FRANCE: JEAN CLAUDE VAN DAMME PROMOTES HIS LATEST FILMS "THE ORDER" AND "THE MONK" AT THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

Record ID: 856208

  • Title: FRANCE: JEAN CLAUDE VAN DAMME PROMOTES HIS LATEST FILMS "THE ORDER" AND "THE MONK" AT THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL
  • Date: 12th May 2001
  • Summary: CANNES, FRANCE (MAY 13-14, 2001) (REUTERS) VARIOUS, JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME RIDING ON A SPEED BOAT EN ROUTE TO A PARTY HELD IN HIS HONOUR ON THE CROISETTE (2 SHOTS) GV OF THE CROISETTE FROM THE BOAT WIDE OF VAN DAMME DANCING AT FRONT OF THE MOTORBOAT VARIOUS, VAN DAMME STEPPING ONTO SHORE FROM BOAT SMV, PHOTOGRAPHERS BEING PUSHED BACK BY SECURITY VARIOUS, VAN DAMME POSING FOR PHOTOS AND DOING MARTIAL ARTS MOVES
  • Embargoed: 27th May 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: CANNES, FRANCE
  • City:
  • Country: France
  • Topics:
  • Reuters ID: LVA6D5EGMV2DQK4VCK4RDE5SLETJ
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Putting his darker times behind him, the Mussels from Brussels who prefers to be known as Jean-Claude Van Damme these days, has returned to Cannes to present his latest projects to the Cannes market - 'Replicant', 'The Order' and 'The Monk'. Reuters gets on board and up to speed with the martial arts actor.
    Action movie star, Jean-Claude Van Damme has gone vegetarian to get in shape for his next role. He's given up meat and fish and has lost 10 kilos as a result and he say's he's never felt better.
    The brawny Belgian has returned to Cannes to promote his latest movie, 'The Order', directed by Sheldon Lettich in which Van Damme plays a roguish art thief who goes on a search for his archaeologist father, missing in the holy land.
    During his hunt for his dad, Van Damme's character disguises himself as a black-garbed Hasidic Jew in order to give the bad guys the slip.
    But it's not the only film, Van Damme has in the offing.
    He's also recently completed filming on a movie called 'Replicant'. Directed by Ringo Lam, Replicant tells the story of a deranged serial killer and a veteran police detective investigating the crimes.
    In this film, Van Damme has jumped into a double role starring both as villain and hero. He said it's the first time in his career that he's played a more dramatic role: ' 'Replicant' the movie, it's a movie which has action of course, but Ringo Lam doesn't accept me just as a karate guy he has heard enough of the words, 'muscles from brussels' he said you're very smart you should do something else about it sorry, I'm not trying to be humble here but I'm judging myself as a smart kid because I'm successful at the age of forty, so he said you should do something better than that so 'Replicant' has lots of drama, and for the first time I think I don't know, you'll judge because maybe I'm too confident, for the first time I feel like I'm acting in the movie because of a good director.' For Van Damme the last twelve months have been a trouble-free time of life, where he's 'worked very hard' and had the chance to spend valuable time with his wife and children. He's adamant that his troubled times with drugs and alcohol are behind him.
    Sticking to a strict diet and fitness regime wasn't difficult he said despite being in his forties. And it was obvious for all to see when he arrived by speed boat at a party held in his honour on le Croisette, that his appetite for fun, hasn't diminished as a result.
    -ENDS-
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