Van Damme Heads Down Under

By Travis Johnson

Iconic action star, Jean-Claude Van Damme, is heading for Australia for a series of speaking dates!

An Evening With Jean-Claude Van Damme: Unplugged and Unscripted will see the star of Kickboxer and No Retreat, No Surrender bust out a wealth of stories about his career and his philosophy, complete with an open Q&A session. Given that this is the first time Van Damme has set foot in Australia in some 18 years, it’s an unmissable opportunity for action fans to get up close and personal with one of the genre’s greats.

And he’s sure to be approachable, too. As the man himself said the last time we spoke with him: “I like people and people feel that. Since we’re born, we have to read – to follow some type of rules. So we like words, and become more and more accustomed to follow books, which is normal. It’s good to have some rules, but instinct is something we forget. By reading too much, we start to become very protected with the words. So when I talk to people, I’m not just speaking about me, or trying to promote my movie… I don’t give a fuck! I talk with my heart, because my last few movies… well, they stink… so I have to be very careful now.”

An Evening With Jean-Claude Van Damme: Unplugged and Unscripted hits The Star Sydney on Wednesday, August 24, and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Sunday, August 28. Tickets go on sale 10am EST on Wednesday, July 12, at JCVD’s official site.