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I play a New Orleans homicide detective who
becomes a US Border Patrol agent, between
Columbus and Las Palomas, Mexico. I try to
uncover this criminal drug ring from this
drug lord who has a team of six Navy-Seals,
so it’s kind of a cool concept. It will
please my action audience but it’s not a
very deep thinking movie.
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You’re
in good shape for 47. Does training get
easier or more challenging as you grow
older?
It has become easier because now I am
enjoying training. I don’t know what’s going
on but maybe it’s because my mind is
becoming stronger and I’ve trained for so
many years. I rested for a couple of years
and I was kind of lazy for a while but now
I’m back with a very strong attitude.
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Do you
work out in the gym every day?
Yes, almost every day, and I feel great. I
do a lot of cardio, a lot of weights and a
lot of stretching, plus I’m eating very
well. I have a great wife behind me. Now I
also train my son, who is 19. He’s trying to
catch up with me but he hasn’t got there
yet, ha ha. We’re competing with each other
and I will not let him pass me.
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How fat
did you get when you ‘got lazy’?
Probably ‘out of shape’ for me is being ‘in
shape’ for some people. After the age of 40,
when you stop training for a few weeks, it’s
a disaster; it takes you longer to get back
into shape.
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How do
you look after your mental and spiritual
health?
I’ve been through a lot in my life; I’ve
been up and down. Being in shape mentally
and spiritually gives you a simple view of
life. We have a tendency to make life
complicated but it’s so easy at the same
time. Before, I was chasing success, fame
and attention and I’m not chasing it any
more. I believe in destiny. I can smell my
direction instinctively.
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How has the movie
business changed over the past 15 years?
Action movies have been out of business for the past few
years because the studios are scared of making violent
movies and want to be politically correct. Action movies are
not real, though, the blood is not real. I think it’s good
to have a bit of action. Today, I’m searching for complex,
artistic and realistic types of stories. You never know what
is going to happen next. Tomorrow, action could be back or
it could be sci-fi or dancing.
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How do
you feel when you watch your old films?
I’ve made 36 movies in 20 years and I
overacted a lot in my early career. So it’s
very difficult for me to look at myself in
those early movies.
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What’s
your favourite film you’ve starred in?
Bloodsport is a great movie. Timecop and
Universal Soldier are also good. I think all
my films were OK because they went in
different directions. I’m lucky, I started
doing action movies at the age of 25. Now
I’m 47, I’m still kicking like a mule and
I’m as flexible as I was when I started. My
movies are international. Everybody
understands a slap in the face. In Japan,
Belgium or America, a punch is a punch.
Comedy will be different in Europe or
America, so my movies are very
international. I’m a brand name. Van Damme
is like Levi’s. I go on vacation, and
everywhere I go, people love me for my name,
not for my movies.
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What do your fans expect
from you?
The audience has a wrong image of me. They expect the real
me is what they see me do in my films. But I am actually a
very sensitive, warm and sincere person. I like people and I
give them a lot. In fact, this has caused me some bad
surprises and led to treacheries.
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You’ve been divorced
four times, are you difficult to live with?
Hmm… I would be lying if I said that I am not. For a start,
I am obsessed by my job and that is something a woman can’t
always easily accept. Worse, my job takes me to the four
corners of the world, either for filming or for promotional
tours. Fans tend to grab me when I pass by, they write or
phone and some follow me in the street. A day doesn’t go
past when I’m not recognised. That can be hard for a woman
to deal with.
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It's difficult for me to pose for magazine covers and go on
TV shows and show my new tuxedo at awards events. When I
watch the awards, when I see all those people just showing
up in front of a camera, I don't think it's right. They look
like animals in cages. All that has gone for me, so I feel
good about that. I understand big actors like Robert De Niro
who just want to do a job which is becoming another
character. When that's done then they want to stay home and
enjoy a walk in the woods. That’s my type of life today.
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(Interview
by www.metro.co.uk, Tiffany Rose - Wednesday, July
2, 2008) |
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