As one of the biggest action movie stars of all time, Jean-Claude Van Damme has had an incredible career in Hollywood. The Muscles From Brussels, much like Steven Seagal, became a major action star in the 80s and 90s, carving out a legacy in the genre.
Prior to having his big break, Van Damme had an opportunity to take part in a classic franchise that was just getting off the ground, but he was fired from the project. The reasons for his firing, however, are still quite a mystery.
So, what happened with Van Damme on set? Well, that depends on who you ask.
Van Damme Is A Classic Action Star
The history of action movies is filled with a few different stars who were able to excel in the genre, including Jean-Claude Van Damme. The agile and athletic Van Damme used his traits to his benefit en route to becoming a major film star during his peak years in Hollywood.
Unlike many action heroes who are simply trained actors, Van Damme had an actual background in martial arts and even put up a respectable 18-1 record in kickboxing. The young Van Damme would make the transition into stunt work and acting, eventually becoming a household name.
During his career, he starred in major films like Bloodsport, Kickboxer, Universal Soldier, Street Fighter, and more. Before breaking out as a star, Van Damme landed a role in a classic franchise, though things fell apart before actually taking off.
He Landed A Spot In ‘Predator’
The Predator franchise is one of the most loved franchises in film history, and before conquering the big screen, Van Damme was cast as the Predator in the film. However, once things got underway, Van Damme had immediate problems with production, namely the suit he was having to wear.
According to Van Damme, “I like to breathe — and they’re gonna do my head and everything. They put in my mouth like a tube [to breathe through]. I was covered in that cast for at least 20 minutes. It was boiling hot. My friend told me, ‘If you cannot breathe, just [wiggle] your finger and I’ll pull that stuff away from you.’ And I did it. I started to panic. And they go, ‘No! Five more minutes!'”
He further elaborated on the suit, saying, “My head was in the neck. My hands were in the forearms, and there were cables [attached to my fingers to move the creature’s head and jaws]. My feet were in his calves, so I was on [stilts]. It was a disgusting outfit.”
After a curious start, things would ultimately not work out for Van Damme on Predator, though the actual reason for his departure has changed, depending on who is asked about it.
The Story Depends On Who Is Asked
For Van Damme’s story, a breaking point came when he was asked to do a particularly dangerous stunt with the suit that he wasn’t comfortable with, which caused a confrontation with the director. In fact, Van Damme claims that another stunt person performed the act and wound up suffering an injury, which caused the suit itself to be redesigned.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, first assistant director, Beau Marks, said that the suit was redesigned because they, “shot some [footage with the original suit], sent it back to the studio, and the decision came back that we were to shoot everything we could without the creature in the suit, and we were to go back and redesign [the creature]. And when we went back to redesign it, we went to Stan Winston. And Stan decided that the way to do the suit is to start with the tallest, biggest guy he could find, not someone who was the agile mover that Van Damme was.”
Marks also mentioned that Van Damme was crushed about losing the role, so much so that he begged to stay on board, despite the actor’s account of conflict with the director and the suit that he would be forced to wear.
Second unit director/stunt coordinator, Craig Baxley, offered a different explanation on the firing, saying, “And so they brought Jean-Claude out and they put the head on Jean-Claude, and Jean-Claude stood up and freaked out, and took off this $20,000 head and threw it on the ground and it shattered. And Joel said, “What the f— are you doing!” And he told Jean-Claude, “You’ll never work in Hollywood again! Get off my set!” So that was it.”
There is still some mystery around Van Damme’s firing, but all stories seem to suggest that the suit played a primary role in the event.