Jean Damme

First Name: Jean
Middle Name: Claude
Last Name: Damme

Jean Claude Van Damme is a belgian actor and martial artist. He was born in Brussels, Belgium on October 18, 1960. His height is 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 meters). He was nicknamed "Muscles from Brussels".

Jean Claude Van Damme was a full-contact fighter in Europe and competed from 1976 to 1980.

At the age of 12, he began training in martial arts at the National Karate Center in Ixelles, Belgium. He entered the Belgium karate team after 4 years of training.

He made his debut in karate at the age of 16 in 1976. His first competition almost ended his career from the start being leveled to the floor by a round-house kick from Toon Van Oostrum. Just seconds after being stunned he rose up and delivered Van Ostrum a knockout hit.

Van Damme tried his luck on action movies in Hong Kong at the age of 19. But in 1981, he moved to Los Angeles. Van Damme was struggling and took english clusses, he worked in various fields like: pizza delivery, carpet laying and also a limo driver.
He had the luck to meet Chuck Norris, who helped him get a job as a club bouncer. Norris also helped Van Damme get his first role in 1984, in the movie "Missing in action". It was a small role and in 1984 he got another role as Ivan, a villain in "Retreat, No Surrender" (1986) which was a low-budget movie.

His martial art skills helped him allot in his career. Thanks to his famous round house kick and great fitness/loocks he managed to get roles in higher budgeted movies including: "Cyborg" in 1989, "Lionheart" in 1990, "Double Impact" in 1991, "Universal Soldier" in 1992.

He had his great breakthrough in 1994 when he played in "Timecop". The movie became a big hit in the whole world scoring 100 million $.

His trademark was his famous 360 degree round house kick and great karate skills.

Personal Quotes

"I am the Fred Astaire of karate".

"God gave me a great body and it's my duty to take care of my physical temple."

"I've become 40, my audience is partly the same age."

"My dreams came true in America. It's not possible in Belgium. I grew up sadly. Skinny kid. Big, thick glasses. Everything I've done is a miracle."

"I love challenges. If you don't have any and can do whatever you want, then it's probably time to die."

"I love playing the villain, but a villain with class."

"I'm one of the most sensitive human beings on Earth -- and I know it."

"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."