BY TIFFANY ROSE - Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Dubbed 'the Muscles from Brussels', Jean-Claude Van Damme was one of the biggest action heroes of the 1990s. His epics included Timecop, Universal Soldier and Street Fighter, with Kylie Minogue. The former professional kick-boxer's latest film is straight-to-DVD offering The Shepherd: Border Patrol. He has been married five times – twice to the same woman.
Who do you play in this film?
I play a New Orleans homicide detective who becomes a US Border Patrol agent, between Columbus and Las Palomas, Mexico. I try to uncover this criminal drug ring from this drug lord who has a team of six Navy-Seals, so it’s kind of a cool concept. It will please my action audience but it’s not a very deep thinking movie.
You’re in good shape for 47. Does training get easier or more challenging as you grow older?
It has become easier because now I am enjoying training. I don’t know what’s going on but maybe it’s because my mind is becoming stronger and I’ve trained for so many years. I rested for a couple of years and I was kind of lazy for a while but now I’m back with a very strong attitude.
Do you work out in the gym every day?
Yes, almost every day, and I feel great. I do a lot of cardio, a lot of weights and a lot of stretching, plus I’m eating very well. I have a great wife behind me. Now I also train my son, who is 19. He’s trying to catch up with me but he hasn’t got there yet, ha ha. We’re competing with each other and I will not let him pass me.
How fat did you get when you ‘got lazy’?
Probably ‘out of shape’ for me is being ‘in shape’ for some people. After the age of 40, when you stop training for a few weeks, it’s a disaster; it takes you longer to get back into shape.
How do you look after your mental and spiritual health?
I’ve been through a lot in my life; I’ve been up and down. Being in shape mentally and spiritually gives you a simple view of life. We have a tendency to make life complicated but it’s so easy at the same time. Before, I was chasing success, fame and attention and I’m not chasing it any more. I believe in destiny. I can smell my direction instinctively.
How has the movie business changed over the past 15 years?
Action movies have been out of business for the past few years because the studios are scared of making violent movies and want to be politically correct. Action movies are not real, though, the blood is not real. I think it’s good to have a bit of action. Today, I’m searching for complex, artistic and realistic types of stories. You never know what is going to happen next. Tomorrow, action could be back or it could be sci-fi or dancing.
How do you feel when you watch your old films?
I’ve made 36 movies in 20 years and I overacted a lot in my early career. So it’s very difficult for me to look at myself in those early movies.
What’s your favourite film you’ve starred in?
Bloodsport is a great movie. Timecop and Universal Soldier are also good. I think all my films were OK because they went in different directions. I’m lucky, I started doing action movies at the age of 25. Now I’m 47, I’m still kicking like a mule and I’m as flexible as I was when I started. My movies are international. Everybody understands a slap in the face. In Japan, Belgium or America, a punch is a punch. Comedy will be different in Europe or America, so my movies are very international. I’m a brand name. Van Damme is like Levi’s. I go on vacation, and everywhere I go, people love me for my name, not for my movies.
What do your fans expect from you?
The audience has a wrong image of me. They expect the real me is what they see me do in my films. But I am actually a very sensitive, warm and sincere person. I like people and I give them a lot. In fact, this has caused me some bad surprises and led to treacheries.
You’ve been divorced four times, are you difficult to live with?
Hmm… I would be lying if I said that I am not. For a start, I am obsessed by my job and that is something a woman can’t always easily accept. Worse, my job takes me to the four corners of the world, either for filming or for promotional tours. Fans tend to grab me when I pass by, they write or phone and some follow me in the street. A day doesn’t go past when I’m not recognised. That can be hard for a woman to deal with.
What challenges do you face today in the movie industry?
It's difficult for me to pose for magazine covers and go on TV shows and show my new tuxedo at awards events. When I watch the awards, when I see all those people just showing up in front of a camera, I don't think it's right. They look like animals in cages. All that has gone for me, so I feel good about that. I understand big actors like Robert De Niro who just want to do a job which is becoming another character. When that's done then they want to stay home and enjoy a walk in the woods. That’s my type of life today
News
جواب بصورت نقل قول
Fame
Weird
