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Jean-Claude Van Damme‌

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1960-10-18

Popularity

star71.4

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, Belgium

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, Belgium

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1960-10-18

Popularity

star71.4

Biography

Van Damme was born Jean-Claude Camille François van Varenberg in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, Belgium, to Eliana and Eugène van Varenberg, an accountant. “The Muscles from Brussels” started martial arts at the age of eleven. His father introduced him to martial arts when he saw his son was physically weak. At the age of 12, van Damme began his martial arts training at Centre National De Karate (National Center of Karate) under the guidance of Master Claude Goetz in Ixelles, Belgium. Van Damme trained for 4 years and earned a spot on the Belgium Karate Team. He won the European professional karate association's middleweight championship as a teenager, and also beat the 2nd best karate fighter in the world. His goal was to be number one but got sidetracked when he left his hometown of Brussels. In 1976 at the age of sixteen, Jean-Claude started his Martial Arts fight career. Jean-Claude retired from martial arts in 1982, following a knockout over Nedjad Gharbi in Brussels, Belgium. Jean-Claude posted a 18-1 (18 knockouts) kickboxing record, and a semi-contact record of 41-4. He came to Hong Kong at the age of 19 for the first time and felt insured to do action movies in Hong Kong. In 1981, van Damme moved to Los Angeles. He took English classes while working as carpet layer, pizza delivery man, limo driver, and thanks to Chuck Norris he got a job as a bouncer at a club. Norris gave van Damme a small role in the movie Missing in Action (1984), but it wasn't good enough to get anybody's attention. In 1984, he got his first significant role as a villain named Ivan in the low-budget movie, No Retreat, No Surrender (1986). Then one day, while walking on the streets, Jean-Claude spotted a producer for Cannon Pictures and showed some of his martial arts abilities which led to a role in Bloodsport (1988). The movie, filmed in Hong Kong, was so bad when it was completed, it was shelved for almost two years. It might have never been released if van Damme did not help them to re-cut the film and begged producers to release it. They finally released the film, first in Malaysia and France and then into the US shot on a meager 1.5 million dollar budget, it became a US box-office hit in the spring of 1988. It made about 30 million worldwide and audiences supported this film for its new sensational action star, Jean-Claude van Damme. His good looks led to starring roles in higher budgeted movies like Cyborg (1989), AWOL: Absent Without Leave (1990), Double Impact (1991) and Universal Soldier (1992). In 1994, he scored with his big breakthrough $100 million worldwide hit Timecop (1994). But in the meantime, his personal life was coming apart. A divorce, followed by a new marriage, followed by another divorce. It began to show up in his career when his projects began to tank at the box office: The Quest (1996), which he directed; Maximum Risk (1996) and Double Team (1997). The three films made less than $50 million combined. In 1999, he remarried his ex-wife, Gladys Portugues, and restarted his lost career to attain new goals. With help from his family, he faced his problems and made movies like Replicant (2001), Derailed (2002), and In Hell (2003).

Movie Credits

Cyborg

Cyborg‌
star5.7
calendar 1989

Kickboxer

Kickboxer‌
star6.8
calendar 1989

Replicant

Replicant‌
star5.8
calendar 2001

Legionnaire

Legionnaire‌
star5.7
calendar 1998

Universal Soldier: The Return

Universal Soldier: The Return‌
star5.9
calendar 1999

Hard Target

Hard Target‌
star6.4
calendar 1993

Nowhere to Run

Nowhere to Run‌
star6.4
calendar 1993

Inferno

Inferno‌
star6.1
calendar 1999

Maximum Risk

Maximum Risk‌
star5.7
calendar 1996

Until Death

Until Death‌
star5.9
calendar 2007

Bloodsport

Bloodsport‌
star7.0
calendar 1988

Street Fighter

Street Fighter‌
star4.6
calendar 1994

The Shepherd: Border Patrol

The Shepherd: Border Patrol‌
star5.9
calendar 2008

Timecop

Timecop‌
star6.0
calendar 1994

Sudden Death

Sudden Death‌
star6.0
calendar 1995

The Quest

The Quest‌
star6.2
calendar 1996

Double Impact

Double Impact‌
star6.1
calendar 1991

Universal Soldier

Universal Soldier‌
star6.3
calendar 1992

Lionheart

Lionheart‌
star6.5
calendar 1990

Double Team

Double Team‌
star5.1
calendar 1997

No Retreat, No Surrender

No Retreat, No Surrender‌
star6.2
calendar 1986

The Hard Corps

The Hard Corps‌
star6.1
calendar 2005

JCVD

JCVD‌
star6.6
calendar 2008

Jean-Claude van Damme: Karate King

Jean-Claude van Damme: Karate King‌
star7.0
calendar 2023

Universal Soldier: Regeneration

Universal Soldier: Regeneration‌
star5.6
calendar 2009

Wake of Death

Wake of Death‌
star6.1
calendar 2004

Haters

Haters‌
star3.7
calendar 2021

The Order

The Order‌
star5.1
calendar 2001

Knock Off

Knock Off‌
star5.3
calendar 1998

Dolph

Dolph‌
star0.0
calendar

Death Warrant

Death Warrant‌
star6.2
calendar 1990

Derailed

Derailed‌
star5.1
calendar 2002

Black Eagle

Black Eagle‌
star4.9
calendar 1988

Kung Fu Panda 2

Kung Fu Panda 2‌
star7.0
calendar 2011

Second in Command

Second in Command‌
star5.5
calendar 2006

In Hell

In Hell‌
star6.5
calendar 2003

Assassination Games

Assassination Games‌
star6.3
calendar 2011

Full Love

Full Love‌
star7.0
calendar 2010

Corporal vs. Napoleon

Corporal vs. Napoleon‌
star3.4
calendar 2012

The Expendables 2

The Expendables 2‌
star6.3
calendar 2012

Monaco Forever

Monaco Forever‌
star3.6
calendar 1984

What's My Name?

What's My Name?‌
star0.0
calendar

Dragon Eyes

Dragon Eyes‌
star5.3
calendar 2012

Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning

Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning‌
star5.5
calendar 2012

6 Bullets

6 Bullets‌
star6.2
calendar 2012

U.F.O.

U.F.O.‌
star4.3
calendar 2012

Welcome to the Jungle

Welcome to the Jungle‌
star5.0
calendar 2013

Enemies Closer

Enemies Closer‌
star5.3
calendar 2013

Swelter

Swelter‌
star5.0
calendar 2014

Kill 'em All 2

Kill 'em All 2‌
star7.0
calendar 2024

Top Fighter

Top Fighter‌
star6.4
calendar 1995

Dans la peau de Jean-Claude Van Damme

Dans la peau de Jean-Claude Van Damme‌
star7.8
calendar 2003

Kickboxer: Vengeance

Kickboxer: Vengeance‌
star5.0
calendar 2016

Pound of Flesh

Pound of Flesh‌
star5.6
calendar 2015

Silent Kill

Silent Kill‌
star0.0
calendar

Darkness of Man

Darkness of Man‌
star6.7
calendar 2024

Le Jardinier

Le Jardinier‌
star0.0
calendar

The Best of the Martial Arts Films

The Best of the Martial Arts Films‌
star8.8
calendar 1990

Days of Reckoning: The Making of Universal Soldier 4

Days of Reckoning: The Making of Universal Soldier 4‌
star0.0
calendar 2013

Kung Fu Panda 3

Kung Fu Panda 3‌
star6.9
calendar 2016

Breakin'

Breakin'‌
star6.7
calendar 1984

Narco

Narco‌
star5.8
calendar 2004

Albert Pyun: King of Cult Movies

Albert Pyun: King of Cult Movies‌
star0.0
calendar 2023

Beur sur la ville

Beur sur la ville‌
star4.3
calendar 2011

Heist School

Heist School‌
star5.9
calendar 2006

Halloween Ends

Halloween Ends‌
star6.1
calendar 2022

Kickboxer: Retaliation

Kickboxer: Retaliation‌
star5.4
calendar 2018

Woman Between Wolf and Dog

Woman Between Wolf and Dog‌
star5.6
calendar 1979

Street of the Damned

Street of the Damned‌
star5.0
calendar 1984

Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films

Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films‌
star7.2
calendar 2014

Kill 'em All

Kill 'em All‌
star5.6
calendar 2017

Black Water

Black Water‌
star5.6
calendar 2018

The Go-Go Boys: The Inside Story of Cannon Films

The Go-Go Boys: The Inside Story of Cannon Films‌
star6.2
calendar 2014

Jian Bing Man

Jian Bing Man‌
star5.2
calendar 2015

The Bouncer

The Bouncer‌
star6.3
calendar 2018

We Die Young

We Die Young‌
star6.8
calendar 2019

Last Action Hero

Last Action Hero‌
star6.5
calendar 1993

The Making of Double Impact, Parts 1 & 2

The Making of Double Impact, Parts 1 & 2‌
star6.0
calendar 2019

Minions: The Rise of Gru

Minions: The Rise of Gru‌
star7.3
calendar 2022

Universal Soldier: A Tale of Two Titans

Universal Soldier: A Tale of Two Titans‌
star4.0
calendar 2004

Guns, Genes & Fighting Machines: The Making of 'Universal Soldier'

Guns, Genes & Fighting Machines: The Making of 'Universal Soldier'‌
star10.0
calendar 2004

JCVD's Day Out

JCVD's Day Out‌
star8.8
calendar 2020

In Search of the Last Action Heroes

In Search of the Last Action Heroes‌
star6.8
calendar 2019

The Last Mercenary

The Last Mercenary‌
star6.4
calendar 2021

Monsieur Jean-Claude

Monsieur Jean-Claude‌
star0.0
calendar 2021

Missing in Action

Missing in Action‌
star5.8
calendar 1984

All the Love You Cannes!

All the Love You Cannes!‌
star6.4
calendar 2002

Tv Credits

Las Vegas

Las Vegas‌
star7.0
calendar 2003

E! True Hollywood Story

E! True Hollywood Story‌
star8.1
calendar 1996

Celebrities Uncensored

Celebrities Uncensored‌
star2.5
calendar 2003

Viva el lunes

Viva el lunes‌
star2.0
calendar 1995

Jean-Claude Van Damme: Behind Closed Doors

Jean-Claude Van Damme: Behind Closed Doors‌
star6.4
calendar 2011

Beckmann

Beckmann‌
star3.0
calendar 1999

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno‌
star5.4
calendar 1992

Jean-Claude Van Johnson

Jean-Claude Van Johnson‌
star6.5
calendar 2016

Friends

Friends‌
star8.4
calendar 1994

Ramez Movie Star

Ramez Movie Star‌
star5.8
calendar 2022

The Late Late Show

The Late Late Show‌
star5.0
calendar 1962

WCW Monday Nitro

WCW Monday Nitro‌
star8.4
calendar 1995

Conan

Conan‌
star7.0
calendar 2010

The UnXplained

The UnXplained‌
star6.3
calendar 2019

Vivement dimanche

Vivement dimanche‌
star2.8
calendar 1998