Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg loves challenges and believes that it was his ups and downs that have made him what he is today. Best known for his martial art action films, he also loves karate and is ready to slap a person twice if he slaps him once. However, in several interviews, he had described himself as very sensitive; in fact as “one of the most sensitive human beings on Earth”. Indeed, in his interviews, he had opened himself up, talking not only about his work and his favorite martial art, karate, but also about other interesting issues like his body, his wife and his fascination about air. Let us now look into some of his fascinating quotes on life, truth, God, relationship, women, freedom etc.
We are here to condemn the Palestinian occupation of the territories, but also to condemn the recent racist attack in France, against both Jews and Arabs.
Jean Claude Van Damme
Take your big stick, and your boyfriend, and go find a bus to catch.
Jean Claude Van Damme
You just have to take a little salt, and since I'm doing that it's, like, BOOM! In one week, I felt it kick in. All the commotion around me, all the water around me, moving left and right around me, became like a lake.
Jean Claude Van Damme
Believe me - I've done very good stuff and very crazy stuff, and I don't regret the crazy stuff.
In an action film you act in the action. If it's a dramatic film you act in the drama.
Jean Claude Van Damme
I'm lucky, because I started action movies at the age of 25. Now I'm 47, and I'm still kicking like a mule, and I'm as flexible as before.
Jean Claude Van Damme
I'm not complaining about doing 20-hour days. It's a joy to be able to work on yet another film.
Jean Claude Van Damme
I'm not a movie star. 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.
Jean Claude Van Damme
I'm a big traveler these days. I was in Hong Kong. I live there. I was just in Belgium with my parents and now I'm on my way to North America. You will find me all over.
Jean Claude Van Damme
Karate's a very boring sport, but when you know the technique you can go further and further.
Jean Claude Van Damme
All I wanted to do was to become famous, but then I found out that it was nothing special.
Jean Claude Van Damme
I am the Fred Astaire of karate.
Jean Claude Van Damme
I've become 40, my audience is partly the same age.
Jean Claude Van Damme
If a product is more expensive than another one and more sustainable in ecology, consumers will not buy it. We're in a very sharp competitive market.
Jean Claude Van Damme
I really am a guy who can be black and white. I don't understand, too much, the gray. And truly I can go from one type of character to another type of character.
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 or Japan, so my movies are very international.
Jean Claude Van Damme
I'm one of the most sensitive human beings on Earth -- and I know it.
Jean Claude Van Damme
Obviously I've taken drugs.
Jean Claude Van Damme
Showing myself nude from behind doesn't pose any problems, but from the front that's another story. I don't want to lose all my fans!
Jean Claude Van Damme
I'm fast, why? Because I eat vegetables.
Jean Claude Van Damme
If you work with a jackhammer during an earthquake, stop, otherwise you are working for nothing.
Jean Claude Van Damme
When I walk across my living room from my chimney to my window, it takes me 10 seconds, but for a bird it takes one second, and for oxygen zero seconds!
Jean Claude Van Damme
My wife is not my best sexual partner, but she's good with the housework.
Jean Claude Van Damme
I love karate, it's like a bible to me. But deep inside I'm so I mean, I'm so sensitive.
Jean Claude Van Damme
A pair of legs engineered to defy the laws of physics and a mindset to master the most epic of splits.
Jean Claude Van Damme
I've had my ups and downs. My fair share of bumpy roads and heavy winds. That's what made me what I am today.
Jean Claude Van Damme
According to statistics, one person out of five is disturbed. If there are four people around you who seem normal, that's not good.
Jean Claude Van Damme
A man may have the best of wealth, cars and fame. But there is nothing more precious in life that he will get than a woman's heart.
I love challenges. If you don't have any and can do whatever you want, then it's probably time to die.
Jean Claude Van Damme
I came back to my original wife. I came back to her after I made a few boo-boos in my life. Coming back to her was good for me, good for her and good for the children.
The action films I will make in the future will be more believable and character-based. I am now on my second cycle of fame, and I want to make films that smell real and are truthful.
My body looks like 30 but my face looks like 50. But I cannot walk bare-chested in the streets. I like to do these movies to challenge myself physically.
Jean Claude Van Damme
I'm a big traveler these days. I was in Hong Kong. I live there. I was just in Belgium with my parents and now I'm on my way to North America. You will find me all over.
I'm not complaining about doing 20-hour days. It's a joy to be able to work on yet another film.
Jean Claude Van Damme
There are some movie stars in Hollywood that are so scared, they also tell the reporter that they are recording them, in case there is something wrong with what they wrote about them in the papers.
Jean Claude Van Damme
What really helps a guy to become an action hero today is the directing of the movie. All those fast cuts.
Jean Claude Van Damme
I've become 40, my audience is partly the same age.
Jean Claude Van Damme
In an action film you act in the action. If it's a dramatic film you act in the drama.
I'm one of the most sensitive human beings on Earth - and I know it.
Jean Claude Van Damme
When I was 24, I was full of life. I was that ham who wanted to be famous, a movie star, all that stuff. I think it's cool. But it was not what I was searching for, really. It was more a delusion.
You need at least six or seven years to understand the philosophy and concentration of karate to know to clean your spirit of everything and dedicate your mind and body to the sport.
I came to America with a dream and I made it. The dream became reality. America is built for success.
Jean Claude Van Damme
What is a movie star? It is an illusion. It was everything I ever wanted to be, but it became a kind of shell, non? It was what made me famous and got me women. But it wasn't real.
Because no matter what you say in life, the truth will always be the truth. You know when someone is telling the truth, you look in the eyes. I have a tendency to believe people.
But on average, I go to the gym about four or five times a week. Today, I'm so experienced in training - I'm actually listening to my body now. My body needs freedom. When I train I create serenity and I produce oxygen in my blood. It helps me to think better and relax. By training, you accentuate the problem.
It's time for me to do things I like so I will be happy, my wife will be happy, my friends will be happy. I just want to do something I'm proud of. It's time for me to change. I could sign with a company for 10 movies and I'm the king of video and so what?
Life is short. I'm 47 years old. I've got 10 years to go where I can be the best I can be. I want those 10 years to be precious, not like before, cranking two or three movies a year. I've made a ton of movies in my life, but so what?
Life is short. I'm years old. I've got years to go where I can be the best I can be. I want those years to be precious, not like before, cranking two or three movies a year. I've made a ton of movies in my life, but so what?
I don't have a bad relationship. I'm 48 years old. I think life is too short for that. To me, life is... you open the shutters, you see the dogs outside, you look left, you look right, in, what, a second and a half? And that's a life.
Jean Claude Van Damme
I don't want to be buried in the ground, rotting, with all those worms. What I would love is to have my body dropped where you have those big icebergs and the water is so cold and pure, to be eaten by a polar bear or a seal or an otter.
Jean Claude Van Damme
When I go on location, we have a schedule. And when you have a schedule, you know when you're not working, so I train very well on location. But I also train three or four times a week at home, but today I train differently than before.
