Corinne Marcheti, in January 1999, from “Ciné-Revue” :

Who is the real Van Damme?

The audience has a wrong image of me, and the action movies only make that feeling stronger. I am a very sensitive, warm and sincere person. I like people and I give them a lot. That has in fact caused me some bad surprises and trecheries.

What do you do when you are not shooting? What are your passions in life?

I don’t have a lot of time, because I never stop. I need to work and I sleep three hours a night. What counts for me today are:  making movies, creating, and giving dreams. I love music, Brel, Aznavour,… but also drawing and painting. And I love going to the movies.

Don’t you feel the urge to change your style?

I have changed gradually. I have turned away from martial arts to make action movies. I just finished the shooting of a comedy in Hong Kong called “Knock Off”, from Tsui Hark. It will come out in February in the USA. At this moment I feel good in the roles I get to play.  On the other hand I am a little uncomfortable at the thought that people can’t imagine I could be something else than muscles. Which I really am.  I would like for instance to do a film on Jacques Brel’s life.