Jean Claude Van Damme

Jean Claude Van Damme (born Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg on October 18, 1960), is a Belgian-born martial artist and actor who is most known for his action movies. His Belgian background gave rise to the nickname "The Muscles from Brussels."

Timeline

Van Damme first achieved fame by winning a number of European karate championships.

Related Topics:
European - Karate

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He was first seen on screen in the 1984 movie Monaco Forever. But, his first major role came in 1985, when he played Ivan Krushensky in No Retreat, No Surrender, which also starred Kurt McKinney. He was scheduled to play the part of the camouflaged monster in Predator. Wearing a heavy costume in the jungle was rough and Van Damme was unhappy with his role. How he left the picture is disputed: some say he quit, others say he was replaced when the character was revised. Van Damme claims he intentionally got fired so he could move on to other movies. Van Damme's appearance in Bloodsport earned him a nomination as "Worst New Star" in the 1988 Golden Raspberry Awards (he lost).

Related Topics:
1984 - Monaco Forever - 1985 - No Retreat, No Surrender - Kurt McKinney - Predator - Jungle - Bloodsport - 1988 Golden Raspberry Awards

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Van Damme worked his way up to Hollywood mainstream in the 1990s, often working with acclaimed foreign directors. Notable movies include Double Impact (1991), Universal Soldier (1992), Nowhere to Run (1993), Hard Target (1993), and his most critically praised work, Timecop (1994). In most of his movies, he plays a prize fighter, policeman, or soldier. Many of these roles included doppelgänger or Lazarus themes involving Van Damme's characters, an aspect unusual for the action movie genre.

Related Topics:
Hollywood - 1990s - Double Impact - Universal Soldier - 1992 - Nowhere to Run - Hard Target - 1993 - Timecop - 1994 - Prize fighter - Policeman - Soldier - Doppelgänger - Lazarus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By the end of the 1990s, Van Damme's high-profile career had faded but he continues to star in smaller, often direct-to-video movies. His movies have earned over $650 million worldwide, earning him a place in the action movie world along with others like Steven Seagal and Chuck Norris.

Related Topics:
$ - Steven Seagal - Chuck Norris

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He has had troubles with cocaine and is also reported to have experienced bipolar disorder. He has been married five times, including two marriages with his current wife Gladys Portugues.

Related Topics:
Cocaine - Bipolar disorder

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1998, Van Damme and his former bodyguard Chuck Zito were involved in a fist-fight at a New York strip-tease bar called Scores. Allegedly, Van Damme had said something negative about Zito while drunk, and when Zito confronted Van Damme about this Van Damme prepared himself for a fight and Zito began punching Van Damme. This event became notorious in the news and somewhat of a scandal for Van Damme.

Related Topics:
1998 - Bodyguard - Chuck Zito - New York - Strip-tease - Scores

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~