Jean-Claude Van Damme and Hong Kong, a story of heart

Discover the importance of the city of Hong Kong in the career of Jean-Claude Van Damme, a little Belgian who set out from nothing to break into Hollywood through stubbornness. A man to whom success turned his head and quickly plunged into a self-destructive spiral.

Bruce Lee, inspiration

Like many other young people of his generation, young Jean-Claude was influenced by Bruce Lee. In 1979, at the age of 19, the one who is still only Jean-Claude Van Varenberg came to Hong Kong to try his luck as a model and, of course, with the hope of becoming a star of the action film. He's pushing the door of the IFD firm that will make a reputation for its ninja films. Unfortunately, the company was not interested. Disappointed, the young man put his ambitions in the closet and returned to Belgium for a few years. It was in the early 1980s that he emigrated to Hollywood, where in order to make ends meet, he multiplied small jobs. Ironically, it will be Hong Kong that will give him the chance of his life.

The first films with JCVD

In fact, the 1980s marked the global take-off of Hong Kong cinema. At the forefront of this movement, the Golden Harvest, but also other smaller companies such as seasonal. They are the ones who suddenly imagine making films with American actors like karate Tiger, where a young California teenager learns martial arts from the ghost of Bruce Lee. Jean-Claude Van Damme found his leading role, that of Ivan, a kickboxer.

But this film is almost entirely shot in Hong Kong! It is a real demonstration of Van Damme's athletic abilities and the perfect vehicle to highlight his innocent charm. Once again, the film is shot in part in the British colony (the Thai village where he trains is thus reconstituted in Sai Kung).

A poorly digested glory, a disproportionate ego

The young Van Damme was not prepared for such dazzling glory and the 1990s will precipitate him into excesses. Once again, Hong Kong plays an essential role since in double impact, shot in the colony, the actor's ego explodes when he plays two twin brothers with diametrically opposite personality in their struggle against the triad that caused the death of their parents.

With Universal soldier and Street fighter, Van Damme now chooses his own directors. Thus, he offered John Woo to come and work with him for a remake of count Zaroff's hunts, entitled Hunt de l'Homme. However, even though the film offers typical moments of Wooian action, Jean-Claude Van Damme demands more and more close-up of himself, irritating the Hongkongese master. With double Team and trap in Hong Kong, the star's drug and marital problems lead to a disappointing result, even if the director Ringo Lam manages to control him with replicant.

Hongkongese of heart

It is understandable, whether in moments of happiness or despair, that Hong Kong has always played the leading role in JCVD's career. Even in his B series years, the actor spends half of his time in Hong Kong, occupying one of the luxurious apartments of a tower adjacent to the ICC. This regular presence explains why he has been seen from time to time on local TV shows such as Miss Asia's election on the late ATV. For a while he even played the role of Ambassador of the city for the Department of Tourism. So, whatever we think of this monster of action cinema, we can't deny it its Hong Kong fiber.

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