kicked in the nose and was unable to continue as a result. [14] In a 2013 interview, Van Damme called this fight his most memorable match. [16]
Kickboxing and full-contact karate career
Van Damme began his full-contact career in 1977, when Claude Goetz promoted the first ever full-contact karate tournament in Belgium.
From 1977 to 1982, Van Damme compiled a record of 18 victories (18 knockouts) and 1 defeat [citation needed] . He was even named "Mr. Belgium" in a bodybuilding competition[ citation needed ].
First film appearance
In 1979, he had an un-credited role in
André Delvaux 's Woman Between Wolf and Dog . A Belgian-French
drama film starring Marie-Christine Barrault, and Rutger Hauer.
End of martial arts career
In 1980, Van Damme caught the attention of Professional Karate Magazine publisher and editor Mike Anderson, and multiple European champion Geert Lemmens. Both men tabbed Van Damme as an upcoming prospect. [17] Van Damme retired from competition in 1982.
Early 1980s: Move to the U.S., early film roles, jobs and working for Chuck Norris
Move to the U.S. from Belgium: first jobs
Jean-Claude Van Damme at the
Cannes Film Festival in 1993 [18]
In 1982, Van Damme and childhood friend Michel Qissi moved to the United States in the hope to work as actors They did a variety of jobs to support themselves. Their first job working on a film as extras in the hip hop dance film Breakin' (1984), made by Cannon Films . They are seen dancing in the back ground at a dance demonstration. [19]
Friendship, training, and working for Chuck Norris
Around that time he developed a friendship with action martial art movie star Chuck Norris . They started sparing together, and Van Damme started to work as a bouncer at a bar named Woody's Wharf, owned by Norris. [20]
In 1984, he worked in the stunt team in the Norris action film Missing in Action which was also released by
Cannon Films .[21]
Mid to late 1980s: Early roles, Breakthrough: Bloodsport, Subsequent success: Cyborg, and
Kickboxer .
Predator and small projects
He had a role in the comedy short film Monaco Forever (1984) .[22]
Van Damme worked for director John McTiernan for the 1987 film Predator as an early (eventually abandoned) version of the titular alien, before being removed and replaced by Kevin Peter Hall . [23]
Van Damme also had a non-speaking part as a Secret Service agent who carries a polio-crippled President Franklin Roosevelt (Ralph Bellamy) out of a pool in the 1988 TV miniseries War and Remembrance .
No Retreat, No Surrender
Van Damme's first sizeable role came when he was cast as the Russian villain in Corey Yuen ' martial arts movie No Retreat, No Surrender (1986), starring Kurt McKinney, and released through New World Pictures. McKinney performs as Jason Stillwell, a U.S. teenager who learns karate from the spirit of Bruce Lee . Stillwell uses these lessons to defend his martial arts dojo against Soviet martial artist played by Van Damme.
Black Eagle
Van Damme played another Russian villain, in Black Eagle (1988), opposite
Sho Kosugi.In the film, Sho Kosugi is a martial artist and special operative for the U.S. government codenamed "Black Eagle", is summoned by his superiors after an F-111 carrying an experimental black ops laser tracking device was shot down over Malta by Russian forces.
Breakthrough: Bloodsport
Van Damme's breakout film was
Bloodsport (1988), based on the alleged true story of Frank Dux . Shot on a $1.5-million budget for Cannon. The film is about U.S. Army Captain
Frank Dux (played by Van Damme), trained from his youth in the ways of
ninjutsu by Senzo Tanaka, honors his mentor by taking the place of Tanaka's deceased son Shingo in the illegal martial-arts tournament Kumite in Hong Kong . It became a U.S. box-office hit in the spring of 1988. Producer Mark Di Salle said he was looking for "a new martial arts star who was a ladies' man, [but Van Damme] appeals to both men and women. He's an American hero who fights for justice the American way and kicks the stuffing out of the bad guys." [24] This success would establish Van Damme becoming a regular action star for The Cannon Group alongside Chuck Norris ,
Charles Bronson , Sho Kosugi , and
Michael Dudikoff .
Cyborg
After the success of Bloodsport , Cannon Films offered Van Damme the lead in Delta Force 2 , American Ninja 3 or Cyborg, a cyperpunk martial arts movie directed by Albert Pyun . Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Gibson Rickenbacker, a mercenary who battles a group of murderous marauder along the East coast of the United States in a post-apocalyptic future . The film was a low budget box office success and led to two sequels, neither of which Van Damme appeared in.
Kickboxer
Cannon used Van Damme again in
Kickboxer (1989), playing a man who fights to avenge his brother who has been paralyzed by a Thai kickboxing champion (Qissi). It was highly successful, returning over $50 million on a $3-million budget. [25] Van Damme did not appear in any of the film's four sequels, though he did return as a different character in the reboot series.
1990s: International stardom: Death Warrant, Lionheart , Double Impact, Universal Soldier, Timecop, Street Fighter, etc.
Death Warrant
Also successful was Death Warrant (1990), the first script credit for
David S. Goyer. In the film, Van Damme plays a police detective going into a prison facility at California as an undercover cop in order to find out who stands behind a mysterious series of murders, and finds himself locked up with his nemesis; Christian Naylor, a psychotic serial killer who calls himself "The Sandman" whom sets out to exact revenge upon him after getting into prison.
Lionheart
He followed it with Lionheart (1990) aka Wrong Bet , where he played a French Legionnaire who deserts his post to return to Los Angeles after his brother is murdered.[26]
Lionheart was directed by Sheldon Lettich who had co-written
Bloodsport , and who claimed the film was "the first movie to demonstrate that Van Damme was more than just a flash-in-the-pan "Karate Guy" who would never rise above simplistic low-budget karate movies." [27] It also featured rear nudity from Van Damme which Lettich says "became a very memorable moment for the ladies in the audience, and for the gay guys as well. Showing off his butt (clothed or unclothed) almost became a signature trademark of his after that." [27]
Double Impact
Double Impact , directed by Lettich, featured Van Damme in the dual role of Alex and Chad Wagner, estranged twin brothers fighting to avenge the deaths of their parents. This film reunited him with his former
Bloodsport co-star, Bolo Yeung and was very popular.
Universal Soldier
Van Damme then starred opposite
Dolph Lundgren in the action film
Universal Soldier, directed by Roland Emmerich for Carolco . While it grossed $36,299,898 in the U.S., it was an even bigger success overseas, making over $65 million, well over its modest $23 million budget.
Nowhere To Run
After making a cameo in Last Action Hero , Van Damme starred in Nowhere To Run (1993) alongside Rosanna Arquette, based in part on a script by
Joe Eszterhas . The film was the first in a three-picture deal between Van Damme and Columbia Pictures and his fee was $3.5 million. Columbia said the film is "true to his audience and goes beyond his audience." [28] However it was a box office disappointment.
Hard Target
More successful was Hard Target (1993) for Universal, the first American film from director John Woo . In the film he stars as Chance Boudreaux, an out-of-work Cajun merchant seaman who saves a young woman, named Natasha Binder (Yancy Butler), from a gang of thugs in New Orleans . Chance learns that Binder is searching for her missing father (Chuck Pfarrer ), and agrees to aid Binder in her search.
Timecop
Also for Universal he did Timecop (1994), playing a time-traveling cop, who tries to prevent the death of his wife. Directed by Peter Hyams , the film was a huge success, grossing over $100 million worldwide, and remains his highest-grossing film in a lead role to date.
Street Fighter
Van Damme starred in Street Fighter (1994), written and directed by Steven E. de Souza for Universal and based on the video game. The film focuses on the efforts of Colonel Guile (Van Damme) to bring down General M. Bison played by Raul Juliá, the military dictator and drug kingpin of Shadaloo City who aspires to conquer the world with an army of genetic supersoldiers, while enlisting the aid of street fighters to infiltrate Bison's empire and help destroy it from within. It was poorly received critically. Though a commercial success, making approximately three times its production cost.
Sudden Death
Van Damme and Hyams re-teamed for Universal ' on Sudden Death (1995). Van Damme plays a French Canadian- born firefighter with the
Pittsburgh Fire Bureau who suffered a personal crisis after he was unable to save a young girl from a house fire. Now removed from active duty, Darren has become demoted to being
fire marshal for the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, where a gang of terrorists are holding U.S. Vice President and several other VIPs hostage in a luxury suite during a game.
The Quest
Van Damme turned director for The Quest (1996), which he directed;
Roger Moore co-starred. The plot, set in 1925, revolves around a martial arts tournament in the mysterious "Lost City", located deep in Tibet , with martial artists from around the world fighting to earn the winner's prize, the "Golden Dragon", a valuable statue made of solid gold.
Maximum Risk
Maximum Risk (1996) was his following film for Columbia, the first American film from Ringo Lam , and his first collaboration with Van Damme. He plays Alain Moreau a French cop in Nice. A dead body of someone that looks exactly like him, is discovered. It turns out, that it is the twin brother Alain never knew he had. Tracing his brother's steps back to New York City, Alain discovers that he was a member of the Russian Mafia, who was chased down and killed when he attempted to get out. Now Alain is mistaken for hiim, who was also mixed up in a series of affairs concerning the FBI and the Russian mafia. With his only real ally being Mikhail's fiancé Alex Bartlett (Natasha Henstridge), Alain sets out to avenge his brother's death.
Double Team
Van Damme's first box office bomb since he became star was Double Team (1997), a buddy film with NBA superstar Dennis Rodman . It was Hong Kong's director Tsui Hark American debut for Columbia and his first collaboration. Van Damme plays counter-terrorist agent Jack Quinn, who is assigned to bring an elusive terrorist known as Stavros to justice. Things become personal when Stavros kidnaps Quinn's pregnant wife after his own lover and child were killed in an assassination attempt that went awry. Aiding Quinn in his rescue is his flamboyant weapons dealer Yaz (Dennis Rodman ).
Knock Off
He and Hark reunited on Knock Off (1998), a Hong Kong-US co production which also flopped.
Legionnaire
Van Damme tried a costume action movie, Legionnaire (1998) co-written by Lettich. He plays Alain Lefevre a French boxer in 1920s Marseille , France. Alain is forced by local crime boss Lucien Galgani to take a dive in a fight. Galgani's girlfriend is also Alain's ex-fiancée whom he left standing at the altar. The two hatch a plan to run off to America together. Hence he does not take a dive in the fight, but just as the escape plan is about to succeed, Alain's friend is killed, and Katrina is captured by Galgani's men. But Alain has shot and killed Galgani's brother. Desperately needing a new escape plan, Alain signs up for the French Foreign Legion , and is shipped to North Africa to help defend Morocco against a native Berber rebellion. Despite a $35 million budget, it was not released theatrically in the US, only overseas. [29]
Universal Soldier: The Return
Van Damme then made his first sequel, Universal Soldier: The Return , (1999). The film takes place seven years after the events in the first film , Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme), now an ordinary human after having had his cybernetic implants removed, is a technical expert who is working for the US government with his partner Maggie (Kiana Tom ), who has been through countless hours of combat training with him. They work to refine and perfect the UniSol program in an effort to make a new, stronger breed of soldier that is more sophisticated and intelligent to reduce the use of normal, human soldiers in the battlefield. All of the new UniSols, which are faster and stronger than the original UniSols, are connected through an artificially intelligent computer system called S.E.T.H. (Self-Evolving Thought Helix). When S.E.T.H. discovers that the Universal Soldier program is scheduled to be shut down because of budget cuts, it takes action to protect itself. Killing those who try to shut off its power, and unleashing a platoon of super soldiers, led by the musclebound Romeo (Bill Goldberg).
Inferno
In Inferno (1999), Van Damme plays a veteran soldier sick of life, wandering the desert looking for a reason to die. An incident with a few thugs from the nearby town who steal Eddie's motorbike and beat him almost to death, starts in Eddie a flame for revenge.
2000s: Replicant, In Hell, Until Death, JCVD, Universal Soldier: Regeneration, etc.
Replicant
Replicant is the second collaboration between Jean-Claude Van Damme and Hong Kong film director Ringo Lam , and the fifth time that Van Damme has starred in a dual role .
The Order
The Order is a 2001 American action film directed by Sheldon Lettich , and written by Jean-Claude Van Damme, who also starred in the film.
Derailed
In Derailed , Van Damme plays NATO operative Jacques Kristoff who is summoned into action, upon the theft of extremely valuable and dangerous top-secret container from the
Slovakian government.
In Hell
In Hell is a 2003 American prison
action film directed by Ringo Lam . It is the third and final collaboration between Jean-Claude Van Damme and Hong Kong film director Ringo Lam . Van Damme plays an American working overseas in Magnitogorsk ,
Russia . When he hears his wife being attacked over the phone, he rushes home, but is too late to save her. The man who killed his wife, buys the judge and is found not guilty for lack of evidence. Taking the law into his own hands and kills him, and for this, he is sentenced to life in prison. The general who runs the prison amuses himself by betting on organized fights between his prisoners to fill his pockets, where Van Damme is evetually forced to compete.
Bob Sinclar's "Kiss My Eyes."
In 2003, Van Damme employed his dancing training in the music video for Bob Sinclar 's "Kiss My Eyes."
Wake of Death
His 2004 film was Wake of Death, Van Damme plays a gangster who decides to become legit to spend more time with his wife.
Narco
He had a cameo in the french film
Narco (2005), he appears as an imagined version of himself, when one character who idolizes him as the ultimate 'Karate man', imagines a conversation where he acts as that character's conscience.
Second in Command
He followed it with Second in Command (2006) directed by Simon Fellow.
The Hard Corps
He reunited with Lettich for The Hard Corps (2006) co-starring Raz Adoti ,
Vivica A. Fox, and Peter Bryant .
The Exam
The Exam (2007), is a Turkish
comedy-drama film directed by Ömer Faruk Sorak , about five Turkish high school students preparing to sit for the university entry exam, who enlist the services of a professional thief, played by Jean-Claude Van Damme, to steal the papers.
Until Death
Until Death (2007), also with Fellows. Jean-Claude Van Damme plays a corrupt police detective addicted to
heroin whom everybody hates at the workplace. After being shot in a gunfight he falls into a coma. Months later he recovers and decides to use his second chance at life.
JCVD
Van Damme returned to the mainstream with the limited theatrical release of the 2008 film JCVD, which received positive reviews. Time Magazine named Van Damme's performance in the film the second best of the year (after Heath Ledger's The Joker in The Dark Knight ), [30] having previously stated that Van Damme "deserves not a black belt, but an Oscar." [31] While promoting the film Van Damme indicated that he had experienced a period of
homelessness "sleeping on the street and starving in L.A." [32]
The Shepherd: Border Patrol
In The Shepherd: Border Patrol (2008), he plays a border patrol is up against a highly dangerous drug smuggling operation.
Full Love AKA Eagle Path
Van Damme directed himself in the barely released Full Love .
Universal Soldier: Regeneration
He then reprised his role as Luc Deveraux in the 2009 film Universal Soldier: Regeneration , directed by
John Hyams, son of Peter.
The 2010s
Since 2009, Van Damme has been planning to make a comeback to fight former boxing Olympic gold-medalist
Somluck Kamsing.[33][34][35][36] The fight was a focal point in his ITV reality show Jean Claude Van Damme: Behind Closed Doors. The fight has been repeatedly postponed, with many critics doubting it will occur, especially due to the difficulty of booking the venue. [37] December 2012, Van Damme was seen as part of Kam Sing's ring crew when Kam Sing fought against Jomhod Kiatadisak . [38]
Van Damme was offered a lead role in Sylvester Stallone's 2010 film The Expendables . Stallone called Van Damme personally to offer him the role, but Van Damme turned it down. He also starred in Assassination Games (2011) and provided a voice for Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011). He starred in his own reality TV show
Jean-Claude Van Damme: Behind Closed Doors (2011).
He worked with Joe Hymans again on
Dragon Eyes (2012) then appeared in commercials for Coors Light beer, showing him on a snow-covered mountain wearing a sleeveless denim jacket, [39] and for the washing powder Dash.
On 21 October 2012, Van Damme was honored with a life-size statue of himself in his hometown of Brussels . He told reporters during the unveiling, "Belgium is paying me back something, but really it's to pay back to the dream. So when people come by here, it is not Jean-Claude Van Damme but it's a guy from the street who believed in something. I want the statue to represent that". [40]
Van Damme returned to the Universal Soldier series with Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning , which again co-stars Dolph Lundgren. [41] He followed it with Six Bullets (2012) and
U.F.O. (2012), then starred in the thriller Enemies Closer (2013), which reunited him with Timecop and
Sudden Death director Peter Hyams .[42]
Van Damme indicated that Stallone might include him in The Expendables 3 , in which Van Damme would play Claude Villain, the brother to his
Expendables 2 character Jean Villain. [43] The casting of Mel Gibson as the film's villain, however, made this less than likely. Van Damme ended up not featuring in the film, but he has indicated that he would like to appear in the upcoming The Expendables 4 .
In 2015 he features in a new situation comedy television series JC 1er which is set to broadcast on French television channel Canal+ .[44]
He appeared in the 2013 comedy
Welcome To The Jungle directed by Rob Meltzer, in a role as a workplace team building trainer opposite Adam Brody , Rob Huebel, Kristen Schaal, Megan Boone, and Dennis Haysbert. [45]
He was in Swelter (2014) and Pound of Flesh (2015) and reprised his performance in Kung Fu Panda 3 . Later films include Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016), Kill 'Em All (2017),
Kickboxer: Retaliation (2018) and
Black Water (2018).
Monument
In 2012, a statue of actor was unveiled in Anderlecht, Belgium. The artwork, which depicts a younger incarnation of 'the muscles from Brussels' in a fighting pose, was commissioned to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Westland Shopping complex. The unveiling took place on Boulevard Sylvain Dupuis and was attended by Van Damme, his parents, Wallonia-Brussels culture minister Fadila Laanan and nearly 2,000 fans. Van Damme said the statue "represented the dream of a Brussels kid)" and was "for all the children who want something bad", adding that "if you believe in something strongly enough, it can come true". [46]
Controversies
Lawsuit and fight record controversy
In 1997, Frank Dux, the martial artist whom Van Damme portrayed in
Bloodsport , filed a lawsuit against Van Damme for $50,000 for co-writing and consultation work Dux did on the 1996 film The Quest . According to the lawsuit, Dux also accused Van Damme of lying to the public about his martial arts fight record, stating that when Dux tutored Van Damme while Van Damme was laying carpet for a living, Van Damme exhibited a lack of martial arts skills. Van Damme's lawyer, Martin Singer, responded, "There are records to document his martial arts acclaim. Why, just look at his movies; he didn't get those roles on his acting ability! He's the one who does those splits on chairs. He doesn't have a stuntman to do that." [47]
Kadyrov event
In October 2011, Van Damme, along with other celebrities including Hilary Swank , Vanessa-Mae and Seal attracted criticism from human rights groups for attending an event in Russian federal subject Chechnya 's capital Grozny on the 35th birthday of Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov on 5 October. [48] Human rights groups, who had urged the celebrities to cancel their appearances because of abuses carried out under Kadyrov, criticised the celebrities for attending the event. [49] Human Rights Watch released a statement which said, "Ramzan Kadyrov is linked to a litany of horrific human rights abuses. It's inappropriate for stars to get paid to party with him [...] And getting paid to be part of such a lavish show in Chechnya trivializes the suffering of countless victims of human rights abuses there."[50][51]
Public image and influence
In the French-speaking world, Van Damme is well known for the picturesque aphorisms that he delivers on a wide range of topics (personal well-being, the environment, etc.) in a sort of Zen
franglais . [52]
The original video game Mortal Kombat was conceived as a fighting game based on Van Damme. [53] Creators Ed Boon and John Tobias had originally wanted to star Van Damme himself in the game. That fell through as he had a prior deal for another game under the auspices of the Sega Genesis platform. Ed Boon and John Tobias eventually decided to create a different character for the game named Johnny Cage , who is modelled after Jean-Claude Van Damme, primarily from Van Damme's appearance and outfit in the martial arts film Bloodsport .[54][55] In the German version of Donkey Kong 64 website, DK greatest hero is Jean-Claude Van Kong.
On 13 November 2013, Volvo Trucks released an advertisement on
YouTube that shows Van Damme doing the splits while perched with each of his feet on the outer rearview mirrors of one semi-trailer truck and one box truck moving backwards, which Van Damme describes in the commercial as "the most epic of splits". The video quickly went viral around the web, receiving more than 11 million views in three days, [56] 35 million in the first week. [57]
In January 2017 Van Damme featured in an Ultra Tune television advert which was part of a controversial series of ads.[58] Two women were confronted in a car park by a gang of youths in a threatening manner, Van Damme appears to defend them and then the mood lightens and they take pictures with the star. [59]
Personal life
By the mid-1990s, the stress of the constant filming and promotion of his films, as Van Damme explains, led him to develop a cocaine habit, on which he spent up to $10,000 a week, and consuming up to 10 grams per day by 1996. He was arrested for
driving under the influence[60][61][62] in 1999. [63] Attempts at drug rehabilitation were unsuccessful, and he resorted to resolve his addiction via quitting cold turkey and exercise. [61] In 1998, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.[61]
[62][64] In 2011, he discussed the condition on the British reality show
Jean-Claude Van Damme: Behind Closed Doors , saying, "Sometimes you're gonna like me, and sometimes you're gonna hate me. But what can I do? I'm not perfect ... I'm an extreme bipolar, and I'm taking medication for this ... When I was young, I was suffering those swing moods . In the morning, the sky was blue [when I was] going to school, and to me, the sky was black. I was so sad."[65]
Van Damme has been married five times to four different women. He was married to his third wife, bodybuilder Gladys Portugues - with whom he has two children: Kristopher (born 1987) and Bianca (born 1990) [66] - until 1992, when he began an affair with actress Darcy LaPier , whom he married in February 1994. That same year he had an affair with his Street Fighter co-star Kylie Minogue during filming of that movie in Thailand . [67][68] LaPier, who was pregnant at the time with their son, did not become aware of this until Van Damme publicly admitted it in 2012. [69] After leaving LaPier, Van Damme remarried bodybuilder Portugues in 1999.
Van Damme is a Roman Catholic . [70]
Filmography
Films
Year Film Functioned as Notes Director Producer Writer Actor Role
1979 Woman Between Wolf and Dog Yes Movie Goer/Man in Garden Uncredited [71]
1984 Monaco Forever Yes Gay Karate Man Minor role
1984 Breakin' Yes Spectator in First Dance Sequence Uncredited Extra
1986 No Retreat, No Surrender Yes Ivan Krushensky
1988 Bloodsport Yes Frank Dux also editor (uncredited)
1988 Black Eagle Yes Andrei
1989 Cyborg Yes Gibson Rickenbacker also editor (uncredited)
1989 Kickboxer Yes Yes Kurt Sloane Also fight scene choreographer and fight scene director
1990 Death Warrant Yes Louis Burke
1990 Lionheart Yes Yes Lyon Gaultier also fight choreographer
1991 Double Impact Yes Yes Yes Alex Wagner/Chad Wagner Dual role , also fight choreographer
1992 Universal Soldier Yes Luc Deveraux
1993 Last Action Hero Yes Himself Cameo
1993 Nowhere to Run Yes Sam Gillen
1993 Hard Target Yes Chance Boudreaux
1994 Timecop Yes Max Walker
1994 Street Fighter Yes Colonel William F. Guile
1995 Sudden Death Yes Darren McCord
1996 The Quest Yes Yes Yes Christopher Dubois
1996 Maximum Risk Yes Alain/Mikhail Moreau Dual role
1997 Double Team Yes Jack Quinn
1998 Knock Off Yes Marcus Ray
1998 Legionnaire Yes Yes Yes Alain Lefevre
1999 Universal Soldier: The Return Yes Yes Luc Deveraux
1999 Inferno Yes Yes Eddie Lomax Limited release
2001 Order, The The Order Yes Yes Rudy Cafmeyer/Charles Le Vaillant Dual role
Direct-to-video
2001 Replicant Yes Edward "The Torch" Garrotte/Replicant Dual role
Direct-to-video
2002 Derailed Yes Jacques Kristoff Direct-to-video
2003 In Hell Yes Kyle LeBlanc Direct-to-video
2004 Wake of Death Yes Ben Archer Direct-to-video
2004 Narco Yes Jean's ghost by Lenny Minor role
2006 The Hard Corps Yes Phillip Sauvage Direct-to-video
2006 Second in Command Yes Sam Keenan Direct-to-video
2006 Exam, TheThe Exam Yes Charles Minor role
2007 Until Death Yes Anthony Stowe Direct-to-video
2008 The Shepherd: Border Patrol Yes Jack Robideaux Direct-to-video
2008 JCVD Yes Yes Himself (fictionalized autobiography) Limited release
Also the executive producer
2009 Universal Soldier: Regeneration Yes Luc Deveraux Limited release
2011 Kung Fu Panda 2 Yes Master Croc Voice only
2011 Assassination Games Yes Vincent Brazil Limited release
Also the executive producer
2011 Beur sur la ville Yes Colonel Merot Cameo
2012 Rzhevsky versus Napoleon Yes Himself Cameo
2012 Dragon Eyes Yes Jean-Luis Tiano Limited release
2012 The Expendables 2 Yes Jean Vilain Van Damme's first widely released film since 1999
2012 Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning Yes Luc Deveraux Limited release
2012 Six Bullets Yes Samson Gaul Limited release
Also the executive producer
2012 U.F.O. Yes George Limited release
2014 Welcome to the Jungle Yes Storm Rotchild Limited release
2013 Enemies Closer Yes Xander Limited release
2014 Swelter Yes Stillman Direct-to-video
2014 Full Love Yes Yes Yes Yes Frenchy Also editor
2015 Pound of Flesh Yes Deacon Limited release
Also the executive producer
2015 Jian Bing Man Yes Cameo
2016 Kung Fu Panda 3 Yes Master Croc voice
2016 Kickboxer: Vengeance Yes Master Durand
2017 Kill 'Em All Yes
2018 Kickboxer: Retaliation Yes
2018 Black Water Yes Wheeler Co-starring with Dolph Lundgren .
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1996 Friends Himself "The One After the Superbowl " (Season 2, Episode 13)
2004 Las Vegas Himself "Die Fast, Die Furious" (Season 1, Episode 15)
2009 Robot Chicken Himself
Count Dracula
Rhett Butler Voice only
"Maurice Was Caught" (Season 4, Episode 12)
2011 Jean Claude Van Damme: Behind Closed Doors Himself 1 season (8 episodes)
2011 Les Anges Gardiens Himself 1 season (20 episodes)
2016 - 2017 Jean-Claude Van Johnson Johnson / Jean-Claude Van Damme 1 season (6 episode)
Music videos
Year Song Artist
1992 "Body Count's in the House" Body Count
1994 "Time Won't Let Me" The Smithereens
1994 "Straight to My Feet" MC Hammer featuring Deion Sanders
1995 "Something There" Chage and Aska
1999 "Crush 'Em " Megadeth
2003 "Kiss My Eyes" Bob Sinclar
2008 "Ya Lyublyu Ego" Iryna Bilyk and Olga Gorbacheva
2015 "The Hum"[72] Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike vs.
Ummet Ozcan
Video games
Year Title Role
1995 Street Fighter: The Movie Colonel Guile
Awards and nominations
Year Nominated work Award Category Results
1988 Bloodsport Golden Raspberry Award Worst New Star [73] Nominated
1992 Double Impact MTV Movie Award Most Desirable Male Nominated
1993 Nowhere to Run MTV Movie Award Most Desirable Male Nominated
1994 Hard Target MTV Movie Award Most Desirable Male Nominated
1998 Double Team Golden Raspberry Award Worst Screen Couple (with
Dennis Rodman ) Won
2001 Replicant Video Premiere Award Best Actor Nominated
2004 Bollywood Movie Award Bollywood Movie Award International Action Super Star Won
2008 JCVD Silver Leopard Best Actor Nominated
2009 JCVD TFCA Award Best Performance, Male Nominated
2014 Macau International Film Festival Golden Lotus Award Outstanding Achievement of Action Movies Show Won
Semi-contact/light-contact record
Result Record Opponent Method Date Round Time Event Location Notes
Win 44-4-0 Jonny Wellum Decision 7 May 1980 3 W.A.K.O. Brussels ,
Belgium Light-Contact (Van Damme avenges early career defeat)
Win 43-4-0 Jordy Claes Decision 1980 3 Gala International
W.A.K.O. Brussels, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 42-4-0 Patrick Teugels [14] l'abandon (TKO) 8 March 1980 1 Forest Nationals Brussels, Belgium Light-Contact:Teugels suffers a broken nose and is unable to continue.)
Win 41-4-0 Andres Kovac Decision 1980 3 W.A.K.O. Brussels, Belgium Semi-Contact
Win 40-4-0 Bekim-Moussa Muhammad Decision 1980 3 W.A.K.O. Brussels, Belgium Semi-Contact
Win 39-4-0 Mustapha-Ahmad Benamou Decision 1980 3 W.A.K.O. Brussels, Belgium Semi-Contact
Win 38-4-0 Reinhard Krass Disq. 26 December 1979 2 Karate Tournament: Belgium Team vs. German Team Woluwe , Brussels, Belgium Light-Contact [14]
Win 37-4-0 Gilberto Dias l'abandon November 1979 1 World-All Styles Karate Organization Brussels, Belgium Light-Contact (Dias suffers ankle injury and is unable to continue.)
Win 36-4-0 Hans Kohler Decision 1979 3 World-All Styles Karate Organization Ingelmunster , Belgium Semi-Contact
Loss 35-4-0 Patrick Teugels Decision 1979 3 W.A.K.O. Tampa,
Florida ,
U.S.A. Light-Contact (Both men fight in karate gi uniforms, no pads or gloves)
Win 35-3-0 Matthias Evrard Decision 1979 3 Cup of Antwerp World-All Styles Karate Organization Antwerp, Belgium Semi-Contact
Win 34-3-0 Paul Sperati Decision 1979 3 World-All Styles Karate Organization Opprebais, Belgium Semi-Contact
Win 33-3-0 Lucus Reinfeld Decision 1979 3 World-All Styles Karate Organization, Europe Interland Cup Mulhouse, Belgium Semi-Contact
Win 32-3-0 Robbe Bogaerts Decision 1978 3 Hope Cup World-All Styles Karate Organization Brussels, Belgium Semi-Contact [74]
Win 31-3-0 Leonard Baptiste Decision 1978 3 World-All Styles Karate Organization Izegem , Belgium Semi-Contact
Win 30-3-0 Fernando Cabanela Decision 1978 3 World-All Styles Karate Organization Izegem , Belgium Semi-Contact
Loss 29-3-0 Angelo Spataro[14] Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 29-2-0 Gabriel Van Der Driessche Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 28-2-0 Farid Muhammad Mousseau Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 27-2-0 Jacques van Laere Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 26-2-0 Christian Hedin Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 25-2-0 Gerard Charon Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 24-2-0 David Arranz Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 23-2-0 Bernard Redden Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 22-2-0 Antoine Redi Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 21-2-0 Ben Salah Ellah Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 20-2-0 Gaston Airey Foul 1978 1 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 19-2-0 Abdembi Hassan Ali Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 18-2-0 Jonas "Marcel" Cohen Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 17-2-0 Christian Van Tieghem Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 16-2-0 Max Roelandt Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 15-2-0 Andre Verbon Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 14-2-0 Michel Juvillier Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 13-2-0 Joel Maoreau Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 12-2-0 Ronald Duivenbode Decision 1978 3 Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) Antwerp, Belgium Semi-Contact
Loss 11-2-0 Patrick Teugels Decision 1978 3 Belgium Lightweight Championship Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact
Win 11-1-0 Gris Lubbers Decision 1976 3 European Karate Union Ingelmunster , Belgium Semi-Contact
Win 10-1-0 Andre Lemaire Decision 1977 3 World Association of Kickboxing Organizations Open International Izegem , Belgium Semi-Contact
Win 9-1-0 Patrick Teugels Decision 1977 3 Antwerp Open International Competition W.A.K.O. Antwerp, Belgium Light-Contact [citation needed]
Win 8-1-0 Maurice Devos Decision 1977 3 World Allstyles Kickboxing Organization Antwerp, Belgium Semi-Contact
Win 7-1-0 , Jacques Berri Decision 1976 3 Antwerp Open WAKO Antwerp, Belgium Semi-Contact
Win 6-1-0 Johannes Binding Decision 1976 3 Antwerp Open WAKO Antwerp, Belgium Semi-Contact
Win 5-1-0 Jean-Morin Devigne Decision 1976 3 Antwerp Open WAKO Antwerp, Belgium Semi-Contact
Win 4-1-0 Roland Vedani Decision 1976 3 European Karate Union Ingelmunster , Belgium Semi-Contact
Win 3-1-0 Jean-Paul Gaston Decision 1976 3 European Karate Union Brussels, Belgium Semi-Contact
Loss 2-1-0 Jonny Wellum Decision 22 January 1976 3 La Federation Europeene de Karate (European Karate Federation) Brussels, Belgium Semi-Contact (J.Vandenberg credit with Defaite (loss)
Win 2-0-0 Bernard Briers Decision 22 January 1976 3 La Federation Europeene de Karate (European Karate Federation) Brussels, Belgium Semi-Contact (J.Vandenberg credit with victoire (win)
Win 1-0-0 Robin Lomard Decision 22 January 1976 3 La Federation Europeene de Karate (European Karate Federation) Brussels, Belgium Semi-Contact (J.Vandenberg credit with victoire (win))-Magazine "boxe francise" (Karate)
Kickboxing record
Result Record Opponent Method Date Round Time Event Location Notes
Win 18-1-0 Nedjad Gharbi KKO 1982 1 Brussels, Belgium Kickboxing
Win 17-1-0 Daniel Le Jaouen KKO 1982 1 1:05 Brussels, Belgium Kickboxing
Win 16-1-0 Lenny Leikman [14] KKO 1982 3 1st Journée Des Arts Martiaux Brussels, Belgium Kickboxing
Win 15-1-0 Ajom Mahmud Uddin KO 1981 1 0:19 Brussels, Belgium Kickboxing
Win 14-1-0 Mustapha-Ahmad Benamou KKO 1981 1 Brussels, Belgium Kickboxing
Win 13-1-0 Henk Besselman KO 1981 1 Brussels, Belgium Kickboxing
Win 12-1-0 Michael J. Heming KKO 1980 1 0:46 European Karate Federation Middleweight Championship Brussels, Belgium Kickboxing [citation needed]
Win 11-1-0 Georges Verlugels KO 1980 2 P.K.A. Middleweight Championship Brussels, Belgium Kickboxing [17]
Win 10-1-0 Sherman Bergman KKO 1979 Nov 4 1 0:56 Tampa, Florida , USA Full-Contact
Win 9-1-0 Rolf Risberg KKO 1979 1 Ingelmunster ,
Belgium Kickboxing [citation needed]
Win 8-1-0 Emile Leibman KKO 1979 1 Iseghem,
Belgium Kickboxing [citation needed]
Win 7-1-0 Cyrille Nollet KKO 1978 1 Iseghem, Belgium Kickboxing
Win 6-1-0 Orlando Lang KO 1978 1 0:26 Antwerp, Belgium Kickboxing
Win 5-1-0 Jacques Piniarski KKO 1978 1 Belgium Kickboxing [citation needed]
Win 4-1-0 Eric "Basel" Strauss KKO 1978 1 0:18 Antwerp, Belgium Kickboxing [citation needed]
Win 3-1-0 Andre "Robar" Robaeys KKO 1978 1 Mulhouse, Belgium Kickboxing [citation needed]
Win 2-1-0 Michel Juvillier KO 1978 1 0:39 Antwerp, Belgium Full-Contact [citation needed]
Loss 1-1-0 Etienne "Tuf" Aubry Disq 7 March 1977 1 1:02 Marseilles ,
France Full-Contact (Magazine "boxe francise" (Karate))
Win 1-0-0 Toon Van Oostrum KKO 1977 1 0:46 Brussels, Belgium Full-Contact [citation needed]
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