LH: His fans know him and love him as a Time Cop, a kick-boxer and a Universal Soldier. Jean Claude Van Damme has had his fair share of nicknames, including The Muscles from Brussels. This week we go behind the biceps and explore this European film hero's Asian connections. This is TalkAsia.
Welcome to TalkAsia, I'm Lorraine Hahn. This week I'm sitting next to one of Belgium's best-known exports. When you talk about Hollywood's "Men of Action" his name rolls as easily off the tongue as Schwarzenegger or Stallone. Jean Claude Van Damme is here with me in the studio. Welcome to Hong Kong, thank you so much for coming in. You are not new in Hong Kong tell us about your stories here in Hong Kong from a long time ago.
JCVD: I came to Hong Kong at the age of 19 for the first time and I was insured to do, of-course, action movies in Hong Kong and I didn't succeed so well at that time, so I left from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, where I was trying for 5 years and finally my first movie starred in Hong Kong again called Bloodsport. But a company signed me in LA and the shooting was done in Hong Kong as a coincidence. So my first movie was made in Hong Kong called Bloodsport.
LH: Released in Malaysia, am I correct?
JCVD: The first time they release the movie was in Malaysia and France, it opened in those two countries and then of-course the U.S domestically.
LH: So would you say you famous here in Asia among the Asians first versus lets say the Americans?
JCVD: More than that it was my good luck because my first movie was made in Hong Kong called Bloodsport and with all different types of fighting styles, and all those people came from all over Asia with different disciplines in the movie, different martial art types of discipline. And it was well done by my friend producer Charles Wong, who helped me to put all those elements together, he owns Salon Films in Hong Kong and it was my first successful movie.
LH: And you have kept in touch with him as well as a number of other friends here in Hong Kong, one in particular that I believe you have taken your name from.
JCVD: Yeah Alex. Alex Van Damme. I took his 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.
LH: You're also the Hong Kong Ambassador for Hong Kong tourism I read today, what role do you fit in that?
JCVD: This is a great honor for me, I will be the first one to be nominated, and why not? I mean for an action star it's kind of unusual because normally in our business action stars are not, if I can say so, not well respected as actors. We're more considered like physical people and I feel great to be nominated as an Ambassador because maybe I can do something to help this area.
LH: Let's get back to your movies. John Woo is one of the directors you've worked with on Hard Target. Are you guys friends, do you keep in close contact?
JCVD: Yes and no, because John is now very, very successful, but John did his first movie with me and I came all the way from LA to meet with him and he met with me, and we talked about a film called Hard Target and that was his first movie made in the U.S.
LH: Is it true that you actually brought him to the U.S? You were the one to give him that first shot?
JCVD: To "give him" (ahhhh). He is a very gifted director, so he helped me too. We both helped each other, but I was the first one to bring John Woo to the U.S, yes.
LH: What is it like now that you have obviously made your fame and fortune in Hollywood working with Asian directors compared with Western directors, or North American directors?
JCVD: In my business for action movies they have a great sense of tempo, and their shooting and montage of how they put the film together, it's moving very fast with lots of different angles, it's almost like a ballet of pieces together and it makes, of-course, an action move or an action sequence. In plus of that they're thinking very fast the way Asian directors are shooting, they are very economical so they can do lots of takes in one day. But also, of-course, they have great dramatic directors, people like the Red Lantern for example. I mean I love Ju-Doh. Those movies, to me, are superb.
LH: You paused a bit when you talked to me about moving from Hong Kong to the United States. I assume that pause suggested that it was a tough life the first few years in the US for you?
JCVD: Yeah, it was very hard, but I came…..I knew I was going to succeed, and I have got a trick in life. If you can say thank you in advance for something, if you really believe in something then you've got to accept it's done. We have a say like "I have to be an actor", or let's say "I have to be an anchor", "I've got to be an architect" "have to be" is no good, because "have" is as though I'm forced to do so, but if we reverse the verb - Be To Have - I am an actor, becoming an actor is just a work, and two: it's already gone, I'm on my way there so Be To Have, we have to think we are that person before becoming successful and saying thank you, in advance, to the Gods of life (if I can say that). So when I came to America and Hong Kong I knew I was an actor and a movie star, even if no one knew me. But I put this in myself and I was acting like I was the biggest star I knew and by doing that you present yourself to people with conviction and slowly it will happen to you.
LH: Like the confidence in you.
JCVD: Then you project to people that type of feeling, and we're all about feeling on this earth.
LH: Jean Claude we're going to take a short break, we'll be right back. We'll speak more with Jean Claude Van Damme in just a moment. +++++++++++++++++++++++BREAK+++++++++++++++++++++++++
LH: This is TalkAsia; we're speaking to Jean Claude Van Damme, movie action hero. Jean Claude, tell me you have been compared with obviously Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Segal, how does that make you feel to be compared to people like that?
JCVD: I think it's great to be compared because you have got to be compared to something in life. And people love to compare people I guess.
LH: Did they ever compare you with, let's say, the Jackie Chan's of Asia?
JCVD: No, but that would be a compliment. I think he's wonderful, he's very funny and he's a good person. I met him a few times at the opening of some event, and he also came on the set of my movie, Knock Off. I shot that movie in Hong Kong ahh no sorry, Double Team. I shot that in Rome and he came on the set to help us with some fighting sequences.
LH: Interesting! He didn't charge you for that did he?
JCVD: No.
LH: The man we see on the screen, this karate expert is that really you?
JCVD: Yes, it's me doing all those moves because I started training when I was 11 years old and I was not really gifted from nature physically. I was not very strong, but mentally I did put that "Be To Have" I want to and I will be, and I started training at the age of 11 so I built myself very well.
LH: What about this hard nosed very violent character?
JCVD: No, that's just a movie.
LH: So you're a real softy in real; life. You cry?
JCVD: Yes, of-course I cry, like every male. We all cry, some people cry less but it's good to have emotion in life. We can learn it well from women; they're much more advanced always. They are much more open than us to emotion.
LH: Coming back to your earlier days, you also trained in ballet. Does that help you in your fight choreography?
JCVD: Absolutely! Ballet gave me lots of grace and flexibility. When you can mix the karate, which is also graceful but powerful together with the technique of ballet you have a different type of marital art, which is great for the movie because you can do lots of moves very elegantly.
LH: I suppose that includes those world famous splits of yours, which many woman, I must admit, have been trying to do as well.
JCVD: But women are more flexible than men, in general.
LH: Let me talk to you a bit about your past. More recently the drug problems that you had, you've overcome them now. Why did that come about Jean Claude? Was it because the fame you had came too quickly for example?
JCVD: No, this is a long story, I don't want to go back to so many years ago, it happen many, many years ago. But I did go through some problems but now they're gone and everything is fine. I've got my wife, my family. I guess I was hurt by some promises, by friendships. When you go to a country without your family…..I was very young when I came to LA and I met loads of people and I saw loads of stuff for my age, and when you're sensitive you can be hurt. You have to be careful, so sometimes you have to keep your distance, which is sad because I will not change, and I will stay that same person. I would like to always open my heart to everybody in life.
LH: Something on a bit more of a happier note, you've been married 5 times, you're back with your third wife, Gladice, whom we've met. What kind of women marries action heroes like yourself? Is there a particular characteristic? Have they got to be stable, outgoing?
JCVD: My wife is a wonderful person. She's very strong and she's very behind me, and she was very mature about the word family. Which I was too but I was so busy traveling making movies, which for many years I suffered to make it in the business, and when I finally made it I didn't let the rope go off and I worked and worked and now I've made 31 movies, sometimes 3 movies a year. I didn't have any private life or anything, so I started saying to myself that I need to slow down, enjoy my family so we came back together and now everything is beautiful.
LH: We met your son, Chris. He's 14; do you think he's going to follow in your footsteps?
JCVD: He can do whatever he wants. I mean within reason, I'm there to support him and I'm there to guide him. I'm a good father.
LH: What lessons have you passed onto your children?
JCVD: Respect, understanding and communication. To be aware, in life you have to be aware about everything, then we can understand the word God, which is you and I and everything around us. Not to be also afraid in life. Fear will paralyze you, being cautious is different. Being cautious will mobilize you, so you can see what's going on and move on. Fear will kill you, it's not good to be in fear in life and I don't want my children to have any types of fear.
LH: Do you think you'll put them in any of your movies?
JCVD: My son has just finished a movie with me, a good film called Derailed, good for him, I don't know for me. He was excellent.
LH: We look forward to watching that movie. Jean Claude, we take e-mail questions as an interactive part of the show. There's a gentleman in Singapore called Edward and he wanted to ask you "Do you do all your stunts?"
JCVD: Not all of them. If you want to do them we have insurance problems, if something happens to the star the movie will be paralyzed. So sometimes we have stunt people who are doing the stunts, and they are wonderful people.
LH: Jean Claude, there are hundreds, possibly thousands of want to be Jean Claude Van Damme's out there, what sort of advice/tips would you give these people?
JCVD: To believe in that something, and if they cannot believe into that something they want to be, then start to act like you start to believe in it. For example, if I go into a room and I am very unhappy then I'm going to start acting happy, even fake it, and then I'm going to fake to be happy, by faking it people around me will start to feel happy and then it will come back to me. The best way to become an actor or a champion is to teach that person to be a champion. If I can teach you to be a champion that means I'm a champion. If not I cannot be a champion.
LH: we're going to take another short break. We'll be right back, stick around.
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LH: This is TalkAsia, we're back with Jean Claude Van Damme. Jean Claude, we have the question of the week, it comes from Alex, here in Hong Kong: Would you say you were the world's most famous Belgian man alive?
JCVD: Not my opinion. I think because I'm in the media business some times we get exposed in a big, big way in TV. But we have wonderful people in Belgium and also we're all famous in a sense, you know what I'm saying?
LH: Yes, whether it's within your own family or group or community.
JCVD: Yes, exactly!
LH: Your native language, is it Flemish or French?
JCVD: I learned French, but a little Flemish too. My mother is from a Flemish area, and my father is from a French area.
LH: Your latest project, tell me about it.
JCVD: I've just finished two movies one called The Order and the other called Derailed. I'm going to start a new movie with my director Ringo Lam, he's from Hong Kong. Great director and a great friend. The movie will be called The Monk. I will play a Shoaling monk. A white monk, it's going to be like a comedy.
LH: Wow, interesting! Did you have to pick up anything from the Shoaling monastery?
JCVD: Absolutely! In fact soon I'll have to go to training to lose around 25 pounds because we are going to do loads of jumps, and I will have to pick up a very specific style called Kong Fu style. So when the Asian population see me I will not look like a Shotokan type of guy, which is like Japanese type of karate, which is what I learned when I was 11 years old.
LH: Derailed that movie, I understand it's about terrorism. Has the September 11th impact had any influence on action movies that you act in?
JCVD: The business is doing well for me. The buyers want action movies, with good stories of-course. I think it's good to have action heroes, because if something bad happens, on those planes for example, people would love to see a guy like me to tell the person to stop and to sit down. So sometimes it's good to be strong enough, not only to protect your family but people around you too, to protect society.
LH: How many more years do you think you can go on with this very physical acting that you do now?
JCVD: Only God knows.
LH: How many more years would you like to go on for?
JCVD: 10 years.
LH: How about injuries? Obviously your body undergoes major punishment, have you ever had a serious injury?
JCVD: I did have a few accidents but nothing comparing to when I was a sports man. In movies were faking all punches, kicks and jumps, it's all well choreographed by professional people. So we are not provoking injuries, in fact it's very well done so nothing happens. But some times in action something can happen but less chances, it's more dangerous to cross the street in Hong Kong.
LH: Yes, that is true, but mistakes can happen. How do you protect yourself?
JCVD: By keeping my distance, by putting the right angle of camera behind my so called opponent and by repeating the action in slow motion first and then faster and faster until the two actors feel comfortable.
LH: Before we let you go Jean Claude, when you go back to your home country what do you think you have brought back?
JCVD: Knowledge, life is about knowledge and experience. For example I'm sitting with you here knowing that tonight I'm going to have a nice dinner with some Chinese friends, so I've got so much knowledge for my age and I've traveled so much around the world I can understand different philosophies and countries. So it's really great.
LH: OK. Thank you very much, we really appreciate having you here.
JCVD: My pleasure. Hello to all my fans.
LH: Yes, hello to all your fans. Well we've been talking to Jean Claude Van Damme, marital arts movie hero. Keep your eyes on our website: and drop me a note if you get a chance: . I'm Lorraine Hahn, let's talk again next week.
