JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME

Jean-Claude Van Damme is a Belgian actor, former martial artist, filmmaker, and fight choreographer, who became widely known for his films such as The Expendables 2, Bloodsport, and Universal Soldier. At 22 years old, after establishing a private gym chain, he flew to America with his pal to pursue a career in acting at Hollywood. His first acting role was in Breakin’, but his breakthrough film was Bloodsport, which was released in 1988.

Although he portrayed strong character roles, oftentimes, the antagonist in the films, Van Damme has a soft spot for the animals. In 2016, he donated $30,000 to Animals Australia, a charity that promotes greyhound adoptions. The next year, he partnered with GAIA to ban fur-farming in Flanders, Belgium. In 2020, he also made the headlines when he saved a chihuahua puppy from euthanasia just because of a problem with its EU passport.