Jean-Claude Van Damme was born on October 18, 1960 in Sint-Agatha-Berschem, Brussels, Belgium. From a young age, he began training in various martial arts disciplines, including karate, kickboxing, Muay Thai and taekwondo. His sincere dedication to martial arts eventually led to him becoming a skilled fighter with impressive physical fitness, and he soon carried this into film.
In the early ’80s, Van Damme became a prominent action star alongside veterans such as Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, earning the nickname “the muscle from Brussels” for his impressive physique and martial arts skills. While he may have faded from the spotlight in later years, there’s no denying that Jean-Claude Van Damme was one of the biggest action stars of the ’80s and early ’90s, leaving behind a legacy of exciting and entertaining films.