“This statue represents the dream of a Brussels ketje.” That’s what Jean-Claude Van Damme himself said at the unveiling of this very statue. The Jean-Claude Van Damme Statue stands here as a testament to his journey. It’s a bronze depiction of a younger JCVD in a fighting pose.
The Jean-Claude Van Damme Statue was commissioned to mark the 40th anniversary of the Westland Shopping complex. The unveiling took place on October 21 2012 on Boulevard Sylvain Dupuis in Anderlecht. Van Damme’s parents joined him along with Wallonia-Brussels culture minister Fadila Laanan. Nearly 2000 fans were also in attendance.
Jean-Claude Van Damme was born Jean-Claude Van Varenberg in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe. It is another municipality of Brussels. From a young age he immersed himself in martial arts. He also gained early success in Belgium as a martial arts fighter and bodybuilder.
In 1982, he moved to the United States to pursue a film career. His rise to fame was remarkable after the film Bloodsport in 1988. This film propelled him to the top of the box office. Timecop released in 1994 grossed $100 million. It remains his biggest financial success.
He is often identified by his initials JCVD. In the United States, he is nicknamed “The Muscles from Brussels”. This is a play on words using the similar sound between “muscle” and “mussel”.
Van Damme began practicing karate at a young age and earned his black belt. He then started lifting weights to improve his physique. This earned him a Mr Belgium bodybuilding title. In 1982, he ventured to the United States with only three thousand dollars. He hoped to conquer the new continent. He took on odd jobs before making a name for himself. During this time he met Chuck Norris and Lou Ferrigno. He landed a few small cinema roles.
With No Retreat No Surrender he landed his first major role. He played the villain Ivan the Russian. It was at this time that Jean-Claude Van Varenberg changed his name to “Van Damme”. A few months later he approached producer Menahem Golan after a restaurant visit. He gave him a martial arts demonstration in the car park. Menahem Golan cast him in Bloodsport. It became an international success and launched a saga.
The 1990s marked a period of great cinematographic success in the United States. He appeared in Cyborg and Kickboxer. Then came Lionheart directed by Sheldon Lettich. He also worked with Lettich on another successful film Double Impact in 1991. In 2001, he launched his clothing line Damage7.
In 2010, Jean-Claude Van Damme received the medal of Knight of the Order of the Crown. Fadila Laanan the Belgian Minister of Culture of the French Community presented it to him.
Van Damme said the statue “represented the dream of a Brussels ketje”. It was “for all the children who want something bad”. He added that “if you believe in something strongly enough it can come true”. So here stands the Jean-Claude Van Damme Statue. A symbol of dreams, determination and the journey from Brussels to international stardom.