Van Damme, Jean–Claude 1960- (Frank Cujo, Jean-Claude Vandam, Jean Claude Van Damme, J. Claude van Damme)

PERSONAL

Original name, Jean-Claude Camille Francois Van Varenburg; born October 18, 1960, in Brussels, Belgium (some sources say Agathe, Belgium); immigrated to the United States, 1984; son of Eugene (an accountant and owner of a flower shop) and Eliana Van Varenburg; married Maria Rodriguez, August 25, 1980 (divorced, 1984); married Cynthia Derderian, August 25, 1985 (divorced, 1986); married Gladys Portugues (a bodybuilder, model, and actress), January 3, 1987 (divorced, 1992); married Darcy LaPier (an actress), February 3, 1994 (divorced, November 1997); remarried Gladys Portugues, June 25, 1999; children: (third marriage) Kristopher, Bianca; (fourth marriage) Nicolas.

Addresses:

Office—Long Road Productions, 1801 Avenue of the Stars, 6th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067.

Career:

Actor, producer, director, stunt performer and choreographer, and writer. Long Road Productions (also known as 777 Film Corp., a production company), Los Angeles, CA, founder; appeared in print ads, including The Gap, 1998. Operated karate schools and health clubs in Brussels, Belgium, including the California Fitness Center; worked in the United States as a restaurant bouncer, carpet layer, martial-arts instructor, stunt performer, and limousine and taxi driver. Adopted the stage name Frank Cujo briefly at the start of his career.

Awards, Honors:

Middleweight champion, European Professional Karate Association, 1980; MTV Movie Award nomination, most desirable male, 1992, for Double Impact; MTV Movie Award nomination, most desirable male, 1993, for Nowhere to Run; MTV Movie Award nomination, most desirable male, 1994, for Hard Target; Video Premiere Award nomination, best actor, DVD Exclusive Awards, 2001, for Replicant.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

(Uncredited) Passerby in first dance sequence, Breakin' (also known as Breakdance and Breakdance: The Movie), 1984.

Background performer, Rue barbare, 1984.

(As Jean-Claude Vandam) Gay karate man, Monaco Forever, 1984.

(As Jean-Claude Vandam) Ivan the Russian, No Retreat, No Surrender (also known as Karate Tiger), New World, 1986.

(As Jean Claude Van Damme) Frank Dux, Bloodsport, Cannon, 1988.

Andrei, Black Eagle, 1988.

(As Jean Claude Van Damme) Kurt Sloane, Kickboxer, Pathe, 1989.

Gibson Rickenbacker, Cyborg (also known as Masters of the Universe II: The Cyborg), Cannon, 1989.

Louis Burke, Death Warrant, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1990.

The Best of the Martial Arts Films (also known as The Best of the Martial Arts Movies and Deadliest Art: The Best of the Martial Arts Films), 1990.

Chad Wagner and Alex Wagner, Double Impact, Columbia, 1991.

Lyon Gaultier, Lionheart (also known as A.W.O.L., A.W.O.L.—Absent Without Leave, and Wrong Bet), Universal, 1991.

Luc Deveraux, Universal Soldier, TriStar, 1992.

Sam Gillen, Nowhere to Run, Columbia, 1993.

Himself, Last Action Hero, Columbia, 1993.

Chance Boudreaux, Hard Target, Universal, 1993.

Himself, Curse of the Dragon (also known as Bruce Lee: Curse of the Dragon), 1993.

Max Walker, Timecop, Universal, 1994.

Colonel Guile, Street Fighter (also known as Street Fighter: The Battle for Shadaloo, Street Fighter: The Movie, and Street Fighter: The Ultimate Battle), Columbia TriStar/Universal, 1994.

Darren McCord, Sudden Death, Universal, 1995.

Christopher Dubois, The Quest, Universal, 1996.

Alain Moreau/Mikhail Suverov, Maximum Risk (also known as Bloodstone and The Exchange), Columbia, 1996.

Jack Quinn, Double Team (also known as The Colony), Columbia/Trimark Pictures, 1997.

Marcus Ray, Knock Off, TriStar, 1998.

Alain Lefevre, Legionnaire, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1998.

Himself, The Path of the Dragon, 1998.

Luc Deveraux, Universal Soldier: The Return (also known as Universal Soldier II and Universal Soldier IV), TriStar, 1999.

Eddie Lomax, Coyote Moon (also known as Desert Heat and Inferno), Viacom, 1999.

"Number One"/"The Torch," Replicant, Artisan Entertainment, 2001.

Rudy, The Order (also known as Jihad Warrior), TriStar, 2001.

Himself, All the Love You Cannes! (documentary), Troma Entertainment, 2002.

Jacques Kristoff, Derailed (also known as Terror Train), GAGA Communications, 2002.

Kyle, In Hell (also known as The Savage and The Shu), GAGA Communications, 2003.

Jean-Claude Van Damme fantasy for Lenny, Narco (also known as The Secret Adventures of Gustave Klopp), Mars Distribution, 2004.

Ben Archer, Wake of Death (also known as L'empreinte de la mort), Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, 2004.

Himself, A Tale of Two Titans (documentary short), Lions Gate Films, 2004.

Himself, Guns, Genes & Fighting Machines: The Making of "Universal Soldier" (documentary short), Lions Gate Films, 2004.

Himself, Making of "Wake of Death" (documentary short), Bauer Martinez Studios, 2004.

Commander Samuel "Sam" Keenan, Second in Command (also known as The Adjutant), Sony Pictures Entertainment, 2006.

Phillip Sauvage, The Hard Corps, 2006.

Phillip Sauvage, The Hard Corps: Call to Action (documentary), Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2006.

Charles, Sinav, 2006.

Anthony Stowe, Until Death, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2007.

Jack Robideaux, The Shepherd, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2007.

Film Work:

(As J. Claude Van Damme) Stunt performer, Missing in Action, 1984.

(Uncredited) Editor, Bloodsport, 1988.

(Uncredited) Editor, Cyborg (also known as Masters of the Universe II: The Cyborg), 1989.

(As Jean Claude Van Damme) Fight scene choreographer and fight scenes director, Kickboxer, Pathe, 1989.

Producer (with Ashok Amritraj) and fight choreographer, Double Impact, Columbia, 1991.

Fight choreographer, Lionheart (also known as A.W.O.L., A.W.O.L.—Absent Without Leave, and Wrong Bet), Universal, 1991.

Assistance, Deceit, 1993.

Director, The Quest, Universal, 1996.

Producer, Legionnaire, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1998.

Producer, Universal Soldier: The Return (also known as Universal Soldier II and Universal Soldier IV), TriStar, 1999.

Producer, Coyote Moon (also known as Desert Heat and Inferno), Viacom, 1999.

(Uncredited) Fight choreographer, The Hard Corps, 2006.

Television Appearances; Specials:

The 17th Annual People's Choice Awards, CBS, 1991.

Voices That Care, Fox, 1991.

The Movie Awards, CBS, 1991.

Hollywood Hotshots, Fox, 1992.

MTV Video Music Awards 1992, MTV, 1992.

Making of "Universal Soldier," 1992.

The 1993 World Music Awards, ABC, 1993.

Presenter, The 50th Annual Golden Globe Awards, TBS, 1993.

The Opening Ceremonies of the 1995 Special Olympics World Games, 1995.

Presenter, The Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, CBS, 1995.

Presenter, The Walt Disney Company and McDonald's Present the American Teacher Awards, Disney Channel, 1996.

Host, The 1996 World Music Awards, ABC, 1996.

Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, UPN, 1998.

Presenter, The 2000 World Music Awards, ABC, 2000.

AFI's 100 Years, 100 Thrills: America's Most Heart-Pounding Movies, 2001.

Dans la peau de Jean-Claude Van Damme, 2003.

Presenter, World Music Awards 2003, The WB, 2003.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Male stripper, Santa Barbara, 1988.

Howard Stern, E! Entertainment Television, 1994, 1996.

Himself, "The One After the Superbowl: Part 2," Friends, NBC, 1996.

The Rodman World Tour, 1996.

"Tom Hanks," Ruby Wax Meets …, BBC, 1997.

The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1997.

The Ruby Wax Show, Fox, 1997.

Beckmann, 1999.

Breakfast, BBC, 2001.

Tout le monde en parle, 2001.

"Die Fast, Die Furious," Las Vegas, NBC, 2004.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Playboy Exposed: Playboy Mansion Parties Uncensored, Playboy Entertainment Group, 2001.

Video Game:

Colonel Guile, Street Fighter: The Movie, 1994.

Music Videos:

The Smithereens' "Time Won't Let Me," 1994.

Megadeath's "Crush 'Em," 1999.

Deion Sanders and MC Hammer's "The Encore Remix," 1994.

Bob Sinclair's "Kiss My Eyes," 2003.

Also appeared in "Voices That Care."

WRITINGS

Film Stories:

(As Jean Claude Van Damme) Kickboxer, 1989.

Lionheart (also known as A.W.O.L., A.W.O.L.—Absent Without Leave, and Wrong Bet), Universal, 1991.

Double Impact, Columbia, 1991.

The Quest, Universal, 1996.

Legionnaire, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1998.

Screenplays:

(As Jean Claude Van Damme; with Sheldon Lettich, Steve Meerson, and Peter Krikes) Double Impact, Columbia, 1991.

(With Lettich and R. N. Warren) Lionheart (also known as A.W.O.L., A.W.O.L.—Absent Without Leave, and Wrong Bet), Universal, 1991.

The Order (also known as Jihad Warrior), TriStar, 2001.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers: Volume 3: Actors and Actresses, St. James Press, 1996.

Logan, Bey, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Action Heroes Series, n.d.

Periodicals:

Entertainment Weekly, September 4, 1998, pp. 44-47.

Interview, March, 1991, pp. 84-85.

New York, April 1, 1991, pp. 28-35.

Playboy, January, 1995, pp. 51-66.

Starlog, September, 1992; October, 1994.

US Weekly, August 14, 2000, p. 3.