Jean-Claude Van Damme Performs Iconic Move Between Two Moving Trucks [Video]
Jean-Claude Van Damme does the splits in a number of his movies. It’s kind of his trademark, one that fans have come to expect from the action hero.
However, the Double Impact star recently took his iconic move to another level for a new Volvo advertisement. Instead of doing the splits to avoid getting electrocuted (Timecop) or for meditative purposes (Bloodsport), Van Damme is performing the stunt to sell automobiles.
Although he’s currently 53 years old, the Muscles from Brussels is just as flexible as ever. To prove this point, Jean-Claude Van Damme did the splits between two moving trucks. In short: It’s pretty epic. Check out the video below if you’re curious to see the guy in action. Then watch it again. It’s honestly that cool.
According to the Daily Mail, the stunt isn’t the end result of digital manipulation. Although some of the safety equipment was reportedly removed using computers, that’s really Jean-Claude Van Damme positioned between those trucks. Not surprisingly, Volvo doesn’t want anyone attempting this feat at home.
“I’ve had my ups and downs. My fair share of bumpy roads and heavy winds. That’s what made me what I am today. Now I stand here before you. What you see is a body crafted to perfection. A pair of legs engineered to defy the laws of physics and a mindset to master the most epic of splits,” Van Damme says in the Volvo ad.
The actor is currently in the process of getting his career back in order. After Hollywood turned its back on macho action movies in the late 90s, Jean-Claude Van Damme starred in a string of low-budget direct-to-video endeavors. However, it was his 2008 flick JCVD that proved he was serious about getting things back on track.
Although most of his latest movies don’t make it to the big screen these days, he did star alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone in the action-packed sequel The Expendables 2. According to The Guardian, Jean-Claude Van Damme said his downfall arrived when he attempted to game the Hollywood system.
He told the publication:
“I was f***ed up, man. But you know, it was not about the money. The people in the UK will read this and say, ‘What a f***ing piglet.’ Sorry about my expression! I was making movie after movie, and in between movies I was doing promotion. I was tired. Everything I was touching was making money. Jim Carrey was being paid a fortune. And I wanted to play with the system. Like an idiot. Ridiculous. I was on the blacklist. That was it.”
However, those days are clearly behind him. Fans of Jean-Claude Van Damme can catch him next in Welcome to the Jungle, Enemies Closer, and Keith Parmer’s Swelter.
[Image via Volvo]
