A Look At Jean Claude Van Damme's Life In Pictures

Jean-Claude Van Damme, born on October 18, 1960, is a Belgian martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. He's widely known as "The Muscles from Brussels" and gained fame for his action-packed films

Van Damme was born in Sint-Agatha-Berchem, Brussels, Belgium. His parents were Eliana and Eugène Van Varenberg. His dad was an accountant and owned a flower shop. At the age of ten, his father got him into a Shotokan karate school. He practiced various styles including kickboxing, Shotokan karate, Muay Thai, and Taekwondo. He even earned a black belt in karate. Later, he began weightlifting to enhance his physique, eventually winning the title of Mr. Belgium in bodybuilding.

In 1982, he moved to the United States with the dream of becoming an actor. He took on various odd jobs and landed roles in several films. His big break came when he secured the lead role in the martial arts film 'Bloodsport' in 1988.

Van Damme rose to fame as a sought-after action film star. He achieved further success with hit movies like 'Cyborg' (1989), 'Kickboxer' (1989), 'Lionheart' (1990), 'Death Warrant' (1990), 'Double Impact' (1991), 'Universal Soldier' (1992), 'Nowhere to Run' (1993), 'Hard Target' (1993), 'Timecop' (1994), 'Street Fighter' (1994), and 'Expendables 2' (2012)

Following this, Van Damme's films experienced a decline in box office performance, with many of his early 2000s releases having limited theatrical runs or going straight to video. Regrettably, the international fame of "The Muscles from Brussels" wasn't sustained indefinitely. The 1994 Street Fighter movie marked a turning point, with Van Damme battling a severe cocaine addiction during production, which made the shoot extremely challenging.

Van Damme was also diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. He overcame drug addiction through cold-turkey quitting and intense exercise. He's taken on new roles in 'Kung Fu Panda', 'Universal Soldier,' and 'Kickboxer' series. In 2008, he starred in 'JCVD', a Belgian crime drama where he portrayed a semi-fictionalized version of himself.

Jean Claude Van Damme also had a complicated marital life. After facing challenges like any other couple, Jean-Claude Van Damme and his wife, Gladys Portugues, realized their love was stronger than any obstacle. They have two children together, Kristopher (born 1987) and Bianca Brigitte (born 1990). In 1994, Damme married former actress and model Darcy LaPier and they had a son named Nicholas. Unfortunately, their marriage ended in divorce after three years. However, Jean-Claude and Gladys found their way back to each other and re-married in 1999, rekindling their love.

Besides acting, Van Damme has been actively involved in animal advocacy. 'The New York Times' reports he's generously donated to animal rights groups and rescued numerous strays from various parts of the world.

Van Damme has also made public service announcements (PSAs) for Animals Australia. He's dedicated to encouraging celebrities and fellow actors to join him in creating safe spaces for endangered species.