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Although Hollywood witnessed some pretty unusual people rising to fame, nothing compares to the Belgian actor and retired martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme. Evidently rising to fame during the late 80s and early 90s, Van Damme was all over the place, appearing in popular action films, attending awards ceremonies, and even featuring in entertainment shows.
Being a bonafide superstar with multiple honors throughout his career, Jean-Claude Van Damme was also a good friend of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Thus, appearing in movies and making a reputation out of his martial arts skills, Van Damme soon started charging twenty-four times more in just 3 years, than what he was initially being paid.
Also read:Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Daughter Bianca is a Combat Goddess Who Can Break All 206 Bones in Your Body in a “Nice, feminine way”
Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Journey To International Fame
Appearing in Hollywood with the ambition to be an actor, Jean-Claude Van Damme desperately looked for his big break during his initial years. Before becoming a major action star, Van Damme clearly sought out his martial arts abilities that helped him stand out in the industry. Thus, eventually, the actor was cast as the main villain inPredator, although he didn’t appear on the big screen as he was evidently fired.
Failing to perform his martial arts in the suit designed for him,Jean-Claude Van Dammecouldn’t impress the director and was thus fired. Being in a vulnerable situation after losing his first big break, Van Damme mentioned, “I was living on the street, sleeping in cars and garages, sometimes I stole food.” desperate to have another opportunity, the actor stated, “I didn’t have good money. I took three thousand and I came to America. I was so starving for movies.”
Eventually, Jean-Claude Van Damme got his first big break, throughBloodsport(1988). Appearing in front of Menahem Golan, who co-owned Cannon Films, Van Damme kicked above his head to impress him and let his martial arts speak for him. Evidently impressed with his skills, Golan handed his card and left. Although the actor got the card, he still had to struggle and beg before he was given the $25K opportunity inBloodsport. However, ever since then, Van Damme never had to look back, as he slowly made his way up the ladder and gained international fame.
Also read:Arnold Schwarzenegger Escaped the Army to Become a $450 Million Muscle Machine: “Mr. Universe title was my ticket to America”
Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Salary Hike In 3 Years
When Jean-Claude Van Damme was given the role inBloodsport(1988), by Canon Films’ co-owner, he received a salary of $25k. However, with the 1988 movie turning him into a renowned star, Van Damme charged $75k for his next few movies likeBlack Eagle,Kickboxer, andDeath Warrant. Constantly coming up with great movies after years of struggle, the actor realized his worth in the industry.
Befriending powerful people and superstars likeArnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme became a household name in the late 80s and early 90s. Increasing his salary thrice within one year of being in the industry, Van Damme started demanding more. Thus, after initially starting with $25k, the actor sought twenty-four times more salary in just 3 years.
Navigating his career into the early 90s, Jean-Claude Van Damme made $600k for his 1991 movieDouble Impact. Raising his salary bar constantly, the actor ended up charging $1.5M forUniversal Soldierin 1992. Finally entering his target of making millions like his co-stars, Van Damme began charging $3.5M forHard Targetand ended up seeking his career-high salary of $8M forStreet Fighter.The actor thus bagged a net worth of $40M during his run from 1991 to 1995.
Read more:Jean-Claude Van Damme Finally Joins Mortal Kombat After Being the Inspiration Behind Franchise’s Most Iconic Character
Source:Celebrity Net Worth
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3217
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
