martial artist Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the pres ...

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

Shotokan karate is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin Funakoshi was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing "karate do" thr ...

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...

kickboxing Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid Martial arts, martial art and Boxing (disambiguation), boxing type based on punch (combat), punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, norma ...

bodybuilding Bodybuilding is the practice of Resistance training, progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's skeletal muscle, muscles via muscle hypertrophy, hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to a ...

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

Cyborg A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.''Kickboxer'' (both 1989), '' Lionheart'', '' Death Warrant'' (both 1990), '' Double Impact'' (1991), '' Universal Soldier'' (1992), '' Nowhere to Run'', '' Hard Target'' (both 1993), ''

Timecop ''Timecop'' is a 1994 American science fiction action film directed by Peter Hyams and co-written by Mike Richardson (publisher), Mike Richardson and Mark Verheiden. Richardson also served as executive producer. The film is based on ''Timecop ( ...

'', ''

Street Fighter is a Media mix, Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Capcom. Street Fighter 1, The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by List of Street Fighter video games, six other ma ...

'' (both 1994), ''Sudden Death'' (1995), ''The Quest'', which marked his

directorial debut This is a list of film directorial debuts in chronological order. The films and dates referred to are a director's first commercial cinematic release. Many filmmakers have directed works which were not commercially released, for example early work ...

, and '' Maximum Risk'' (both 1996). He achieved

sex symbol A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive and often synonymous with sexuality. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British St ...

status in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Between 1993 and 1998, three Hong Kong filmmakers collaborated with Van Damme for their debuts in Western cinema:

John Woo John Woo Yu-sen ( zh, t= ; born 22 September 1946) is a Hongkongers, Hong Kong film director known as a highly influential figure in the action film genre. The recipient of various accolades, including a Hong Kong Film Awards, Hong Kong Film Award ...

,

Tsui Hark Tsui Hark (, , born 15 February 1950), born Tsui Man-kong (), is a Hong Kong filmmaker. A major director in the Golden Age of Cinema of Hong Kong, Hong Kong cinema, Tsui gained critical and commercial success with films such as ''Zu Warriors from ...

, and

Ringo Lam Ringo Lam Ling-Tung (, 8 December 1955 – 29 December 2018) was a Hong Kong film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was known for his Action film, action and crime films produced during the Hong Kong New Wave, many of them comprising ent ...

. After a decline in popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he returned to prominence with the critically acclaimed crime drama '' JCVD'' (2008), in which he starred as a fictional version of himself. His big return to the action genre was in ''

The Expendables 2 ''The Expendables 2'' is a 2012 American action film directed by Simon West, written by Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone and based on a story by Ken Kaufman, David Agosto and Wenk. Brian Tyler returned to score the film. It is the sequel ...

'' (2012), in which he starred as the villain, opposite

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...

's character. From thereon, he continued starring in action films and doing extensive voice work, appearing in the well-received ''

Enemies Closer ''Enemies Closer'' is a 2013 American action thriller film directed by Peter Hyams and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Tom Everett Scott, Orlando Jones and Linzey Cocker. It is Hyams' third film director, directorial collaboration with Van Damme, ...

'' (2013), '' The Bouncer'', '' Kickboxer: Retaliation'' (both 2018), '' Minions: The Rise of Gru'' (2022), and '' Darkness of Man'' (2024), among others. In television, he starred in the

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is an English film director and producer. He directs films in the Science fiction film, science fiction, Crime film, crime, and historical drama, historical epic genres, with an atmospheric and highly co ...

-produced '' Jean-Claude Van Johnson'' (2016–2017). Regarded as an

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...

of action and martial arts cinema, his films have grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide, making him one of the most successful action stars of all time. Outside his film career, Van Damme has publicly supported various conservationist causes and

animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have Moral patienthood, moral worth independent of their Utilitarianism, utility to humans, and that their most basic interests—such as ...

organisations.

Early life and education

Van Damme was born Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg, on 18 October 1960, in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe,

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

, Belgium, the son of Eliana and Eugène Van Varenberg, who was an

accountant An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy. Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certif ...

and

florist Floristry is the production, commerce, and trade in flowers. It encompasses flower care and handling, floral design and arrangement, merchandising, production, display and flower delivery. Wholesale florists sell bulk flowers and related s ...

. His father is from Brussels and bilingual, and his mother is Flemish (Dutch-speaking). Van Damme was brought up Roman Catholic. His paternal grandmother was

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

. He began martial arts at the age of ten, enrolled by his father in a Shōtōkan karate school. His styles consist of Shōtōkan

Karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...

and

Kickboxing Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid Martial arts, martial art and Boxing (disambiguation), boxing type based on punch (combat), punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, norma ...

. He eventually earned his black belt in karate at 18, and earned the rank of 2nd- dan black belt. He started lifting weights to improve his physique, which eventually led to a Mr. Belgium bodybuilding title in 1978. At the age of 16, he took up

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

, 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." Later he took up both

Taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

and

Muay Thai Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...

. Among his acting heroes growing up were

Charles Bronson Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. He was known for his roles in action films and his "granite features and brawny physique". Bronson was born into extreme poverty in ...

,

Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born Hong Kong martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from ...

,

James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He became one of the most influential figures in Hollywood in the 1950s, despite a career that lasted only five years. His impact on cinema and popular culture was p ...

,

Montgomery Clift Edward Montgomery Clift (October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''. He is best remembered f ...

,

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of counterculture of the 1960s, 1960s counterculture, made him a top box office draw for his films of the late ...

,

Jean-Paul Belmondo Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (; 9 April 19336 September 2021) was a French actor. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, he was a major French film star for several decades from the 1960s onward, frequently portraying police officer ...

, and

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...

.

Career

Early 1970s to 1980: Martial arts and first film appearance

At the age of 12, 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; he later trained in full-contact karate and kickboxing with Dominique Valera."Standardized Tournaments And Ratings System Historic Kickboxing Ring Records"
. The Star System. 8 March 1980. Retrieved 3 April 2012. According to Van Damme, "it was tough growing up. I was kind of geeky, and physically I was not gifted".Razvi, Sam
"Jean-Claude van Damme Expendables 2 interview"
''Coach'', published 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2021. At the age of 15, he started his competitive karate career in Belgium. From 1976 to 1980, he compiled a record of 44 victories and four defeats in tournament and non-tournament semi-contact matches. He 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. He placed second at the Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials). At the three-day tournament, he defeated 25 opponents before losing in the finals to teammate Angelo Spataro. On 8 March 1980, in Brussels, Belgium, he 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. 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 The World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (W.A.K.O or WAKO) is an international kickboxing organization counting over 120 affiliated countries representing all five continents. WAKO is a major governing body of amateur kickboxing and is ...

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. In a 2013 interview, Van Damme called this fight his most memorable match. He began his full-contact career in 1977, when Claude Goetz promoted the first ever full-contact karate tournament in Belgium. From 1977 to 1982, he compiled a record of 18 victories (18 knockouts) and one defeat. In 1979, he had an uncredited role in André Delvaux's '' Woman Between Wolf and Dog'', a Belgian-French

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

starring Marie-Christine Barrault, and

Rutger Hauer Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor, with a career that spanned over 170 roles across nearly 50 years, beginning in 1969. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century. H ...

. In 1980, he 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.Warrener, Don (15 August 2011)
"Jean Claude van Damme: Behind The Public Image"
FightingArts.com. Retrieved 3 April 2012. Van Damme retired from competition in 1982. During his early life, he sold flowers in restaurants, and got a loan to open a gym to save some money before his move to the United States. Aptly titled ''California Gym'', it was opened in 1979 and catered to "karate, dancing, aerobics, bodybuilding – everything". Van Damme adds that "I wrote special training programs for people, and it was a very upbeat atmosphere with music". At its peak, ''California Gym'' was making $15,000 per month; "when I decided to sell my gym my father thought I was crazy. He said, 'What the hell are you doing? You have the best gym in Brussels. You have a sports car, a beautiful apartment, you're making so much money that you can have anything you want — and now you're going to sell your business and go to America'. He was very upset".Fighter Magazine
"Jean-Claude van Damme Interview"
''Fighter International Magazine'', published December 1988. Retrieved 31 May 2023.

1982 to 1988: Early works and breakthrough

In 1982, he and childhood friend Michel Qissi moved to the United States in the hope of working 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' ''Breakin (also known as ''Breakdance'' in the United Kingdom and ''Break Street '84'' in other regions) is a 1984 American breakdancing-themed musical film, musical film directed by Joel Silberg and written by Charles Parker and Allen DeBev ...

'' (1984), made by

Cannon Films The Cannon Group, Inc. was an American group of companies, including Cannon Films, which produced films from 1967 to 1994. The extensive group also owned, amongst others, a large international cinema chain and a video film company that investe ...

; they are seen dancing in the background at a dance demonstration. Around that time he developed a friendship with action martial art film star

Chuck Norris Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. Born in Oklahoma, Norris first gained fame when he won the amateur Middleweight Karate champion title in 1968, which he held for six consecutive years. H ...

. They started sparring together, and Van Damme started to work as a bouncer at a bar named Woody's Wharf, owned by Norris. He also supplemented his income as a limousine driver and private karate instructor. He described his early days in the United States as being particularly difficult – excluding $2,000, he had placed all of his money from the sale of his gym into a European bank; thus, he struggled financially.Polowy, K
"'Bloodsport' at 35: How a desperate Jean-Claude Van Damme begged his way into the action film that made him a star"
''

Yahoo! News Yahoo News (stylized as Yahoo! News) is a news website that originated as an internet-based news aggregator by Yahoo. The site was created by Yahoo software engineer Brad Clawsie in August 1996. Articles originally came from news services such ...

'', published 24 February 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023. To ensure his own emotional wellbeing, he would go for runs every night in Santa Monica. After that, he would train at the world-renowned

Gold's Gym Gold's Gym International, Inc. is an American chain of international wikt:co-ed, co-ed fitness centers (commonly referred to as gyms) originally started by Joe Gold in Venice, Los Angeles, Venice Beach, California. Each gym offers a variety of ca ...

. This routine reportedly helped him survive for many years. He actively participated in casting calls and had a specific routine. On Wednesdays, he would purchase the Drama-Logue magazine; then Thursday mornings, he would send out his picture and resume in response to advertisements. He was willing to try anything to achieve success, even going so far as to fabricate a story. He would call movie studios and claim to be an actor from Brussels with an investor from Hong Kong. He also instructed a friend to play along and act as if they wanted him to star in a movie and were willing to invest money, but required additional funding. Armed with this, he approached producers and suddenly found that all his phone calls were being answered. Of course, his intention was simply to meet the person and put his name out there, as opposed to securing illegitimate deals. In the 1984 action film ''

Missing in Action Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty (person), casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoner of war, prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been ...

'' starring Norris, which was also released by

Cannon Films The Cannon Group, Inc. was an American group of companies, including Cannon Films, which produced films from 1967 to 1994. The extensive group also owned, amongst others, a large international cinema chain and a video film company that investe ...

, Van Damme is credited in the stunt team crew. That same year he also had a role in the comedy short film '' Monaco Forever.''

Corey Yuen Corey Yuen Kwai (; 15 February 1951 – 2022) was a Hong Kong film director, film producer, action choreographer, and actor. Yuen attended the China Drama Academy and was one of the Seven Little Fortunes. In Hong Kong, he worked on several ...

's martial arts film '' No Retreat, No Surrender,'' which premiered On 2 May 1986 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, was his first sizeable role when he was cast as the Russian villain. It starred Kurt McKinney, and was released through

New World Pictures New World Pictures (also known as New World Entertainment, New World Communications Group, Inc., and New World International) was an American independent production, distribution, and (in its final years as an autonomous entity) multimedia com ...

. McKinney stars as Jason Stillwell, a U.S. teenager who learns karate and defends his martial arts

dojo A is a hall or place for immersive learning, experiential learning, or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts. The term literally means "place of the Tao, Way" in Japanese language, Japanese. History The word ''d� ...

against a Soviet martial artist played by Van Damme. Both Vann Damme and McKinney were set to also star in '' No Retreat, No Surrender 2,'' but backed out. He worked for director

John McTiernan John Campbell McTiernan Jr. (born January 8, 1951) is an American former filmmaker best known for his action films. His work as director includes ''Predator (film), Predator'' (1987), ''Die Hard'' (1988), and ''The Hunt for Red October (film), ...

for the film ''

Predator Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common List of feeding behaviours, feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation ...

'' (1987) as an early (eventually abandoned) version of the titular alien, before being removed and replaced by Kevin Peter Hall. As the first choice to play the titular

Predator Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common List of feeding behaviours, feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation ...

character, with the intent that he would use his martial arts skills to make the alien an agile,

ninja A , or was a spy and infiltrator in pre-modern Japan. The functions of a ninja included siege and infiltration, ambush, reconnaissance, espionage, deception, and later bodyguarding.Kawakami, pp. 21–22 Antecedents may have existed as ear ...

-like hunter, but after few days shot, he left the film. It was reported that he constantly complained about the monster suit being too hot and causing him to pass out; he allegedly also voiced reservations about only appearing on camera in the suit. Additionally, it became apparent that a more physically imposing actor was needed to make the creature appear threatening against the team of soldiers. The role eventually went to Kevin Peter Hall. After ''Predator'' was a success, Van Damme said that he appreciated the movie and that he had no regrets about missing that role. Van Damme's breakout film was '' Bloodsport'', which opened on 26 February 1988, based on the alleged true story of Frank Dux. It was 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 , and are terms for the techniques and skills used by spies and scouts in pre-modern Japan known as ninja. Some of these techniques are recorded in ninja scrolls, some which have been published and translated. The study of these scrolls have c ...

by Senzo Tanaka, who takes the place of Tanaka's deceased son Shingo in the illegal martial-arts tournament Kumite in

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

. 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, ut Van Dammeappeals 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." In reality, Van Damme had begged for a starring role; at the point of casting, he was homeless, sleeping in cars and garages, and sometimes had to resort to stealing food to survive. Also in 1988, he played another Russian villain in '' Black Eagle'', opposite Sho Kosugi.

1989 to 1999: International stardom

After the success of '' Bloodsport'', Cannon Films offered him the lead in '' Delta Force 2'', '' American Ninja 3'' or ''

Cyborg A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.cyberpunk Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting said to focus on a combination of "low-life and high tech". It features futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyberwa ...

martial arts film directed by Albert Pyun. He chose ''Cyborg'' which premiered in 1989. The film was a low budget box office success and led to two sequels, neither of which Van Damme appeared in. Cannon used Van Damme again in '' Kickboxer'' released that same year. It was highly successful, returning over $50 million on a $3-million budget. The film started the ''Kickboxer'' franchise. He did not appear in any of the film's four sequels, though he did return as a different character in the reboot series. In 1990, he starred in '' Death Warrant'', the first script credit for David S. Goyer. Also that year he starred in '' Lionheart''. '' Lionheart'' was directed by Sheldon Lettich who had co-written ''Bloodsport'', and said 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."Evan Sathoff, "Badass Interview: Talking Jean-Claude Van Damme With LIONHEART Director, Sheldon Lettich", 5 Feb 2015
accessed 20 June 2015 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." In 1991, '' Double Impact'' was released. Directed by Lettich, it features Van Damme in the

dual role A dual role (also known as a double role) refers to one actor playing two roles in a single production. Dual roles (or a larger number of roles for an actor) may be deliberately written into a script, or may instead be a choice made during produc ...

of Alex and Chad Wagner, estranged twin brothers fighting to avenge the deaths of their parents. Upon its opening it received mixed reviews. ''

The Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper in the U.S. and the larges ...

'' said the film "delivers the goods", while '' Variety'' didn't like the plotline and predicted a flop. The film grossed $23,683,813 in its first 28 days. It made a total of $30,102,717 in the US. Retrospective critics perceive it to be a fun action film, with good comical moments, and a good performance by Van Damme who plays two distinct characters. In 1992, he starred in one of the biggest blockbusters of the year in the sci-fi action picture, '' Universal Soldier'', directed by

Roland Emmerich Roland Emmerich (; born 10 November 1955) is a German-American filmmaker. Emmerich is widely known for his science fiction and disaster films and has been called a "master of disaster" within the movie industry. His films, most of which are Eng ...

for Carolco. Van Damme (as Luc Deveraux) and

Dolph Lundgren Hans "Dolph" Lundgren (, ; born 3 November 1957) is a Swedish actor, filmmaker, and martial artist. Lundgren made his acting debut in 1985 with a cameo in the List of James Bond films, James Bond film ''A View to a Kill''. Also that year, he h ...

(as Sergeant Andrew Scott) play U.S. soldiers during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

who end up shooting each other dead after Devereaux discovers that Scott has gone insane and resorted to mutilating civilians. They are later reanimated in a secret Army project along with a large group of other previously dead soldiers and sent on a mission. At the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, Van Damme and Lundgren were involved in a verbal altercation that almost turned physical when both men pushed each other only to be separated, but it was believed to have only been a publicity stunt. ''Universal Soldier'' opened in theatres on 10 July 1992, a moderate success domestically with $36,299,898 in US ticket sales, but a major blockbuster worldwide, making over $65 million overseas, which earned the film a total of $102 million worldwide, on a $23 million budget. He was considered to play Simon Phoenix in '' Demolition Man'' and was briefly considered for the role of Michael Cheritto in ''

Heat In thermodynamics, heat is energy in transfer between a thermodynamic system and its surroundings by such mechanisms as thermal conduction, electromagnetic radiation, and friction, which are microscopic in nature, involving sub-atomic, ato ...

''.

In 1993, he made a cameo in ''

Last Action Hero ''Last Action Hero'' is a 1993 American fantasy action comedy film directed and produced by John McTiernan and co-written by Shane Black and David Arnott. It is a satire of the action genre and associated clichés, containing several parodies ...

'', and starred in '' Nowhere To Run''. The film was the first in a three-picture deal between Van Damme and

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

and his fee was $3.5 million. Columbia said the film is "true to his audience and goes beyond his audience." In 1994, he starred in '' Hard Target'' for

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

, the first American film from director

John Woo John Woo Yu-sen ( zh, t= ; born 22 September 1946) is a Hongkongers, Hong Kong film director known as a highly influential figure in the action film genre. The recipient of various accolades, including a Hong Kong Film Awards, Hong Kong Film Award ...

. Also released that year, he starred in ''

Timecop ''Timecop'' is a 1994 American science fiction action film directed by Peter Hyams and co-written by Mike Richardson (publisher), Mike Richardson and Mark Verheiden. Richardson also served as executive producer. The film is based on ''Timecop ( ...

'', playing a time-traveling cop. Directed by

Peter Hyams Peter Hyams (born July 26, 1943) is an American film director, screenwriter and cinematographer known for directing the 1977 conspiracy thriller film ''Capricorn One'' (which he also wrote), the 1981 science fiction-thriller ''Outland (film), Outl ...

, the film was a huge success, grossing over $100 million worldwide, and remains his highest-grossing film in a lead role to date. Also that year, he starred in ''

Street Fighter is a Media mix, Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Capcom. Street Fighter 1, The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by List of Street Fighter video games, six other ma ...

,'' written and directed by Steven E. de Souza for Universal and based on the video game. It was poorly received critically. Though a commercial success, making approximately three times its production cost. Van Damme and Hyams re-teamed for Universal's '' Sudden Death'', released in 1995. Van Damme portrays a

French Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French people, French colonists first arriving in Canada (New France), France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of ...

-born

firefighter A firefighter (or fire fighter or fireman) is a first responder trained in specific emergency response such as firefighting, primarily to control and extinguish fires and respond to emergencies such as hazardous material incidents, medical in ...

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, he has become demoted to being

fire marshal A fire marshal, in the United States and Canada, is often a member of a state, provincial or territorial government, but may be part of a building department or a separate department altogether. Fire marshals' duties vary but usually include ...

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 movie was a modest success. In 1996, he starred and directed '' The Quest''. The film, though it under-performed domestically, did better internationally at the box-office and was a commercial success. That year, he appeared in the TV show ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...

'' in the two-part episode " The One After the Superbowl". He also starred in '' Maximum Risk'', the first American film directed by

Ringo Lam Ringo Lam Ling-Tung (, 8 December 1955 – 29 December 2018) was a Hong Kong film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was known for his Action film, action and crime films produced during the Hong Kong New Wave, many of them comprising ent ...

, and their first collaboration. The film was mildly successful at the box office. He followed up with '' Double Team'' (1997), a sci fi action film with basketball superstar

Dennis Rodman Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. Renowned for his defensive and rebounding abilities, his biography on the official NBA website states that he is "arguably the best rebounding forw ...

. It was Hong Kong director

Tsui Hark Tsui Hark (, , born 15 February 1950), born Tsui Man-kong (), is a Hong Kong filmmaker. A major director in the Golden Age of Cinema of Hong Kong, Hong Kong cinema, Tsui gained critical and commercial success with films such as ''Zu Warriors from ...

's American debut. In 1998, he and Hark reunited on ''

Knock Off Knock offs, or dupes, are products similar to higher-end items but sold at a much lower price. Knock off may also refer to: * ''Knock Off'' (film), a 1998 film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme * "Knock Off" (song), a 2022 song by Jess Moskaluke *"Kn ...

,'' a box-office flop. Also that year, Van Damme acted in the war film '' Legionnaire''. Despite a $35 million budget, it was not released theatrically in the US, only overseas. In 1999, he starred in '' Universal Soldier: The Return'', (1999), where he returns as Luc Deveraux. The movie did poorly at the box office debuting at #4, which proved to be his last theatrical release until ''JCVD'' in 2008. That year he also starred in '' Inferno (1999).''

2000 to 2007: Switch to direct-to-video

left, upright=0.85, Van Damme in 2007 Released in 2001, '' Replicant'' is the second collaboration between Van Damme and director

Ringo Lam Ringo Lam Ling-Tung (, 8 December 1955 – 29 December 2018) was a Hong Kong film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was known for his Action film, action and crime films produced during the Hong Kong New Wave, many of them comprising ent ...

, and the fifth time that Van Damme has starred in a

dual role A dual role (also known as a double role) refers to one actor playing two roles in a single production. Dual roles (or a larger number of roles for an actor) may be deliberately written into a script, or may instead be a choice made during produc ...

. It co-stars Michael Rooker. Also that year he starred in '' The Order'', directed by Sheldon Lettich, and written by Van Damme. In 2002, he starred in '' Derailed.'' '' In Hell'' is a 2003 American prison action film directed by

Ringo Lam Ringo Lam Ling-Tung (, 8 December 1955 – 29 December 2018) was a Hong Kong film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was known for his Action film, action and crime films produced during the Hong Kong New Wave, many of them comprising ent ...

. It is the third collaboration between Van Damme and Lam. Van Damme plays an American working overseas in

Magnitogorsk Magnitogorsk ( rus, Магнитого́рск, p=məɡnʲɪtɐˈɡorsk, ) is an industrial city in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, on the eastern side of the extreme southern extent of the Ural Mountains by the Ural River. Its population is curre ...

, Russia. That same year, he employed his dancing training in the music video for

Bob Sinclar Christophe Le Friant (; born 10 May 1969), better known by his stage name Bob Sinclar (), is a French record producer, DJ, and remixer. He is the owner of the record label Yellow Productions. Musical career A native of Paris, Le Friant began D ...

's "Kiss My Eyes". His 2004 film was '' Wake of Death,'' an action film directed by Philippe Martinez.

Ringo Lam Ringo Lam Ling-Tung (, 8 December 1955 – 29 December 2018) was a Hong Kong film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was known for his Action film, action and crime films produced during the Hong Kong New Wave, many of them comprising ent ...

was the original director, but he left the project after a few weeks of filming in Canada. It co-stars

Simon Yam Simon Yam Tat-wah (; born 19 March 1955) is a Hong Kong actor and film producer. He is best known for his performances in films such as '' PTU'' (2003), ''Election'' (2005), '' SPL: Sha Po Lang'' (2005), ''Triangle'' (2007), '' Sparrow'' (2008), ' ...

, Valerie Tian, Tony Schiena, etc. In 2005, he played himself in the French film '' Narco.'' In 2006, he starred in ''

Second in Command Second-in-command (2i/c or 2IC) is a title denoting that the holder of the title is the second-highest authority within a certain organisation. Usage In the British Army or Royal Marines, the second-in-command is the deputy commander of a unit, f ...

'' directed by Simon Fellows, and ''

The Hard Corps ''The Hard Corps'' is a 2006 American action film directed by Sheldon Lettich, written by Lettich and George Saunders, and released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. It stars Jean-Claude Van Damme with a supporting cast of Raz Adoti, Vivica ...

'' directed by Sheldon Lettich. In 2007, he played a small role in '' The Exam'', a Turkish

comedy-drama film Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, illness, betrayal, grief, etc. ...

directed by Ömer Faruk Sorak. Also that year he starred in ''

Until Death ''Until Death'' is a 2007 American vigilante action film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and directed by Simon Fellows. It was released direct-to-DVD on April 24, 2007. Van Damme plays Anthony Stowe, a corrupt police detective addicted to her ...

''.

2008 to 2013: Return to mainstream

Jean claude Van Damme sur le tournage de JCVD en octobre 2007

Van Damme returned to the mainstream with the limited theatrical release of the 2008 film '' JCVD'', which received positive reviews. ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

Magazine'' named his performance in the film the second best of the year (after

Heath Ledger Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, he moved to the United States in 1998 to further develop his film care ...

's The Joker in ''

The Dark Knight ''The Dark Knight'' is a 2008 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, from a screenplay co-written with his brother Jonathan. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the sequel to ''Batman Begins'' (2005), and the second inst ...

''), having previously stated that Van Damme "deserves not a black belt, but an Oscar." Also in 2008, he starred in Isaac Florentine's '' The Shepherd: Border Patrol.'' He then reprised his role as Luc Deveraux alongside

Dolph Lundgren Hans "Dolph" Lundgren (, ; born 3 November 1957) is a Swedish actor, filmmaker, and martial artist. Lundgren made his acting debut in 1985 with a cameo in the List of James Bond films, James Bond film ''A View to a Kill''. Also that year, he h ...

in the 2009 film '' Universal Soldier: Regeneration'', directed by John Hyams. The film was released theatrically in the Middle East and Southeast Asia and directly to video in the United States and other parts of the world. Since its release, the film has received mostly positive reviews, with praise towards the performances and surprisingly high production values. In 2010, he directed himself in the barely released '' Full Love.'' That same year, he turned down the role of Gunner Jensen in the first instalment of ''The Expendables'' and the role went to

Dolph Lundgren Hans "Dolph" Lundgren (, ; born 3 November 1957) is a Swedish actor, filmmaker, and martial artist. Lundgren made his acting debut in 1985 with a cameo in the List of James Bond films, James Bond film ''A View to a Kill''. Also that year, he h ...

. In 2011, he voiced Master Croc in the computer animation film '' Kung Fu Panda 2''. In the film, he voices a character who helps the heroes of the previous film. That same year, he co-starred with

Scott Adkins Scott Edward Adkins (born 17 June 1976) is an English actor and martial artist. He gained prominence with his portrayal of the Russian prison fighter Yuri Boyka in the American martial arts film '' Undisputed II: Last Man Standing'' (2006), a ro ...

in '' Assassination Games''. Also in 2011, he played a role in the French comedy '' Beur sur la ville.'' Also that year, he starred in his own reality TV show '' Behind Closed Doors''. The show showcases his family life, his personal troubles, and an upcoming fight. Since 2009, he has been planning to make a comeback to fight former boxing Olympic gold-medalist Somluck Kamsing."Jean-Claude Van Damme Talks about Kamsing Fight in May or June 2012"

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2012"Жан-Клод Ван Дамм решил провести бой в Грозном"
KM.RU Новости. 11 November 2011 The fight was a focal point in his ITV reality show '' 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. In 2012, he acted in the Russian

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

named '' Rzhevsky Versus Napoleon,'' and '' U.F.O.'' He starred in '' Dragon Eyes'', '' Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning'', and '' Six Bullets''. Also that year, he starred as the main villain in ''

The Expendables 2 ''The Expendables 2'' is a 2012 American action film directed by Simon West, written by Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone and based on a story by Ken Kaufman, David Agosto and Wenk. Brian Tyler returned to score the film. It is the sequel ...

''. The film series follows a mercenary group as they undertake a mission which evolves into a quest for revenge against a rival mercenary (Van Damme). The film was a success, grossing over $310 million worldwide, and was his big return to the action genre. ''Empire''s Nick de Semlyen praised Van Damme's "grandstanding, plutonium-crazed baddie" and Lundgren's "action-troll" as high points in the film. Also that year, he was seen as part of Kam Sing's ring crew when Kam Sing fought against Jomhod Kiatadisak. He also appeared in commercials for Coors Light beer, showing him on a snow-covered mountain wearing a sleeveless denim jacket, and for the washing powder Dash. On 21 October 2012, he was honored with a life-size statue of himself in his hometown of

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

. 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". In 2013, he acted in the comedy '' Welcome to the Jungle.'' Also that year'','' he played the main villain in ''

Enemies Closer ''Enemies Closer'' is a 2013 American action thriller film directed by Peter Hyams and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Tom Everett Scott, Orlando Jones and Linzey Cocker. It is Hyams' third film director, directorial collaboration with Van Damme, ...

,'' an American

action Action may refer to: * Action (philosophy), something which is done by a person * Action principles the heart of fundamental physics * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video gam ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...

directed by

Peter Hyams Peter Hyams (born July 26, 1943) is an American film director, screenwriter and cinematographer known for directing the 1977 conspiracy thriller film ''Capricorn One'' (which he also wrote), the 1981 science fiction-thriller ''Outland (film), Outl ...

. On 13 November 2013,

Volvo Trucks Volvo Trucks () is a truck manufacturing division of Volvo based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Trucks was a separate company within Volvo. The Volvo Group was reorganised on 1 January 2012 and as a part of the process, Volvo Trucks ceased to b ...

released an advertisement on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

that shows Van Damme doing the splits while perched with each of his feet on the outer rearview mirrors of one

semi-trailer truck A semi-trailer truck (also known by a wide variety of other terms – see below) is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-trailer attaches to the tractor with a type of hitch called ...

and one box truck moving backwards, which he 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, 35 million in the first week. It was dubbed as '' The Epic Split''.

2014–present: Subsequent films

'' Swelter'' is a 2014 American action film where he plays one of the leads. It stars Lennie James, and co-stars

Grant Bowler Grant Bowler (born 18 July 1968) is a New Zealand-Australian actor and television presenter who has worked in American, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian film, television, and theatre. He is known for playing the role of Constable Wayne ...

, Josh Henderson, and

Alfred Molina Alfred Molina (born Alfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is a British and American actor. He is known for his leading roles and character actor roles on the stage and screen. In a career spanning over five decades he has received a Drama Desk Award ...

. James plays a sheriff in a small town who has a dark past that he can not remember, only to have to confront it when his ex-partners show up looking for stolen money they believe he has. In 2015, he starred in the

action Action may refer to: * Action (philosophy), something which is done by a person * Action principles the heart of fundamental physics * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video gam ...

thriller film '' Pound of Flesh,'' directed by Ernie Barbarash. Also that year, he had a supporting role in a Chinese

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

parody film A parody film or spoof film is a subgenre of comedy film that lampoons other film genres or films as pastiches, works created by imitation of the style of many different films reassembled together. Although the subgenre is often overlooked by cri ...

. In 2016, he returned to his voice role of Master Croc in the ''Kung Fu Panda'' franchise for the third installment. Also that year, he acted in '' Kickboxer: Vengeance'' directed by John Stockwell. It is a reboot of the original where he was the lead. That year he also played the lead in the TV series '' Jean-Claude Van Johnson''. In 2017, he starred in '' Kill 'Em All'', an action film directed by Peter Malota. In 2018, he returned to his role in '' Kickboxer: Retaliation,'' a sequel to the reboot. That same year, he acted in '' Black Water''. It co-stars

Dolph Lundgren Hans "Dolph" Lundgren (, ; born 3 November 1957) is a Swedish actor, filmmaker, and martial artist. Lundgren made his acting debut in 1985 with a cameo in the List of James Bond films, James Bond film ''A View to a Kill''. Also that year, he h ...

in the fifth collaboration between both actorsBaldwin, Daniel
"JCVD & Lundgren Are Deep In 'Black Water'"
, ''www.cinemarunner.com'', published 2 May 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017. as well as the first time they appear together as on-screen allies. In 22 August of that same year, he starred in Julien Leclercq's ''The Bouncer''. In 2019, he starred in '' We Die Young''. In 2021, he starred in '' The Last Mercenary.'' In 2022, he voiced the character Jean-Clawed in the computer animation film '' Minions: The Rise of Gru''. In 2023, he featured his likeness and voice as Johnny Cage in the fighting game ''

Mortal Kombat 1 ''Mortal Kombat 1'' is a 2023 fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Games. It is the twelfth main installment in the ''Mortal Kombat'' series, and serves as its second Reboot (fiction), reboot after 2011' ...

'' (2023). In 2024, he debuted in '' Hitman: World of Assassination'' as the game's latest "elusive target". The game features Van Damme in the role of Max Valliant, a former ICA agent who avoided a previous assassination attempt several years prior.

Monuments

In 2012, a statue of Van Damme was unveiled in Anderlecht, Belgium. The artwork, which depicts a younger incarnation of ''the Muscles from Brussels'' in one of his fighting poses from the movie ''Kickboxer'', 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 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". In 2019, a Van Damme monument was mounted in the Vandam village of

Qabala Qabala () is a city and the administrative centre of the Qabala District of Azerbaijan. The municipality consists of the city of Gabala and the village of Küsnət, Qabala, Küsnat. Before the city was known as Kutkashen, but after the Republic o ...

,

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

, due to the similarity of the village name and Van Damme's name. The actor subsequently published a post on his Facebook account, thanking those responsible.

Controversies

Lawsuit and fight record controversy

In 1997, Frank Dux, the martial artist whom Van Damme portrayed in ''Bloodsport'', filed a lawsuit against him for $50,000 for co-writing and consultation work Dux did on the 1996 film '' The Quest''. According to the lawsuit, Dux also accused him of lying to the public about his martial arts fight record, stating that when Dux tutored Van Damme while the latter 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."

Chuck Zito incident

Tensions arose between Van Damme and bodyguard/stuntman Chuck Zito when Zito began dating Van Damme's estranged wife Darcy LaPier. Zito was reportedly unhappy about LaPier's claim in a divorce action that Van Damme had abused her.Downey gets maximum insanity after judge's tough sentence
''

New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...

'' (16 February 1998) On 6 February 1998, the ''

New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...

'' reported that Van Damme had been punched by Zito the previous night at the Scores strip club in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

, New York. Zito, who had previously bodyguarded Van Damme and did stunts on the film '' Nowhere to Run'', recalled the incident in his 2002 autobiography ''Street Justice'', claiming that he suffered a broken hand as a result of striking Van Damme several times after Van Damme made disparaging remarks about him to a club bouncer, who then relayed the comments to Zito. Van Damme denied in an appearance on ''

Inside Edition ''Inside Edition'' is an American tabloid television program that is distributed in Broadcast syndication, first-run syndication by CBS Media Ventures. Having premiered on January 9, 1989, it is the longest-running syndicated-newsmagazine progr ...

'' days after the incident that he had been struck by Zito and challenged Zito to a fight.

Kadyrov event

In October 2011, Van Damme, along with other celebrities including Hilary Swank, Vanessa-Mae and

Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

attracted criticism from human rights groups for attending an event in Russian federal subject

Chechnya Chechnya, officially the Chechen Republic, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The republic forms a part of the North Caucasian Federa ...

's capital

Grozny Grozny (, ; ) is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2021 Russian census, 2021 census, it had a population of 328,533 — up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Russian Census, 2002 ce ...

on the 35th birthday of Chechen president

Ramzan Kadyrov Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov (born 5 October 1976) is a Russian politician and current head of the Chechen Republic. He was formerly affiliated with the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Chechen independence movement, through his father who was the ...

on 5 October. 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.

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...

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."

Human trafficking allegations

In April 2025, Van Damme was accused by the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism of participating in the human trafficking of 5 Romanian women which allegedly took place in Cannes.

Public image and influence

Van Damme is widely regarded as an

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...

of action and martial arts cinema. At the height of his career, he was one of the biggest action movie stars in the world, and one of the most successful martial arts actors of the 1980s and 1990s, alongside

Steven Seagal Steven Frederic Seagal ( ; born April 10, 1952) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, martial artist, and musician. A 7th-Dan (rank), dan Black belt (martial arts), black belt in aikido, he began his adult life as a martial arts instru ...

. His popularity is credited with opening the Hollywood doors to names like Don Wilson, Olivier Gruner, Dale Cook and Loren Avedon. Described as the most 'remade' action star, his films have spawned endless sequels, such as '' Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite'' (1996), '' Bloodsport III'' (1997), '' Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite'' (1999), '' Cyborg 2'' (1993), '' Cyborg 3: The Recycler'' (1994), '' Kickboxer 2–6'', '' Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms'' (1998), '' Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business'' (1998), '' Hard Target 2'' (2016), '' Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li'' (2009), '' Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist'' (2014), '' Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision'' (2003), the ''

Timecop ''Timecop'' is a 1994 American science fiction action film directed by Peter Hyams and co-written by Mike Richardson (publisher), Mike Richardson and Mark Verheiden. Richardson also served as executive producer. The film is based on ''Timecop ( ...

'' (1997), and '' Welcome to Sudden Death'' (2020). Van Damme's influence has been compared to the

Bruceploitation Bruceploitation (a portmanteau of "Bruce Lee" and "exploitation") is an exploitation film subgenre that emerged after the death of martial arts film star Bruce Lee in 1973, during which time filmmakers from Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea cast ...

explosion of the 1970s. Van Damme achieved

sex symbol A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive and often synonymous with sexuality. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British St ...

status through publicity venues in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Unlike his major rivals in action film, such as

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...

,

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...

, Steven Seagal, and

Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting (TV series), Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and has appeared in over one hundred films, gaining ...

, Van Damme was nominated by the ''

National Enquirer The ''National Enquirer'' is an American tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1926, the newspaper has undergone a number of changes over the years. The ''National Enquirer'' openly acknowledges that it pays Source (journalism), sources for tips (chec ...

'' as number one on their "Top Ten Sexiest Men in the World" list, being the only action film star listed. Many martial artists, athletes, and filmmakers have cited Van Damme as an influence, such as Alain Moussi,

Scott Adkins Scott Edward Adkins (born 17 June 1976) is an English actor and martial artist. He gained prominence with his portrayal of the Russian prison fighter Yuri Boyka in the American martial arts film '' Undisputed II: Last Man Standing'' (2006), a ro ...

,

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...

, Dave Callaham,

Adam Brody Adam Jared Brody (born December 15, 1979) is an American actor. His breakout role was as Seth Cohen on the Fox television series '' The O.C.'' (2003–2007). For his performance as Noah in the Netflix romantic comedy series '' Nobody Wants T ...

,

Jay Cutler Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. A member of the Chicago Bears for most of his career, he is ...

, Lyoto Machida, Michael Page, Anderson Silva,

Georges St-Pierre Georges St-Pierre (; born May 19, 1981), also known by his initials GSP, is a Canadian former professional mixed martial artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) history. St-Pierre was a two-divi ...

, Cain Velasquez,

Nick Diaz Nicholas Robert Diaz (born August 2, 1983) is an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Diaz is a former Strikeforce, WEC and ...

, Nate Diaz,

Conor McGregor Conor Anthony McGregor (born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) UFC Featherweight Championship, Featherweight and UFC Lightweight Championship, Li ...

,

Jiří Procházka Jiří Procházka (; ; born October 14, 1992) is a Czech professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion a ...

,

Mirko Cro Cop Mirko Filipović (; born 10 September 1974), better known by his ring name Mirko Cro Cop, is a Croatian former professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer and amateur boxer. He is mostly known for his time in Pride Fighting Championships. Cro ...

, Rico Verhoeven, Tom Duquesnoy, John Albert, Charles Rosa, Murad Ramazanov, Halil Amir, Andrei Stoica, Giorgio Petrosyan, Alfie Davis, Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu, and Angela Chang. In August 2016, Georges St-Pierre described fighting Van Damme in the film '' Kickboxer: Vengeance'' as "a dream come true". American professional wrestler Robert Alexander Szatkowski was given his ring name "Rob Van Dam" in 1992 by

Ron Slinker David Ronald Slinker (October 30, 1945 – March 28, 2008), better known by his ring name, Ron Slinker, was an American professional wrestler and martial artist who competed in several North American promotions. Early life Slinker began study ...

, a promoter in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, possibly because of his

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

experience and his resemblance to Van Damme. The original video game ''

Mortal Kombat ''Mortal Kombat'' is an American media franchise centered on a series of fighting game, fighting video games originally developed by Midway Games in 1992. The original ''Mortal Kombat (1992 video game), Mortal Kombat'' arcade game spawned Lis ...

'' (1992) was conceived as a

fighting game The fighting game video game genre, genre involves combat between multiple characters, often (but not limited to) one-on-one battles. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappling, counter- ...

based on Van Damme. Creators

Ed Boon Edward Boon (born February 22, 1964) is an American video game programmer, voice actor, and director. Boon was employed for over 15 years at Midway Games. Since 2011, he has worked for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for one of its subsi ...

and

John Tobias John Tobias is an American Comic book creator, comic book artist, graphic designer, video game designer and writer. Tobias is best known for co-creating the ''Mortal Kombat'' series along with Ed Boon, to whom he pitched the game concept. Tobia ...

had originally wanted to star Van Damme himself in the game. That fell through as he had allegedly a prior deal for another game under the auspices of the

Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Sys ...

platform. Boon and Tobias eventually decided to create a character named Johnny Cage, who is modelled after Van Damme, primarily from Van Damme's appearance and outfit in the martial arts film ''Bloodsport''. In the German version of the Donkey Kong 64 website, DK's greatest hero is Jean-Claude Van Kong. In 2020, Van Damme was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.

Personal life

From 1993 to 1996, the stress of the constant filming and promotion of his films, as Van Damme claims, led him to develop a

cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...

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 Driving under the influence (DUI) is the crime of driving, operating, or being in control of a vehicle while one is impaired from doing so safely by the effect of either alcohol (drug), alcohol (see drunk driving) or some other drug, whether re ...

in 1999.Godfrey, Alex (10 August 2012)
"Jean-Claude Van Damme: 'I tried to play the system; I was blacklisted'"
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''.Truitt, Brian (19 August 2012)
"For Jean-Claude Van Damme, comeback is sweet"
''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

''. Attempts at drug rehabilitation were unsuccessful, and he resorted to resolve his addiction via quitting cold turkey and exercise. In 1998, he was diagnosed with

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that each last from days to weeks, and in ...

. 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 hen I wasgoing to school, and to me, the sky was black. I was so sad." He has been married five times to four different women. Until 1992 he was married to his third wife, bodybuilder Gladys Portugues, with whom he has two children, Kristopher (b. 1987) and Bianca Brigitte (b. 1990). He had begun an affair with actress Darcy LaPier, whom he married in February 1994. From this marriage, they have a son named Nicholas (b. 10 October 1995). That same year he had an affair with his ''

Street Fighter is a Media mix, Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Capcom. Street Fighter 1, The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by List of Street Fighter video games, six other ma ...

'' co-star

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...

during filming in Thailand.Sieczkowski, Cavan (14 August 2012)
"Jean-Claude Van Damme Admits To Affair With Kylie Minogue"
''

HuffPost ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...

''. LaPier, who was pregnant with their son at the time, did not become aware of the affair until Van Damme publicly admitted it in 2012. In October 2016, he expressed his support for presidential candidate

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

during the 2016 election. Earlier that year in March, he mentioned that the Illuminati including the Rockefellers and Rothschilds might try to stop Trump from winning. In December 2022, he visited a clinic in

Uzhhorod Uzhhorod (, ; , ; , ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality on the Uzh, Uzh River in western Ukraine, at the border with Slovakia and near the border with Hungary. The city is approximately equidistan ...

, Ukraine, and took the opportunity to meet Ukrainian military personnel, declaring ‘ Slava Ukraini’ on a local television. In a video on Youtube, he justifies this as a message of peace. In 2025, when the Trump administration decided to end

USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States government that has been responsible for administering civilian United States foreign aid, foreign aid and development assistance. Established in 19 ...

, there was a theory that he had been paid by the American agency for this message in Ukraine. However, there is no reliable source confirming this. On 16 April 2025, JCVD posted a video on Diana Panchenko's Telegram channel in which he asked Putin to become an ambassador for peace based on love and sport, recalling their first meetings.

Conservationism

Outside acting, Van Damme has publicly supported various conservationist causes and

animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have Moral patienthood, moral worth independent of their Utilitarianism, utility to humans, and that their most basic interests—such as ...

organisations, appearing in a number of PSAs for Animals Australia, and working towards his goal of rallying celebrities and fellow actors in creating sanctuaries for

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

. In 2022, he was appointed as

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

Ambassador On Environment, with the role of enhancing the protection of forests as well as local

fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...

and

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Video games

Awards and nominations

Championships and accomplishments

Mr. Belgium bodybuilding Championships (1976 Gold) Belgium Karate Lightweight Championships (1977 Gold) Belgium Karate team European Championships (1979 Gold) Belgium Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament Championships (1980 Silver)

Fight record

Semi-contact/light-contact record

Kickboxing record

References

Books cited

* (Wako) * (PKA World Heavyweight Title) * (Eku) * *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:van Damme, Jean-Claude 1960 births Belgian bodybuilders Belgian emigrants to the United States Belgian male karateka Belgian male kickboxers Belgian male Muay Thai practitioners Belgian people of Jewish descent Belgian Roman Catholics Flemish male film actors Living people Middleweight kickboxers People from Sint-Agatha-Berchem People with bipolar disorder Shotokan practitioners 20th-century Belgian sportsmen

Early life and education

Career

Early 1970s to 1980: Martial arts and first film appearance

1982 to 1988: Early works and breakthrough

1989 to 1999: International stardom

2000 to 2007: Switch to direct-to-video

2008 to 2013: Return to mainstream

2014–present: Subsequent films

Monuments

Controversies

Lawsuit and fight record controversy

Chuck Zito incident

Kadyrov event

Human trafficking allegations

Public image and influence

Personal life

Conservationism

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Video games

Awards and nominations

Championships and accomplishments

Fight record

Semi-contact/light-contact record

Kickboxing record

References

Books cited

Further reading

External links