Биография: Жан Клод

October 18, 1960 (Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, Belgium)

Background:

“I took his (Alex Van Damme) name, in fact, from his father because his father sent me for the first time in Hong Kong to be a picture model. I’m not enough tall to be a catwalk model, plus too big for that, and we became very good friends and I took his name as an honor. Because my name, by the way, is too complicated, it’s Van Veren Berg, so in America it sounds like “Van Varen Berg” (said with American accent). So Van Damme it’s punchy, short, and clear.” Jean Claude Van Damme on adopting the name ‘Van Damme’

Belgian native actor, producer, writer and director Jean Claude Van Damme, born Jean-Claude Camille Franзois Van Varenberg, is best known to many for his starring roles in action movies highlighting his martial-arts abilities. An ex-fitness club successful entrepreneur and karate champion, Van Damme was first launched to stardom as Frank Dux in the low-budget, but blockbuster, smash hit Bloodsport (1988). He went on to score success with such vehicles as Double Impact (1991), Universal Soldier (1992), Nowhere to Run (1993), John Woo’s Hard Target (1993) and was praised for his fine acting in Timecop (1994). Although his movies have received over $650 million worldwide, giving him a place in the action movie world with others such as Chuck Norris and Steven Seagal, Van Damme has suffered from box office disasters with films like The Quest (1996), Double Team (1997, won a Razzie award), Knock Off (1998), The Order (2001), Derailed (2002) and In Hell (2003). In a more recent film, Van Damme won the best attention of his career for his strong portrayal of Edward ‘The Torch’ Garrotte in the sci-fi thriller Replicant (2001).

Recently starring in the Simon Fellows-directed Second in Command (2006), the “Muscles from Brussels” is set to play roles in the forthcoming The Hard Corps (2006), Kumite (2007) and Astйrix aux jeux olympiques (2007).

Off screen, Van Damme, whose trademarks is thrilling one and all with his 360-degree ultimate leaping and super flying karate kicks, speaks English, French, Spanish and German, and can play the piano. In 1998, he publicly stated that he was a cocaine-addict and underwent his first treatment in late 1996. In September the next year, Van Damme was arrested for driving under the influence, which resulted in being placed on three years’ probation and being fined $1200, as well as attending a 90-day anti-drunk driving program. His private life has also shared huge notoriety with his five marriages, which included two marriages to his present wife Gladys Portugues.

“What is a movie star? It is an illusion. It was everything I ever wanted to be, but it became a kind of shell, non? It was what made me famous and got me women. But it wasn’t real.” Jean Claude Van Damme


Muscles from Brussels

Childhood and Family:

In Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, Belgium, Jean-Claude Camille Franзois Van Varenberg, who would later be famous as Jean-Claude Van Damme (adopted the name Van Damme from his early mentor), was born on October 18, 1960. He is the son of a florist father named Eugene Van Varenberg and mother Eliana Van Varenberg.

A self-confessed lean, insightful child who loved classical music and painting, Van Damme began martial arts at age 11 following his father’s suggestion and later received his black belt in Shotokan (Japanese-style karate). In his late teens, the muscular Van Damme, who carried the nickname “Muscles from Brussels,” even won the European Professional Karate Association’s Middleweight Championship. In addition to karate, he also began lifting weights as a means to improve his shape and this led him to being crowned Mr. Belgium bodybuilder. Dropping out of school at age 16, Van Damme, who also spent five years studying classical ballet after martial arts, rejected offers to be a dancer for The Paris Opera. Instead, he concentrated on karate and body-building and found huge success as a health club entrepreneur of the California Gym in Brussels. However, he later left the profitable business in favor of acting.

Van Damme has been married five times. He first tied the knot with Maria Rodriguez in 1978, but they split up in 1984. A year later, he remarried, this time with Cynthia Derderian, whom he met while the actor was working in her father’s carpet store.
Unfortunately, the marriage only lasted for one year. Soon after the separation, he began a new family with bodybuilder/actress Gladys Portugues, with whom he shares two children, daughter Bianca (born in 1990) and son Kristopher (born in 1987). The couple announced their break up in 1992 after six years of marriage. On February 3, 1994, he married his forth wife, model Darcy LaPier, but they divorced on December 19, 1996. The couple has one son named Nicholas (born in 1995). Van Damme re-married his ex-wife, Gladys Portugues, on June 25, 1999.


Replicant

Career:

Starting martial art lessons at age 11, Jean-Claude Van Damme turned professional after earning his black belt in karate and won the European Professional Karate Association’s middleweight championship in 1979. After leaving school, the teen Van Damme began five-years of ballet training that led to an invitation to join the Paris Opera. However, the prized athlete declined the offer and decided to focus on karate and body-building. At age 18, former Mr. Belgium started to manage his own victorious fitness center named The California Gym in Brussels. Handsome and well-built, Van Damme had his first screen appearance in the French film Rue Barbare, which was followed by Monaco Forever (both released in 1984), in which he appeared as ‘Gay Karate Man.’ Though only landing bit parts, it was enough for Van Damme to realize that acting was his true calling. Wanting to follow his heart, he discarded his commercial fitness business to give acting a try. After spending several years in Hong Kong to work in martial art films (where he also briefly worked as a model), Van Damme headed for Hollywood in 1981 with the ambition of becoming a movie star.

Just like many other struggling actors, Van Damme found difficulties securing work during his early years in America. Knowing no languages other than Flemish and French, he took such odds jobs as limo and taxi driver, carpet installer, pizza delivery man and bouncer while learning English and attempting to break into the American scene. His efforts finally flourished when the muscular actor landed his first major role, opposite Kurt McKinney, in Corey Yuen’s No Retreat, No Surrender (1986), playing Ivan Krushensky, the Russian rival to an American karate student.

His career gained real momentum in 1988 when producer Menahem Golan, who was quickly impressed by Van Damme’s martial art skills after he demonstrated his prowess outside a Beverly Hills restaurant, recruited Van Damme to star as Frank Dux in the action/sport-themed film Bloodsport. Produced with a low budget, the film was a surprise hit, earning a significant $35 million. As for Van Damme, though he failed to amaze film critics and was nominated for the Golden Raspberry‘s “Worst New Star of the Year,” the film proved to be his Hollywood calling card.

Van Damme’s career took off following the success of Bloodsport. Next up, he starred in the films Black Eagle (1988), the futuristic Cyborg (1989), the prison-set Death Warrant (1990), and made his writing debut in Kickboxer (1989) and Lionheart (1990), where he also starred. He was further put into the Hollywood mainstream with such noteworthy projects as Double Impact (1991, also marked his debut as a producer), Universal Soldier (1992), Nowhere to Run (1993) and John Woo’s Hard Target (1993). In 1994, Van Damme delivered his best work as Max Walker in the Peter Hyams-directed Timecop, opposite Mia Sara, Ron Silve and Bruce McGill.

He continued making a name for himself as an action hero star although most of his films were box office bombs. After Street Fighter (1994) and Sudden Death (1995), Van Damme made his directorial debut and starred in The Quest (1996, opposite Roger Moore), but he had to deal with failure as the action-thriller film was a box office disappointment. The same year, he teamed with director Ringo Lamb to play the dual role of twins in Maximum Risk, while in the following year, he was seen in the moderately budget action Double Team (1997) for director Tsui Hark (failed to meet production costs once released). Things continued to get worse as Van Damme was garnered a 1988 Razzie for Worst Screen Couple (shared with costar and former NBA player Dennis Rodman) for his inferior performance in the film. He then rejoined Tsui Hark for the 1998 box office flop Knock Off before starring in the war film Legionnaire (1998) and reprising his Luc Deveraux role for the sequel Universal Soldier: The Return (1999).

Despite his high-profile career dimming by the late ‘90s, Van Damme proved he was back in the saddle again with his opening film in the new millennium, the sci-fi thriller Replicant (2001). For his fine starring turn as Edward ‘The Torch’ Garrotte, Van Damme took home the best reviews of his career. It was followed by the direct-to-video released The Order (2001), Derailed (2002) and In Hell (2003). In 2004, Van Damme appeared in the French production comedy film Narco (2004) and starred with Simon Yam in the action-adventure Wake of Death (2004). He was also seen making his TV debut in an episode of NBC’s “Las Vegas” (2004), wherein he was cast as himself.

Most recently, the Double Team star was cast to star with Julie Cox and William Tapley in the action/thriller Second in Command (2006), helmed by Simon Fellows, and will soon headline the action movie The Hard Corps (2006). In 2007, he can add Kumite (also serves as a director) and the family film Astйrix aux jeux olympiques, which will feature England football superstar David Beckham, to his long acting resume.


Awards:

• Razzie: Worst Screen Couple, shared with Dennis Rodman, Double Team, 1998
• European Professional Karate Association’s Middleweight Championship, 1979