Jean-Claude Van Damme

Born Jean-Claude Van Varenberg in Brussels in 1960, he started Shotokan karate at ten and by his teens held a European Professional Karate Association middleweight title and a national bodybuilding crown. He moved to the United States in 1982 chasing an actor's life and broke through six years later as the lead in Bloodsport. A decade-long run followed - Kickboxer, Universal Soldier, Timecop, Street Fighter - that made him a sex symbol and a fixture of early-90s action cinema, with three Hong Kong directors (John Woo, Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam) using him as their bridge to Western filmmaking. Popularity waned through the late 90s until 2008's JCVD, a meta crime drama where he played himself in decline, brought critical respect and a second act that included a villain turn in The Expendables 2 and steady work in action films and voice roles. His films have grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide.