Trivia
Respect animals (19.04.2008)

Jean-Claude Van Damme has offered his fans  a small moment of privacy while he was taking a stroll on a Belgian beach right next to the North sea with his son Kristopher and his three dogs.

"It's one of my favourite places. We can walk on the beach for hours in totally tranguillity. Moreover the air is very rich in iodine, which is extremely good for the health. I love to talk here with my son. We are working together on my next movie. He is going to be responsible for one camera, and after that he is planning on direct his own project. I'm really proud of him. 

Let me introduce you our three dogs which we found and adopted.

-Stella, found in the desert of Mojave
-Julie, found in the valley of Chatsworth close to Los Angeles
-Ajax, found on the shoot of "In Hell" in Bulgaria

Abandoned, lost and sometimes badly treated, we had to give them an enormous amount of love to help them to overcome some of their traumatisms. Today they are very happy, balenced, smart and very attentive. They are really a part of our family.

You know, when we respect animals, we tend to respect human beings. I encourage people to adopt abandoned animals. It's a beautiful life story which leads to a beautiful love story. But before doing so, one must think hard about taking on such a responsibility. Adopting an animal can bring on many constraints. It's a little bit like having a kid."

Source: www.jeanclaudevandamme.be
Sheldon impressed by power of Van Damme (27.03.2008)

On the VanDammeFan Forum Sheldon Lettich (director of various VD movies) told he is very  impressed by the kicks of Jean-Claude. Sheldon: "What has impressed me more than anything is the actual power that he projects in his kicks. That's something which can't really be seen on-screen, because a solid kick from Jean-Claude could literally kill somebody, which is why the on-screen impacts always have to be "misses" rather than actual hits. 

A number of years ago, after I'd introduced JC to Chuck Pfarrer (who eventually wrote "Hard Target"), Chuck wanted JC to demonstrate the power of one of his kicks. Chuck had been an officer in the Navy SEALs for about eight years, and he was a pretty big guy who was in great physical condition at the time. We were in a gym, and Chuck picked up a couple of exercise pads and held those in front of his chest for the demonstration. JC advised Chuck to hold up a couple more pads, for a total of four. Chuck insisted that two would be just fine, but JC refused to kick him unless he used four. So Chuck grabbed two more pads and told JC to give him his best shot. Well, JC let loose with a kick that literally knocked Chuck across the room. It took Chuck a while to catch his breath afterwards, but he thanked JC for advising him to use those two additional pads!

It may not have been as spectacular-looking as a double-kick or a helicopter-kick, but that little demonstration impressed me, and certainly left a lasting impression with Chuck Pfarrer."
Van Damme stronger than Seagel

Action heroes Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal nearly came to fist-fighting once in the late Nineties to prove who was more tough, said fellow star Sylvester Stallone.

The 'Rocky Balboa' star has even revealed that he hosted a party in 1997 to settle the row over who was stronger between Van Damme and Seagal.

Stallone: "At a party in my home in Miami in 1997, Van Damme was tired of Seagal claiming he could kick his ass so he offered Seagal outside into my back yard."  "Seagal made his excuses and left. But Van Damme, who was berserk, tracked him down at a nightclub and offered him out again," he added.

Though the fight did not ensue the altercation between the two stars, Stallone is sure that Seagal would fall deficient had the brawl taken place.

"Van Damme was too strong. Seagal wanted none of it," Stallone said.
Carcrash in Knokke-Heist

In September 2006 Van Damme crashed into a tree at 6am on Sunday on the Kalvekeetdijk in Knokke-Heist. Minor damage was recorded in the accident and police said Van Damme was the only person involved. The case was processed as it would have been for any other person. Later Van Damme appeared in court for allegedly refusing a breath test.

If a motorist refuses to undergo a breath test, the public prosecution office can immediately suspend the motorist's licence even if it is a foreign driver's licence. Public prosecutor Jean-Marie Berkvens said Van Damme's licence was not suspended because the prosecution was not informed about the incident.
Broken hand

In 2002, Van Damme broke a hand while getting knocked down by a stuntman on the set of Derailed. Looking otherwise relaxed, the Muscles from Brussels appeared short after the accident at a trendy Loss Angeles watering hole with a big cast on his right forearm.

"Jean claude took off his heavy jacket and gently nursed the sleeve of his cast", an eyewitness said. "You could tell he was in pain". The martial arts ace's flack, Jack Gilardi, said that Van Damme was hurt before Christmas while shooting a final scene for the film.

"It was the usual fight scene," said Gilardi. "Kicking, wrestling, headlocks. But this time, the stuntman got the better of Jean Claude. He was rushed to the doctor and was diagnosed with a fractured hand. It's healing fine."
Animal lover

According to a press release by the animal rights group PETA, in 2002, Van Damme did ask Korean officials to prohibit the beating,hanging, burning, electrocution, and boiling alive of dogs and cats before they are slaughtered and eaten.

Jean Claude did sent a petition to South Korean President Kim Dae-jung. Many South Koreans torture and eat dogs as what they call part of a cultural tradition. 
Sexiest man on earth

Readers of Playgirl called him the most sexiest man on earth in 1991.
Jean Claude was often on the cover of this magazine, in 1991, 1993 and three times in 1994. 

Jean Claude Van Damme won the title "The Most sexual Hollywood legs" in 1997.
And in 2003 readers of the British Sunday Magazine voted JCVD by the 6th best bodies ever.
Van Damme about Arnold Schwarzenegger

"Arnold makes sense when he talks. He doesn't talk with complicated words, he's direct. You look in his eyes, they are good. He will never try to hurt you or take advantage of you. He's too busy and too rich, he has his own focus, his own mission. He's not looking at how your arms are so big and the way you dress. He's above all that. I like him a lot" 

"Arnold is smart and I think I am smart, too. We both came from Europe - he came with bodybuilding, I came with karate, and maybe that's why people compare us. But you cannot compare Arnold and Van Damme."

"I have lots of respect for Christopher Walker. Did you see him in the king of New York? Steve McQueen, and Paul Newman are terrific. I feel their movies have quality. Rocky and Rambo were filled with drama and passion. Arnold doesn't move me. I like movies like The Godfather and The Deer Hunter. These are films with real solid acting, real talent."

"People like me more when I'm older, they have more respect. When you're 33 and look 28 on the screen trying to kick ass with a big bandit, you look like a kid. To me Arnold have a better face. You believe him."
Van Damme's favorites

In December 2007 on VanDammeFan.net director and friend of Jean-Claude van Damme told about what movies Jean Claude loves the most.

Sheldon: "I don't believe I've ever heard him say that any particular film is his absolute #1 favorite. But he's certainly told me many times that he loves "Lionheart" and "Double Impact."

He's always very complimentary about "Time Cop" and the original "Universal Soldier." And he likes "Legionnaire" very much, but has expressed his regrets to me many times about the lack of an ending, and the fact that I didn't direct it. Of his recent straight-to-DVD films, his favorites appear to be "Until Death" and "Replicant."

As far as the films he doesn't like, I've only heard him mention "Derailed" and "Streetfighter."
Superhero

In 2004 Jean Claude van Damme described himself as a "superhero in bed" who performs for his wife every night. The star, who was in the Romanian capital Bucharest looking at locations for his next film, said that although he kept to a punishing three hour fitness regime every day, he was never tired when it came to sex.

He said:  "It's not true that the potency of a man decreases if he has a tough physical training regime every day. I can tell you that from my own experiences. When I get back home every day I am my wife's superhero in bed."

 Van Damme also revealed that he has little time for slender women and would always pick a "muscular" woman over a thin one - but only on condition she had big brains to match. 
Van Damme honored for style

Jean Claude Van Damme was given an award at the Bollywood Fashion Awards for International Style in May, 2004. Bollywood beauty Urmila Matondkar handed over the award to him. Van Damme is not the first Hollywood star to be recognised by the Hindi film industry.

Sharon Stone received the Woman of Conscience Award for her 'steadfast support to charitable and philanthropic organisations like Amfar and The Bridge Fund.'

Other international celebrities like Michael Jackson, Richard Gere, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tyra Banks, Jerry Hall and Diane Von Furstenberg have been awarded by the Hindi film industry earlier.