By Joseph Rana
“I intend to take a drive around the country, and I’ll try and do something very special for the country,” he said. “As you know, Australia has lost the most species in the last 15 years, and it’s a good place to start.” Van Damme is not sure if he wants to invest in a wildlife sanctuary saving the natural habitat yet, but is hopeful of a venture. “It’s difficult to be at the right time and right place and the right moment, but I want to do something special for Australia,” he said at the press conference. “I was very impressed by the Australian land…it’s very special, even though you have lots of dry land.”
Van Damme’s human side was reflected when he began to sweat on stage, reminding everyone of the actor’s unfortunate news interview recently, which saw The Muscles From Brussels sweating profusely and storming off the set during a via-satellite-from-Thailand for Channel 7’s Sunrise. Van Damme acknowledged it and even apologised for it. “The sweating started again,” he said. “I am very emotional. It is the first time that I’m facing the Australian press,” he added. But he soon bounced back and added, “also in Australia, I can be myself, very relaxed.”
Ever ready for a challenge and unwilling to dodge any questions thrown at him, Van Damme even talked about Kylie Minogue, the mere mention of whom had set him off during the Thailand interview, prompting JCVD to question the “boring” nature of the questions that he was being asked. “Oh yes, we can talk about everybody,” he said. “Kylie, she is a wonderful lady. We made a film called Street Fighter…we became very good friends.” JCVD is also keen to make another movie in Australia – “that would be great,” he said. “Australia has a lot to offer”.
Talking about his shows, Van Damme said that he was all for performing the splits on stage if the audiences requested it. “No trouble doing splits,” he said. “You have to warm up though, but no trouble at all.” He also said that he might do some jokes for the audience. “But it depends on the day…it depends on the person making the jokes,” he added.
Well, Australia, here’s a celebrity who, for a change, is all about giving back to the world and his fans. Get ready for the power of Jean-Claude Van Damme.
For more info, head to the An Evening With Jean-Claude Van Damme: Unscripted & Unplugged official website.
