Despite appearing in three movies together over the years, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Arnold Schwarzenegger have never actually shared a scene. During the ’80s and ’90s, Arnie was one of the biggest movie stars in the world, thanks to the likes of The Terminator movies or Twins. While Van Damme never reached those levels of bankability, throughout much of the ’90s films such as Universal Soldier and Timecop – where Van Damme wanted a direct sequel – made him a major star.Van Damme and Arnie worked on Predator, Last Action Hero and The Expendables 2 together – but have never appeared in the same shot. In the case of Predator, Van Damme played the original version of the titular alien before being fired, had a brief cameo as himself in Last Action Hero’s cast, while in Expendables 2 he spent most of his screentime running away from the team.
Predator Was Van Damme’s Biggest Missed Opportunity
Predator was supposed to be Van Damme’s first big break, but it didn’t turn out that way. Accounts vary as to why exactly he was fired; some claim he was fired because he kept passing out from the heat in the jungle, while others claim he was simply a victim of the terrible original costume. Reportedly, no footage of Van Damme was used in the final cut, which would have also seen him fight Schwarzenegger on screen during the finale. They later became friends off-screen, with Van Damme once calling Arnie his “idol”, which is probably why he agreed to the Last Action Hero cameo. However, there never seemed to be a project that they were going to work on together. While former bodybuilder Arnold and JCVD take part in the same final battle in The Expendables 2, the latter fights Ross Stallone’s Barney instead.
The Perfect Movie For Van Damme And Arnold To Work On
Van Damme is set to cap off his action film career with the upcoming film What’s My Name? where he will play a fictional version of himself. In the story, he will wake up from a coma and fight famous enemies from his past work. Although he apparently never fought Schwarzenegger on screen, What’s My Name? could be their last chance to share the stage. Considering that the film is intended to be Jean-Claude Van Damme’s final statement on his career and legacy, it’s only fitting that his “idol” would make an appearance as well. There’s no word on who will actually be making a cameo in What’s My Name? for now, but a surprise cameo from Arnold Schwarzenegger will certainly help generate some buzz.
RELATED:
Jean-Claude Van Damme Says Stint As Original ‘Predator’ Was ‘A Nightmare’
