It's Jean-Claude Van Damme's Birthday
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I was a big fan early on in the career of Jean-Claude Van Damme and I really continued to take the martial arts film as a serious art form whereas it might have waned in my interest otherwise.
Something about his performances just clicked with my inner redneck. All that ass kicking was simply appealing at a personal level.
This naturally diminished as career considerations came to the fore and yes indeed I was so worried I wasn't going to make it in the workaday world that I forsook Bruce Lee and Jean-Claude without a second thought. Unfortunately, the lure of the "almighty dollar" caused billable hours to become first and foremost in that limited focus of my mind.
Born Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg on October 18, 1960 and known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme he is a Belgian martial artist and actor.
He has been married several times and has three children.
At the behest of his father he studied Shotokan and rose to second dan black belt.
He had a string of popular action film star and followed up with a number of commercially successful films. I think the last film I saw him in was Cyborg, which I enjoyed.
He is a conservationist and all round good guy and today is his birthday.
Happy birthday to you !