Jean-Claude Van Damme Biography and Net Worth

Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg popularly known as Jean-Claude Van Damme is a famous Hollywood actor, martial artist, screenwriter, film producer, director, investor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, author, weight lifter and a professional bodybuilder from Belgium. He was born on 18th October 1960 in Sint-Agatha-Berchem, Brussels in Belgium. He is currently 57 years old.

He is originally from Brussel in Belgium, where he completed both his primary, secondary and tertiary education. He is very handsome, gifted, skillful, creative and talented in acting and interpretation of movie roles. He knows how to interpret his roles very well and can fit in any character given to him by movie directors and producers.

His mother’s name is Eliana, she was an accountant while his father’s name is Eugène Van Varenberg, and he was a florist. Jean-Claude Van Damme began practicing martial arts at the age of 10 years old, and was later enrolled by his father in a Shōtōkan Karate School in Belgium. His style consists of Shotokan Karate and Kickboxing. At the age of 18 years old, he earned his black belt in karate. He started lifting weights to improve his physique, which eventually led to him winning the Mr. Belgium bodybuilding title.

At the age of 16 years old, Jean-Claude Van Damme took up ballet, which he studied for five years. According to him, ballet is an art, but it’s also one of the most difficult sports. If you can survive a ballet workout, you can survive a workout in any other sport. He later took up both Taekwondo and Muay Thai.

At the age of 12 years old, Jean-Claude Van Damme joined the National Center of Karate in Belgium under the guidance of Claude Goetz. He trained for four years and eventually earned a spot on the Belgian Karate Team. He was later trained in full-contact karate and kickboxing with Dominique Valera.

At the age of 15 years old, Jean-Claude Van Damme started his competitive karate career in Belgium. From 1976 to 1980, he compiled a record of 44 victories and 4 defeats in tournament and non-tournament semi-contact matches. He was a member of the Belgium Karate Team when it won the European Karate Championship on 26th December 1979 at La Coupe François Persons Karate Tournament in Brussels, Belgium.

In 1980, Jean-Claude Van Damme married his first wife Maria Rodriguez and divorced her in 1984. In 1985, he married his second wife Cynthia Derderian and divorced her in 1986. In 1987, he married his third wife Gladys Portugues and divorced her in 1992. In 1994, he married his fourth wife Darcy LaPier and divorced her in 1997. In 1999, he got married to an unidentified woman and the marriage is currently blessed with 3 lovely children.

Jean-Claude Van Damme is popularly known for his martial arts action films. He started acting in 1979 and has acted in several movies. The most successful movies he has acted include “Bloodsport” which was produced in 1988 and “Kickboxer Franchise” which ran on television from 1989-2018. In 1990, he acted in the movie “Lion Heart”.

In 1991, he acted in Double Impact. From 1992 to 2012, he starred in the movie “Universal Soldier Franchise”. In 1993, he acted in the movie “Hard Target”. In 1994, he acted in the movie “Street Fighter” and “Timecop”. In 1995, he acted in the movie “Sudden Death”. In 2012, he acted in the movie titled “The Expendables”. From 2011 to 2015, he acted in the movie titled “Kung Fu Panda”.

Jean-Claude Van Damme in the cause of his career as an actor has won several awards and honors. He has won the award for Most Desirable Actor four times at the MTV Movie Awards. He has also won Best Actor at the Video Premier Awards. He has also won International Super Star at the Bollywood Movie Awards. He has also won Best Actor at Silver Leopard Awards and Best Performance Male at the TFCA Awards, amongst others.

Jean-Claude Van Damme is currently one of the richest and most influential actor and martial artiste in Belgium with an estimated net worth of $245 million.