The 65-year-old master is back on set.
Among the latest films of Van Damme (65) is the action movie "Human Darkness," which was released in 2024. In August of the same year, the actor made a splash by recreating his iconic shot from 36 years ago. "Age is just a number when you live in the world of martial arts. Discipline, focus, and the heart of a warrior. Let’s continue to make history together," he wrote on social media. Van Damme is also working on a personal project titled "Frenchy," serving as director, screenwriter, and producer.
Jean-Claude Van Damme (born Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg) was born on October 18, 1960, in a suburb of Brussels. As a child, he was sickly, hunched, and skinny until his father enrolled him in karate classes at the age of 10. Simultaneously, the boy practiced classical ballet for five years, which gave his body flexibility and agility: his signature jumping spin kick resulted from the combination of martial arts and choreography. This combination laid the foundation for Van Damme's future style.
Training quickly yielded results: Van Damme corrected his posture, gained muscle mass, and earned a black belt in karate. At 18, he became the national bodybuilding champion, winning the title of "Mr. Belgium," and also won the European championships in karate and kickboxing. He has a professional record of 55 fights, winning 53, mostly by knockout. The bodybuilder opened his own gym, "California Gym," but the dream of cinema compelled him to sell the business and head to Hollywood.
A turning point for Van Damme was his meeting with Chuck Norris, with whom he trained in the early 1980s. The older mentor hired the Belgian bodybuilder as a bouncer in his bar in Newport Beach. Van Damme also worked as a driver and fighter in underground rings while continuing to send his photos to producers. Thanks to Norris, he landed a cameo role in Joseph Zito's action film "Missing in Action" (1984). Van Damme's first major role came in 1986 in the film "No Retreat, No Surrender." He played a Russian fighter and first used the now-famous pseudonym, taken in memory of a deceased friend.
The next film, "Bloodsport" (1988) by Newt Arnold, made the Belgian a new star of American action films. According to legend, he got the role by demonstrating his signature split to the producer right on the street. His character inspired the creators of the Mortal Kombat game to create the character Johnny Cage. However, for this role, the budding actor was nominated for a Golden Raspberry. This was followed by the films "Cyborg" (1989) and "Kickboxer" (1989).
The peak of popularity came in the first half of the 1990s when the actor was nominated three consecutive times (1992, 1993, 1994) for the MTV Movie Awards as "The Most Desirable Man." During this period, the films "Double Impact" (1991), "Universal Soldier" (1992), and "Hard Target" (1993) were released. He was often compared to other action genre icons – Arnold Schwarzenegger and Chuck Norris. Critics noted that Van Damme, possessing the musculature of the former and the athletic skill of the latter, clearly surpassed both in acting charm and physical attractiveness.
The peak of popularity came in the first half of the 1990s when the actor was nominated three consecutive times (1992, 1993, 1994) for the MTV Movie Awards as "The Most Desirable Man." During this period, the films "Double Impact" (1991), "Universal Soldier" (1992), and "Hard Target" (1993) were released. He was often compared to other action genre icons – Arnold Schwarzenegger and Chuck Norris. Critics noted that Van Damme, possessing the musculature of the former and the athletic skill of the latter, clearly surpassed both in acting charm and physical attractiveness.
Progress in Van Damme's film career only came in 2008 after the release of the pseudo-realistic drama "JCVD" by Mabrouk El Mechri, where the actor played an exaggerated version of himself. Critics highly praised his performance, and Time magazine ranked this portrayal second for the year after Heath Ledger's Joker. In the early 2010s, Van Damme actively starred in sequels to once-successful films: "Universal Soldier – 3: Regeneration" and "Universal Soldier – 4." In 2010, Van Damme tried his hand at voice acting for the first time, lending his voice to Master Croc in "Kung Fu Panda 2." Additionally, the new wave of popularity allowed the bodybuilder to join the star cast of "The Expendables 2" (2012), where his role as the main antagonist was recognized as "Best Villain of the Year" by the French magazine Première.
The actor has been married five times, including twice to the same woman. His first two unions – with Maria Rodriguez and Cynthia Derderian – were short-lived. The main companion of the Hollywood star was bodybuilding champion Gladys Portugues (in the photo). Their marriage lasted from 1989 to 1992. Subsequently, the mother of his children, Christopher and Bianca, forgave the bodybuilder for numerous infidelities, including a romance with actress Darcy LaPier, who became his fourth wife in 1994 and gave birth to his son Nicholas. In 1999, Van Damme returned to Portugues and married her again. However, later, from 2009 to 2016, the actor had a long-term relationship with Ukrainian model Alena Kaverina.
