Jean-Claude Van Damme Believed One Thing Separated Him From Stallone And Schwarzenegger

The Ronald Reagan era saw the rise of what has come to be called "badass cinema." Reagan was a very conservative president, and a lot of his policies and rhetoric were devoted to an overblown rendition of American military might. Everything was aggressive, "powerful," and pointedly patriotic in a headache-inducing sort of way. Masculinity was being beefed up (quite literally, thanks to widespread steroid use), and giant, muscular action heroes became de rigueur. Ironically, the central figure of American badass cinema was an Austrian bodybuilder. Arnold Schwarzenegger embodied American badassery in films like "Commando," "Raw Deal," and "Predator." Matching Schwarzenegger in fame was his American counterpart, Sylvester Stallone. Stallone had a sensitive side in films like "Rocky" and "First Blood," but he eventually became a sweaty, patriotic badass himself in the many "Rocky" and "First Blood" sequels. "Rocky IV" and "Rambo: First Blood Part II" encapsulate the gung-ho message of Reagan's presidency perfectly. 

At the end of the 1980s, however, as Reagan's presidency was coming to an end, new badasses entered the cinematic lexicon, and they were of a decidedly different flavor. Most notably, Belgian kickboxer Jean-Claude Van Damme redefined the scene, bringing a balletic fighting ability to his roles. Van Damme didn't start his film career as a great actor, but he has honed his craft over the last few decades, becoming quite accomplished indeed. 

Ask Van Damme, and he'll say that he was set apart from his badass contemporaries in one important regard. Way back in 1991, Van Damme spoke with the Washington Post, and he said that he was better than his action hero peers in that he allowed himself to be emotionally vulnerable. In short, he was willing to cry on camera, whereas Stallone and Schwarzenegger were not. 

Van Damme's career has, in recent years, flourished. His early films like "Kickboxer," the dangerous "Cyborg," "Bloodsport," "Double Impact," and "Hard Target" displayed his fighting cred. But more recent projects like "JCVD" and "Jean-Claude Van Johnson" have revealed his talents and his eerie self-awareness about his place in popular culture. Despite starring in action films almost exclusively, Van Damme has always permitted a note of introspection in his roles. 

The Washington Post interview came in 1991, when Van Damme was promoting "Double Impact," his most ambitious film yet. Not only was it his first time producing a movie, but he co-wrote the screenplay. Van Damme also played a dual role, performing as twin brothers Alex and Chad Wagner, and served as the film's fight choreographer. When the Post sat down to interview Van Damme, they were astonished that he actually possessed facial expressions. Schwarzenegger and Sly Stallone, the implication was, only affected masks of steely determination. Van Damme could, gasp, emote! Van Damme was aware of this and felt it gave him an advantage as an action star. In his words: 

"Guys like Arnold and Sly are afraid to cry [...] to feel something on the screen. They cannot do it. ... I want to do movies about passion! About love! You need a woman to be on Earth. It's beautiful to have those moments."

Schwarzenegger and Stallone, while often paired with wives or girlfriends on screen, have rarely been cast in romantic roles. Van Damme, meanwhile, has actual love scenes in his movies. He's the sexiest of that generation of action stars. That is certainly an advantage. 

The Post article also pointed out that Van Damme, even as early as 1991, already had millions of fans and was highly regarded for how handsome he was: he was voted one of Cosmopolitan's hunkiest men of the 1990s. One might notice that Van Damme has a bump on his head, which resulted from an old kickboxing injury. Rather than get it surgically repaired, however, Van Damme let it remain, thinking it added character. "Why should I change my face?" he asked. 

At the time, Van Damme was married to his third wife, Gladys Portugues, an American bodybuilder. He saw her in a magazine and fell in love. According to the Post article, Van Damme aggressively tried to book a modeling shoot in Mexico, where he knew Portugues would also be working, just so that he might introduce himself. He recounts his entire courtship process with Portugues, including the embarrassing detail that she rebuffed his clumsy flirtation. He even recounts the details of their sex life in perhaps too-explicit detail. However it went, Portugues agreed to go on a date, which led to a romance and a marriage. His story was included in the Post to illustrate that Van Damme has a romantic side that comes out on the screen. He never starred in a romantic comedy, but he was capable of bringing some loving (and sexual) energy to his roles that Sly and Arnold could only envy.

Van Damme and Portugues had two children together in 1987 and 1990, but their marriage ended in divorce by 1992. Van Damme and Portugues, however, found each other again in 1999 and remarried. They have been together ever since.