Hollywood actor Jean-Claude Van Damme. Biography

Jean-Claude Van Damme was born on October 18, 1960 in Brussels, Belgium, to Jean-Marie Van Warenberg, an accountant and owner of a flower shop, and Edith Van Warenberg, a housewife. From an early age, his parents took care of his son's physical health: first he studied ballet, and then, at the age of 11, at the insistence of his father, he began practicing karate. His father believed that sports would help strengthen his son's health and play an important role in his development.

Childhood and sports

In his youth, Van Damme was a rather fragile and short teenager, which did not prevent him from persevering in sports. At the age of 16, he began actively training with the national team and became the European champion in karate and kickboxing at the age of 19. This period was a turning point in his life, hardening his character and preparing him for a future career in cinema.

Inspired by his success in sports, Jean-Claude Van Damme decided to try his hand at modeling, but could not succeed due to insufficient height (177 cm). Then he turned to the film industry. His first on-screen experience took place in 1979, when he starred in two episodes of the Belgian-French film The Woman between the Dog and the Wolf. But he did not achieve significant success in cinema then.

The beginning of a film career

In 1981, Van Damme decided to move to the United States, hoping for success in Hollywood. During this period, he worked as a taxi driver, pizza delivery man, and was also a sparring partner of the famous actor Chuck Norris, who helped him find small roles. At this time, Jean-Claude took the pseudonym Van Damme, because his real name was too difficult for Americans to pronounce.

The turning point in his career was the invitation to play the role of a Russian karate kid in the 1986 film "Don't Back Down and Don't Give Up." However, the real success came to Van Damme in 1988 with the release of the cult action movie "Blood Sport". The film not only grossed over $30 million worldwide with a budget of $1 million, but also glorified Van Damme as an action star.

Success and recognition

After "Blood Sport," Jean-Claude Van Damme became a sought-after actor. His career continued to develop rapidly, and already in the late 1980s and early 1990s he became one of the brightest stars in Hollywood. During this period, Van Damme starred in such iconic films as Cyborg (1989), Kickboxer (1989), Awol (1990), Double Whammy (1991), Universal Soldier (1992) and others, which cemented his status as a cult action actor.

The films Universal Soldier (1992), which grossed over $100 million worldwide, and his appearance in The Expendables 2 (2012), which became the highest-grossing film of his career, earning over $300 million, were particularly successful. Van Damme's fees reached $8 million per film at the peak of his career, which put him on a par with such stars as Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. And his famous split between two moving trucks became a symbol of the film industry in the late 90s.

His television projects were equally popular, including the series "Jean-Claude Van Johnson" (2016-2017), in which he played the role of a special agent. In total, Jean-Claude starred in 76 films and TV series, and also took part in dubbing the animated series "Kung Fu Panda".

Personal life

Jean-Claude Van Damme's personal life was no less intense than his career. At the age of 18, he married Maria Rodriguez, a Venezuelan by birth, for the first time, but their marriage did not last long, and they divorced in 1984. His next wife was Cynthia Derderian, with whom he lived for several years. In 1994, Van Damme married actress and model Darcy Lapierre, and they had a son, Nicholas.

However, his longest-lasting marriage was to Gladys Portugues, a bodybuilding champion and author of fitness books. They have been married twice and have two children, a son Christopher (born 1987) and a daughter Bianca (born 1990). It was Gladys who became Van Damme's main support during his turbulent career, even forgiving his affair with Darcy Lapierre.

Jean-Claude Van Damme is actively involved in animal welfare campaigns. He has several dogs that he picked up on the street. He is also known for his charitable work and support of various social projects.