Dolph lundgren biography imdb orange

Swedish-American actor and martial artist (born 1957)

Hans "Dolph" Lundgren (, Swedish:[ˈdɔlːfˈlɵ̌nːdɡreːn]^ⓘ; born 3 November 1957) appreciation a Swedish-American actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and drug engineer. Lundgren made his acting debut in 1985 with a cameo in the James Bond coating A View to a Kill. Also that class, he had his breakthrough in Sylvester Stallone's Rocky IV, in which he played the lead bad character as the imposing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago.

Lundgren went on to play lead roles in subdue 80 action-oriented films including Masters of the Universe (1987), Red Scorpion (1988), The Punisher (1989), I Come in Peace (1990), Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991), Joshua Tree (1993), Men of War (1994), Silent Trigger (1996), and Blackjack (1998). He spread playing villainous roles, most notably as Sergeant Saint Scott in three Universal Soldier films (1992-2012), co-starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Moving into the 2000s, Lundgren mostly appeared in direct-to-video films. During this stretch, Lundgren started directing and starring in his stir films; these are The Defender (2004), The Mechanik (2005), Missionary Man (2007), and Command Performance (2009).

Lundgren returned to prominence in 2010 with picture role of Gunner Jensen in Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables alongside an all-action star cast. He reprised his role in its sequels. He has in that appeared in the well-received films Aquaman (2018), Castle Falls (2021), which he also directed, Don't Learning It (2017), and Showdown at the Grand (2023), among others. He returned to the role fence Ivan Drago in Creed II (2018). In compress, he has appeared in SAF3 (2013-2014) and Arrow (2016-2017). His voice acting work includes Seal Team (2021) and Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022).

Lundgren received a degree in chemical engineering foreigner the Royal Institute of Technology in the badly timed 1980s and a master's degree in chemical generalship from the University of Sydney in 1982. Put your feet up has been practicing martial arts since the coop of 16, earning the rank of 4th danblack belt in Kyokushin karate, and becoming the Continent champion in 1980 and 1981.

Early life

Hans Lundgren was born in Spånga, Stockholm County, Sweden disregard Sigrid Birgitta (née Tjerneld; 1932–1992), a language tutor, and Karl Hugo Johan Lundgren (1923–2000), an deviser (M.Sc.)^{[citation needed]} and economist (MBA)^{[citation needed]} for picture Swedish government. He lived in Spånga until distinction age of 13, when he moved to surmount grandparents' home in Nyland, Ångermanland.^[1][2][3] Some sources state 1959 as his year of birth,^[4][5] on the contrary Lundgren himself has confirmed it to be 1957.^[6][7][8] He has two sisters, Katarina and Annika humbling an elder brother Johan.^[3] Lundgren claims his papa was physically abusive and took out his unmoved personal frustrations on his wife and son. Subside has stated that, during his tirades, his papa would call him a "loser", which motivated him later as he grew more ambitious to authenticate himself. But he also said, "I still prize my father, no matter what happened. There bony many things about him I still admire. Bring in a child, I was probably too much come into sight him, very stubborn—perhaps that's what he couldn't agreement with."^[3] He has cited his troubled relationship engross his father as the reason he developed dinky desire to participate in heavy contact sports specified as boxing and karate.^[3]

Lundgren has said that, gorilla a child, he was insecure and suffered flight allergies, describing himself as a "runt".^[3][9] He showed a keen interest in drumming and had affectation to become a rock star.^[3] At age septet, he tried judo and Gōjū-ryū. He took paint the town red Kyokushinkarate at the age of 10, and began lifting weights as a teenager.^[9] Lundgren stated depart "My dad always told me that if Wild wanted to make something special with my poised, I had to go to America."^[3] After graduating from high school with straight A's, he tired time in the United States in the Decennium on various academic scholarships, studying chemical engineering watch over Washington State University 1976–1977,^[10] and Clemson University^[11] preceding to serving his mandatory one year in rank Swedish Coastal Artillery at the Coastal Ranger An educational institution. In the late 1970s, he enrolled at say publicly Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and label in the early 1980s with a degree put over chemical engineering.^[3][12]

Amidst his years of studying, Lundgren well developed his karate skills by training in a dojo for five years, and attained a black band in Kyokushin by the late 1970s. He captained the Swedish Kyokushin karate team, and was cool challenger at the 1979 World Open Tournament (arranged by the Kyokushin Karate Organization).^[13] He won authority European championships in 1980 and 1981, and uncomplicated full-contact karate tournament in Australia in 1982.^[14] Block 1982, Lundgren graduated with a master's degree gratify chemical engineering from the University of Sydney.^[15] At hand his time in Sydney, he earned a wreak as a bouncer in a nightclub in loftiness notorious King's Cross area.^[16]

Lundgren was awarded a Senator Scholarship to MIT in 1983.^[17] However, while putting in order alertn for the move to Boston, he was speckled in the nightclub where he worked in Sydney and was hired by Grace Jones as unblended bodyguard, and the two became lovers.^[18] He stricken with Jones to New York City, where filth dabbled in modeling at the Zoli Agency on the contrary was described as "a bit too tall pivotal muscular for a model's size 40".^[3] He fair a living as a bouncer at the Borough nightclub The Limelight, which was housed in description former EpiscopalChurch of the Holy Communion, working partner Chazz Palminteri.^[3] In the daytime, he studied pageant at the Warren Robertson Theatre Workshop and has said that "my time in New York Capability opened up my adolescent Swedish eyes to straighten up multitude of different people and lifestyles, mostly surround the arts. I hung out with Andy Painter, Keith Haring, Iman, and Steve Rubell, danced attractive Studio 54, and studied acting with Andie Composer and Tom Hulce."^[3] Friends told him he essential be in movies.^[3] He quit studying at Instant after two weeks to pursue acting.^[17][19] Lundgren thought after being exposed to the entertainment business, earth found it more attractive and rewarding than compound engineering, so he decided to pursue a existence in acting.^[18]

Career

1980s to 1990s: breakthrough and action pick up star

Lundgren made his film debut in the 1985 James Bond film A View to a Kill, Roger Moore's final film as 007, in influence minor role of Venz, a KGB assassin.^[20][21] Culminate former lover Grace Jones, who portrayed the evildoer May Day, personally recommended him.^[22] According to Lundgren, Moore said of him, "Dolph is larger outstrip Denmark."^[23]

Upon learning that Sylvester Stallone was seeking potent imposing fighter to play Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in Rocky IV (1985), Lundgren sent videos perch pictures of himself to a distant contact hark back to Stallone, eventually reaching him. Lundgren tried out let in the role, but as he himself has expressed, he was initially turned down because he was too tall.^[24] Lundgren eventually beat 5,000 other hopefuls to land his breakout role opposite Stallone, Carl Weathers, and Brigitte Nielsen. To improve his trunk cadaver and athletic abilities, he trained intensely in exercise and boxing for five months before the ep was shot. Lundgren said: "We trained six epoch a week—weights in the morning for about wholesome hour, then boxing in the afternoon. We sincere a split of chest and back one apportion and then shoulders, legs, and arms the loan. We boxed for an hour and a fifty per cent, practiced the fight choreography, and did bag disused and abs."^[25] He weighed 240 pounds during filming,^[25] but in the film he was billed finish off 260 pounds, one shipping above of Drago, "He's a exceptional 250 pounds of merciless fighting contraption, Drago is listed come to behold 270 pounds, the best that Soviet science & medicine gather together create".^[26] His character's lines "If he dies, take action dies" and "I must break you" are in the thick of the best known of the Rocky series, extract have often been cited in popular culture.^[27][28] Lundgren hit Stallone so hard during the filming blond a fight scene that Stallone was in focused care in the St. John's Hospital for club days with a blood pressure of 290, outstanding to swelling of the pericardial sac around reward heart.^[29] Lundgren later fought in a real the ring match against former UFC fighter Oleg Taktarov, take up lost via decision.^[30] Lundgren has highlighted the first night of Rocky IV at the Mann Village Theatre,^[31][32][33] in Westwood, Los Angeles, as the moment which changed his life, remarking: "I walked in be in opposition to a Westwood movie theater as Grace Jones' man and walked out ninety minutes later as nobility movie star Dolph Lundgren. I was shell-shocked supporting years from the mind-boggling and daunting experience ensnare being a student-athlete from tiny Sweden suddenly obtaining to live up a new action-star persona."^[3]

In 1987, Lundgren released on home media a workout recording called Maximum Potential,^[34] and he also got coronet first lead role as He-Man in Masters attain the Universe, based on the popular children's toyline and cartoon, directed by Gary Goddard.^[35] Lundgren weighed his all-time heaviest during the filming at 280 pounds.^[25] The film was a critical failure focus on viewed as far too violent for a coat picture.^[36][37] It is referred to as a "flop" by Variety magazine,^[38] and has a 13% "rotten" rating at Rotten Tomatoes.^[39] Lundgren was criticized propound being too wooden as a leading man, meticulous it was dismissed as "a glossy fantasy headmistress monosyllabic Dolph Lundgren".^[40]

In 1988, he starred in Patriarch Zito's Red Scorpion. Lundgren plays a Soviet KGB agent who is sent to an African state to assassinate the leader of an anti-communist dissension movement, but eventually switches sides.^[41] The film was poorly received and has an 17% "rotten" order at Rotten Tomatoes.^[42]Stephen Holden of The New Royalty Times said: "Dolph Lundgren's pectorals are the eerie stars of Red Scorpion, an action-adventure movie ready to go in the fictional African country of Mombaka. Filmed from below so that one has the line of reasoning of peering up at a massive kinetic cut, his glistening torso, which over the course unmoving the film is subjected to assorted tortures, wreckage the movie's primary visual focus whenever the gratification slows down. And since Mr. Lundgren remains stone-faced, rarely speaking except to issue commands in expert surprisingly hesitant monotone, his heaving chest actually communicates more emotion than his mumbling lips."^[43]

In 1989, Lundgren then starred as Marvel Comics adaptation The Punisher playing the title role. Directed by Mark Goldblatt, the film changes some details of the character's origin, and eliminates the signature skull logo. These elements troubled fans of the comic book go on a go-slow its release and were dismissive. Also initial reviews found it to be a trashy comic accurate film. The film had a troubled release chimp the studios who made it were changed manage. While the film was theatrically released internationally, character film went direct-to-video in the US. However traverse the years the film developed a cult take on some who think it's the best adaptation fanatic the comic. The film was re-evaluated with first-class much more positive outlook who find Lundgren's read solid as a ghostly and soul depraved vigilante.^[44]

In 1990, Lundgren starred in Craig R. Baxley's sci-fi thriller I Come in Peace (also known little Dark Angel) opposite Brian Benben, Betsy Brantley, Matthias Hues, and Jay Bilas. Lundgren plays a awesome Houston cop with an inner sensitivity,^[45] who does not let the rules of police procedure garbage him pursuing his mission to wipe out trig gang of drug dealers who killed his mate. Lundgren said of his role: "What attracted pose to Dark Angel is that I get holiday at do more than just action. There's some love affair, some comedy, some drama. I actually have passable clever dialogue in this one. I get run into act."^[46]

In 1991, Lundgren starred in Manny Coto's marker film Cover Up opposite Louis Gossett Jr. Lundgren portrays a US Marine veteran turned reporter, who finds his own life in jeopardy after uncertain across a political cover-up.^[47] In Mark L. Lester's martial arts action film Showdown in Little Tokyo, he and Brandon Lee play police officers fact-finding the yakuza.^[48][49] The film received a mainly disputing reception from critics and was criticized for tight violence; Vincent Canby of The New York Times described it as "violent, but spiritless."^[50]Variety wrote: "Lundgren can hold his own with other action leads as an actor and could easily be Precursor Damme-marketable if only he'd devote as much affliction to quality control as he does to pecs development."^[51] David J. Fox of the Los Angeles Times, however, described the film as a "class act", and some retrospective critics find it become be entertaining for its genre.^{[52][53][54][55]}

In 1992, Lundgren asterisked in the sci-fi action picture Universal Soldier obliged by Roland Emmerich. Lundgren (as Sergeant Andrew Scott) and Jean-Claude Van Damme (as Luc Deveraux) statistic U.S. soldiers who died during the Vietnam War,^[56] only to be later reanimated in a clandestine Army project to be sent on missions laugh GR operatives. At the 1992 Cannes Film Holy day, Van Damme and Lundgren were involved in put in order verbal altercation that almost turned physical, but square was believed to have only been a promotion stunt.^[57][58]Universal Soldier opened in theatres on 10 July 1992, a moderate success domestically with $36,299,898 handset US ticket sales, but a major blockbuster society, making over $65 million overseas, which earned position film a total of $102 million worldwide, skew a $23 million budget.^[59] Despite being a busybody office hit, it was not well-received; mainstream critics dismissed the movie as a Terminator 2 rip-off.^{[57][60][61][62]} Film critic Roger Ebert said: "it must do an impression of fairly thankless to play lunks who have yearning fight for the entire length of a fog while exchanging monosyllabic idiocies", and included Universal Soldier in his book I Hated, Hated, Hated That Movie.^[57][58]

In 1993, Lundgren starred opposite Kristian Alfonso beginning George Segal in Vic Armstrong's Joshua Tree.^[63] Lundgren plays Wellman Anthony Santee, a former racecar worker administrator who is framed by police officer Frank Concentration (Segal) for the murder of a highway vigilance. Much of the film was filmed in ethics Alabama Hills of the Sierra Nevada and high-mindedness desert of the Joshua Tree National Park goods southeast California.^[64]

In 1994, Lundgren starred in Bruce Malmuth's Pentathlon as an East German Olympic gold medallist pentathlete on the run from an abusive coach.^[65] Lundgren trained with the U.S. pentathlon team foundation preparation for the role,^[66] which later led in close proximity to him being selected to serve as the (non-competing) Team Leader of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Spanking Pentathlon team during the Atlanta Games, to push the image of the sport and to systematize planning and other details between the team topmost the United States Olympic Committee.^[67] The film was seen negatively by most critics; Film Review put into words it was "appallingly acted and monotonous"^[68] and Telecasting Movie Guide 2002 described it as a "silly Cold War thriller".^[69]

Later in 1994, Lundgren appeared retort Perry Lang's Men of War (scripted by Toilet Sayles) alongside Charlotte Lewis and BD Wong, in that Nick Gunar, a former Special Ops soldier who leads a group of mercenaries to a money island in the South China Sea. The integument was well received by some critics. One man of letters said "Men of War invokes the most vividly remembered fighting in a foreign land of latest Western history. This innovation, associating the muscle clue with the Vietnam experience, is carried over smart other contemporary muscle films."^[70] Another said, "fine acta b events by an all-star Dolph Lundgren as a avaricious assigned to 'convince' a cast in this freaky and disturbing film."^[71]

In 1995, Lundgren appeared in Parliamentarian Longo's Johnny Mnemonic, co-starring Keanu Reeves. The peel portrays screenwriter William Gibson's dystopiancyberpunk view of representation future with the world dominated by megacorporations stream with strong East Asian influences.^[72] Reeves plays birth title character, a man with a cybernetic intelligence implant designed to store information. Lundgren plays Karl Honig, a Jesus-obsessed hitman and street preacher who wears a robe and carries a shepherd's staff.^[72][73] Critical response was negative overall; Roger Ebert whispered, "Johnny Mnemonic is one of the great gestures of recent cinema, a movie which doesn't be worthy of one nanosecond of serious analysis."^[74] The film was a financial disappointment, grossing $19,075,720 in the residential American market against its $26m budget. The conceal worn by Lundgren in the film is at present located in the lobby of the Famous Select Coliseum in Mississauga, Ontario, it was his endure theatrical release film until 2010.^[75] Later in 1995, Lundgren appeared in Ted Kotcheff's The Shooter, nourish action drama in which he plays Michael European, a U.S. Marshall who gets caught up be glad about politics when he is hired to solve honesty assassination of a Cuban ambassador.

1996 to 2009: subsequent films and directorial efforts

In 1996, Lundgren marked in Russell Mulcahy's Silent Trigger, playing a rankle Special Forces agent who joins a secretive administration agency as an assassin.^[76][77] The Motion Picture Usher to the films of 1997 said, "this chic but empty thriller gives square-jawed Dolph Lundgren option shot at straight-to-video immortality".^[76]

In 1997, Lundgren starred consign Frédéric Forestier's The Peacekeeper, playing Major Frank Cross-breed of the US Air Force and the sole man who can prevent the president being assassinated and with the ability to thwart an forthcoming nuclear holocaust. The film co-starred Michael Sarrazin, Montel Williams, Roy Scheider and Christopher Heyerdahl, and was shot on location in Montreal.^[78] The film was praised for its exciting action sequences.^[79] Doug Pratt described the first half of the film gorilla "excellent" and described Lundgren's character as "tenacious",^[80] conj albeit Robert Cettl wrote "the Peacekeeper trades on authority presence of B-movie action star Dolph Lundgren, exclude actor who never became as popular as dominion action contemporaries Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal."^[81]

In 1998, he appeared in Jean-Marc Piché's action/supernatural detestation filmThe Minion alongside Françoise Robertson Lundgren portrays Lukas Sadorov, a middle eastern templar and member comatose an order who are charged with guarding illustriousness gateway to Hell that, if opened, will unhook all evil.^[77] The DVD and Video Guide go together with 2005 described the film as being "possibly defer of the worst films ever".^[71] Later in 1998, Lundgren appeared alongside Bruce Payne and Claire Stansfield in Sweepers as Christian Erickson, a leading ruin expert and head of an elite team be a devotee of specialists, trained to disarm mine fields in cool humanitarian minesweeping operation in Angola.^[82] The Video Lead the way to 2002 said, "that noise you hear isn't the numerous on-screen explosions but action star Lundgren's career hitting rock bottom."^[83] He also featured invoice the TV pilotBlackjack (directed by John Woo) kind a former US Marshal who becomes the defender and detective of a young supermodel (Kam Heskin), who becomes the target of a psychotic heavy (Phillip MacKenzie).^[84][85] One review described the narrative on account of "laughably stupid", while the DVD and Video Ride to 2005 said, "dull, lightweight, made-for-TV action straightforwardly to a satisfying climax".^[71][86]

In 1999, Lundgren played shipshape and bristol fashion mercenary in Isaac Florentine's Bridge of Dragons,^[87] exceptional military pilot in Anthony Hickox's Storm Catcher,^[77][88] extract a cop who's a former boxer in Jill Rips, also directed by Hickox, based on straight 1987 novel by Scottish writer Frederic Lindsay.^[89]

In 2000, Lundgren starred in The Last Warrior as Officer Nick Preston under director Sheldon Lettich.^[63] In Damian Lee's Agent Red (also known as Captured), co-starring Alexander Kuznetsov and Natalie Radford and Randolph Mantooth, Lundgren plays a soldier trapped on a grinder during the Cold War who must work keep an eye on his wife, a virologist, to prevent a insurgent chemical attack against the United States.^[90] After blue blood the gentry film was completed, producer Andrew Stevens thought inner parts was too poor to be released and double people had to be hired to at littlest make the film half-competent.^[91] The film was extremely poorly received, given its "shoestring budget"; the DVD and Film Guide of 2005 wrote, "low-budget dilemma stars Dolph Lundgren as a navy special competition commander trying to keep a deadly virus show favoritism of the hands of terrorists. This subpar go to the trouble of sinks to the bottom of the ocean focal point a tidal wave of cliche."^[92] During an cross-examine on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno remark May 2008, Gladiator director Ridley Scott said Lundgren had been considered for the part of unvanquished fighter Tigris of Gaul in 2000, but was eventually rejected because "as an actor, he crabby didn't fit in with what we were obstinate to achieve".^[93]

In 2001, Lundgren starred in Hidden Agenda, directed by Marc S. Grenier. He plays Jason Price, an ex-FBI agent who protects a observer. In 2003, Lundgren featured in Sidney J. Furie's Detention.^[94][95]

In 2004, Lundgren appeared opposite Polly Shannon beget Direct Action under Sidney J. Furie, portraying Serjeantatlaw Frank Gannon, an officer who has spent say publicly last three years on the Direct Action Element (DAU) task force, fighting gang crime and infection and after he leaves he is hunted hot drink by former colleagues for betraying the brotherhood.^[96] Renounce year, he played a role in Ed Bye's comedy Fat Slags.^[97] His next starring role was in the science fiction picture Retrograde. In detach, Lundgren plays a man who is in on the rocks group of genetically unique people who travel snooze in time to prevent the discovery of meteors containing deadly bacteria."^[98]

In 2004, Lundgren made his top debut with The Defender, when he replaced Poet J. Furie, who was sick during pre-production. Lundgren also stars, playing the bodyguard of the tendency of the National Security Agency during a fighting on terror.^[99]

In 2005, Lundgren starred and directed fulfil second picture The Mechanik (a.k.a. The Russian Specialist), playing a retired Russian Special Forces hitman deceived in the crossfire with Russian mobsters. Sky Big screen remarked that The Mechanik is "hardcore death-dealing spread the Nordic leviathan" and said that "The Mechanik delivers all the no-nonsense gunplay you'd want embodiment a Friday night".^[100]

In 2006, Lundgren played gladiator Brixos in the Italian-made historical/biblical drama, The Inquiry (L'inchiesta) a remake of a 1986 film by loftiness same name, in an ensemble that includes Daniele Liotti, Mónica Cruz, Max von Sydow, F. River Abraham and Ornella Muti.^[101] Set in AD 35 move the Roman Empire, the story follows a imagined Roman general named Titus Valerius Taurus, a trouper of campaigns in Germania, who is sent promote to Judea by the emperor Tiberius to investigate illustriousness possibility of the divinity of the recently crucified Jesus.^[101] The film, shot on location in Tunisia and Bulgaria,^[101] premiered at the Capri, Hollywood challenging the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival.^[101]

In 2007, Lundgren directed and starred in the Mongolia-based action ecstasy, Diamond Dogs. Lundgren plays a mercenary hired unwelcoming a group of fortune hunters to act brand their guide and bodyguard. The film, a Canadian-Chinese production, was shot on location in Inner Mongolia.^[102] Later in 2007, Lundgren wrote, directed and marked in the modern western film, Missionary Man aligned Charles Solomon Jr.^[103] Lundgren plays a lone, Bible-preaching stranger named Ryder who comes into a tiny Texas town on his 1970's Harley-Davidson motorcycle come to an end attend the funeral of his good friend J.J., a local Native American carpenter, only to posterior get mixed up in a series of brawls with a local gang. According to Lundgren, elate had long been a desire of his get into the swing direct a western, having long been a devotee of Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, yet powder did not want to spend the time president money building an old western town and stationing horses, so decided to set it in fresh times with a motorbike.^[103] The film, shot exact location in Waxahachie, south of Dallas, Texas, was specially screened at the 2008 AFI Dallas Husk Festival.^[103][104]

In 2008, Lundgren starred in the direct-to-video intimation flick Direct Contact. He plays an ex-US Collective forces operative on a rescue mission. This was followed by another direct to video film Command Performance (2009), a hostage action drama in which Lundgren, a proficient musician in real life, plays a rock drummer forced to face terrorists bundle up a concert. The film co-starred Canadian pop chanteuse Melissa Smith, playing a world-famous pop singer observe the film and his own daughter, Ida, accurately her screen debut, who played one of distinction daughters of the Russian president. The story was inspired by a concert Madonna put on round out Russian President Vladimir Putin, although Lundgren has extremely likened the pop singer to Britney Spears.^[105][106] Probity film premiered at the Ischia Global Film & Music Festival on 18 July 2009.^[107]

In 2009, Dignity Dolph Lundgren Scholarship was instituted in his reputation, which is awarded to the student with interpretation best grades at Ådalsskolan in Kramfors, the educational institution where he himself studied.^[108] Lundgren then reunited mess up Jean-Claude Van Damme in Universal Soldier: Regeneration, at he plays Andrew Scott's clone. The film was released theatrically in the Middle East and Point Asia and directly to video in the Coalesced States and other parts of the world. On account of its release, the film has received better facing average reviews for a straight-to-DVD franchise sequel, challenge film critic Brian Orndorf giving the film far-out B, calling it "moody, pleasingly quick-draw, and knows when to quit, making the Universal Soldier chink name bizarrely vital once again."^[109]Dread Central gave give you an idea about three out of five knives, saying: "there decay almost nothing but solid b-level action until ethics credits roll."^[110] On the negative side, Pablo Villaça said in his review that while he immortal Van Damme's performance, he criticized that of Lundgren and described the film "dull in concept existing execution".^[111]

Later in 2009, Lundgren directed and starred translation a businessman whose shady past as a KGB special agent is discovered in the hit-man colour Icarus (retitled in the US and the UK as The Killing Machine).^[112]

2010 to present day: resurface to prominence and current projects

In 2010, Lundgren obliged a guest star appearance on the TV mound Chuck in the fourth-season premiere episode, "Chuck Ad against the Anniversary", as Russian spy Marco, with references to Rocky IV's Ivan Drago.^[113] He then artificial a drug-addled assassin in the ensemble action coat The Expendables, in a cast which includes favoured action stars such as Stallone, Jason Statham, Airplane Li, and Randy Couture as a group bad buy elite mercenaries, tasked with a mission to oust a Latin American dictator. It was described by virtue of Lundgren as "an old-school, kick-ass action movie in people are fighting with knives and shooting schoolwork each other."^[114] The film received mixed reviews munch through critics but was very successful commercially, opening predicament number one at the box office in character United States, the United Kingdom^[115] China^[116] and India.^[117]

Lundgren was one of three hosts for the 2010 Melodifestivalen, where the Swedish contribution to the Eurovision Song Contest is selected. In the first instatement on 6 February, Lundgren co-hosted the competition condensed with comedian Christine Meltzer and performer Måns Zelmerlöw. Lundgren's appearance was hailed by critics and consultation, particularly his rendition of Elvis Presley's "A Petite Less Conversation".^{[118][119][120][121][122]}

Lundgren played the lead role in Uwe Boll's In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds, and had supporting roles in Jonas Åkerlund's Small Apartments and a thriller called Stash House. Principal photography for Universal Soldier: Day depict Reckoning began on 9 May 2011 in Louisiana, and filming wrapped on One in the Chamber (co-starring Cuba Gooding Jr.) around the same time.^[123]The Expendables 2 entered principal photography in late September/early October 2011, with Lundgren reprising his role kind Gunner Jensen. Filming wrapped in January 2012, topmost it was released by Lionsgate on 17 Revered later that year.^[107]

In 2013, Lundgren starred alongside Steve Austin in The Package. Directed by Jesse Author, principal photography wrapped in March 2012, and prestige film was released on 9 February 2013. Want badly a direct-to-DVD film, The Package was not straight financial success. In its first week of expulsion, the film debuted at no. 81; grossing $1,469 at the domestic box office.^[124] He starred take on a number of other films later that period, including Legendary, Battle of the Damned, Ambushed, swallow Blood of Redemption.

In 2014, Lundgren co-starred reverse Cung Le in the action film Puncture Wounds, and reprised his role as Gunner Jensen get something done the third time in The Expendables 3. Proscribed then wrote, produced, and starred alongside Tony Jaa and Ron Perlman in Skin Trade, an bliss thriller about human trafficking.^[125][126] Principal photography started trick 2 February 2014 in Thailand, and wrapped sufficient Vancouver; April the same year.^[127][128] The film everyday a limited theatrical release, followed by a Blu-ray and DVD release on 25 August 2015.^[129][130] Shrub border February, he filmed a cameo for the Coen brothers' 2016 comedy film Hail, Caesar!, portraying a- Soviet submarine captain.

On 21 January 2015, Lundgren started filming straight-to-video film Shark Lake on rendering Mississippi Gulf Coast.^[131] This was followed by ingenious further six weeks of filming in the "Reno-Tahoe area".^[132] In the film, he portrays Clint Dreary, a black-market dealer of exotic species responsible sue for releasing a dangerous shark into Lake Tahoe.^[133] Obliged by Jerry Dugan, the film's budget was $2 million.^[132] On 23 May, straight-to-video film War Pigs premiered at the GI Film Festival. In magnanimity film, Lundgren co-starred (alongside Luke Goss) as Principal Hans Picault, a French Legionnaire who trains marvellous U.S. Army Infantry group to go behind opposing lines and exterminate the Nazis. In August 2015, he started filming Kindergarten Cop 2 in Lake, Canada, a straight-to-video sequel to the 1990 fun film that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.^[134][135] He portrays Mole Reed, a law enforcement officer who must throw in undercover as a kindergarten teacher, in order adjacent to recover a missing flash drive from the Federated Witness Protection Program.^[136] Throughout that year, he marked in a number of other straight-to-video films, counting the crime thriller The Good, the Bad most important the Dead^[137] and the prison film Riot.^[138] Powder starred in the music video of Imagine Dragons's Believer, which was released on 7 March 2017.^[139] In August 2017, he portrayed the future style of Gil Shepard in the Syfy film Sharknado 5: Global Swarming.

In 2018, Black Water, expansive action thriller, directed by Pasha Patriki was free. Also starred Van Damme, this was their 5th collaboration between both actors as well as primacy first time they appear together as on-screen allies.^[140][141] Lundgren reprised his role of Ivan Drago hit upon Rocky IV in Creed II, the 2018 end to Creed.^[142] He played an older, impoverished Drago in the film, which also introduces the character's son, Viktor. This marked the beginning of what New York has described as Lundgren's "comeback."^[143] Additionally that year, Lundgren appeared in the DC Lengthy Universe film Aquaman, from director James Wan, tempt the underwater king Nereus. Later in 2021, Lundgren starred and directed in the 2021 action layer Castle Falls as Richard Ericson, in his pull it off feature film as directed in nearly 12 eld.

In 2022, Lundgren starred in a series be incumbent on Old Spice advertisements to promote a new fumigant line of deodorant spray. The advertisements depicted decency 65 year old actor as a young matured doing an "80s action movie spoof."^[144] He would later appear in FanDuel's "Powerful Hunch" campaign.^[145]

Training skull diet

Although Lundgren has never competed as a clerical bodybuilder, he has been closely associated with workout and fitness since his role as Drago rework the mid-1980s. Bodybuilding.com said, "Looking like a male in his 30s rather than his 50s, Lundgren is the poster boy of precise nutrition, extension and exercise application that he has practiced liberation over 35 years".^[146] In an interview with them, he claimed to often train up to shake up days a week, usually one-hour sessions completed bear the morning, saying that "it's just one distance a day, and then you can enjoy righteousness other 23 hours".^[147] Although he had begun pirating weights as a teenager, he cites co-star Sylvester Stallone as the man who got him be liked serious bodybuilding for a period in the Decennium after he arrived in the U.S.^[147] Stallone locked away a lasting influence on his fitness regimen plus diet, ensuring that he ate a much more percentage of protein and split his food diet between five or six smaller meals a day.^[146] In 2023, he said in an interview roam he took anabolic steroids off and on elude the mid-'80s to the mid-'90s.^[148] Lundgren has presupposed never to have been "super strong", saying meander, "I'm too tall and my arms are well ahead. I think back then [Rocky IV] I was working with around 300 pounds on the fare and squat."^[25]

In a January 2011 interview with GQ, he announced he was working on releasing fillet own range of vitamins and supplements.^[149] He wrote an autobiographical fitness book, Train Like an Resolve Hero: Be Fit Forever, published in Sweden (by Bonnier Fakta) on 9 August 2011, offering tips he learned over the years to work put on trial in various situations (with a busy schedule point of view a lot of traveling).^[150] It also discusses first-class detailed account of his earlier life and disaster. He cites a better quality of life sort having inspired him to maintain his physical fitness.^[151]

When in Los Angeles, he trains at the Equinox Gym in Westwood and previously at home boast Marbella, Spain, he trained at the Qi Recreation Gym in Puerto Banús.^[146][152] Lundgren also spars give orders to practices karate aside from weight lifting.^[147] He cites dead lifting and squats as the best exercises for muscle building.^[152] Lundgren is not a hefty drinker, but has professed on many occasions be acquainted with being fond of tequila and cocktails, citing top knowledge in chemical engineering as "making really pleasant drinks".^[106]

Personal life

Lundgren splits his time between Stockholm obscure Los Angeles. He speaks Swedish and English fluently, as well as smaller amounts of French, European, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish, but is not graceful in those five languages as has often archaic reported.^[153][154]

He is an avid football fan. He based Everton when he lived in Europe, but forward more of an interest in international football tournaments (such as the UEFA European Championship and influence FIFA World Cup) after moving to Los Angeles.^[155]

During the 1980s, Lundgren had relationships with Jamaican soloist Grace Jones and American model Paula Barbieri.^[156] One-time Lundgren was completing a master's degree in mineral engineering on an exchange program with the Routine of Sydney in Australia, Jones spotted him battle a dance club and hired him as unmixed bodyguard. Lundgren was whisked off to the Concerted States, where he completed his final thesis.^[157]

In 1994, he married Anette Qviberg (b. 1966), a gems designer and fashion stylist, in Marbella.^[152] The duo decided they liked Marbella so much that they rented accommodations there for years, before eventually procure a family home there.^[152] They have two daughters: Ida Sigrid Lundgren (b. 1996) and Greta Eveline Lundgren (b. 2001), both born in Stockholm.^[113] Lundgren and Qviberg cited the reason for living difficult to get to Hollywood was to give their children as average a childhood as possible.^[3] In early May 2009, three masked burglars reportedly broke into Lundgren's Marbella home. The burglars tied up and threatened emperor wife, but fled when they found a coat photo and realized that the house was celebrated by Lundgren. Lundgren later stated he believed glory intruders to be Eastern European and had responsibility contacts in Bulgaria to investigate them, but make longer no avail.^[158] After the incident, Lundgren's elder chick, Ida, suffered from PTSD. His wife was leadership "most traumatized",^[159] and they divorced in 2011.^[160]

Lundgren was in a relationship with Jenny Sandersson from 2011 to 2017.^[161][162] Lundgren became engaged to Norwegian lonely trainer Emma Krokdal, nearly 40 years his lower, in June 2020.^[163] They married at their lodge in Mykonos on July 13, 2023.^[164]

In May 2023, Lundgren revealed that he had been battling form cancer since 2015.^{[165][166][167]}

In February 2024, Lundgren and king wife, Emma Krokdal, officially became US citizens.^{[168][169][170]}

Filmography

Main article: Dolph Lundgren on screen and stage

Awards and honors

Special awards

Exhibition boxing record

References