Jean-Claude Van Damme (born 18 October 1960) is a Belgian actor, martial artist, and conservationist. Born and raised in Brussels, his father enrolled him in martial arts classes at the age of ten, which led Van Damme to compete in several karate and kickboxing competitions. With the desire of becoming an actor, he moved to the United States in 1982, where he did odd jobs and worked on several films, until he got his break as the lead in the martial arts film Bloodsport (1988).
Van Damme became a popular action film star and followed up with commercially successful films such as Cyborg (1989), Kickboxer (1989), Lionheart (1990), Death Warrant (1990), Double Impact (1991), Universal Soldier (1992), Nowhere to Run (1993), Hard Target (1993), Timecop (1994), Street Fighter (1994), Sudden Death (1995), The Quest (1996), which marked his directorial debut, and Maximum Risk (1996). After a period of decline, Van Damme returned to prominence with the critically acclaimed crime drama JCVD (2008).
His big return to the action genre was in The Expendables 2 (2012), in which he starred as the villain, opposite Sylvester Stallone. From there on, Van Damme continued starring in action films and doing extensive voice work.
Van Damme’s films have grossed over $1 billion worldwide, making him one of the most successful action stars of all time. Outside acting, Van Damme has publicly supported various conservationist causes. In 2017, he became an international ambassador for GAIA (Global Action in the Interest of Animals), and in 2022, was appointed as DRC Ambassador on Environment.
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Jean Claude Van Damme’s Career In Timeline