Jean-Claude Van Damme Walks Out In Sweaty Huff From Australian TV Interview: ‘What The F**k Is Wrong With Australia?’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXR2fDgR2Io

A word of warning to anyone who interviews martial arts star Jean-Claude Van Damme: keep things interesting, or he’s out.

During a satellite interview with Australia’s Sunrise (think Good Morning America here in the States) early Friday, the 55-year-old Kickboxer actor, who is currently stationed in Bangkok, became increasingly agitated over what he claimed were distractions behind the scenes and boring interview questions.

As reported by US Weekly, Van Damme was incredibly high-strung right from the start.

“Guys, you are talking behind the cameras,” he stated to the off-screen crew. “I’m online talking to you and I have people behind that camera talking about [the fact that] I’m sweating and everything. I’m looking to be as natural as possible when I come to Australia. I just want to talk to the people there.”

Things went from bad to worse when Van Damme was inquired on his current relationship with Australian pop icon, Kylie Minogue, who co-starred with Jean-Claude in the 1994 film adaptation of the video game series, Street Fighter.

“Yeah, I like Kylie,” he stated with an exasperated sigh. “I like everybody. Can I please come to Australia to talk [directly] to you?”

“Sorry, guys, I cannot do this anymore. You are talking to a guy who’s very rough, you know. Let me talk,” he demanded.

“Those questions you’ve been asking me — the press, they have been asking me the same questions for the last 25 years. How’s Kylie [Minogue]? How’s the training? How’s your this? How’s your that? So, I’m [hoping] to come to Australia to do something different with your audience.”

In the midst of his tangent, the action star then proclaimed that the line of questioning was “boring.”

“It’s difficult for me to answer those questions,” he explained, “so, I start to sweat [and] I don’t feel good, because [the questions] are boring. So, do you have something interesting to ask me?”

Apparently, whatever was asked of Van Damme next (the interview employs a jump cut at a certain point) didn’t impress him much as he decides at that particular moment to call it a day.

“Okay, I’m going to the restroom,” he states in a rush as he stands to remove his microphone from his shirt. “Bye-bye. Don’t shoot [me anymore] — cut! What the f**k is going on with Australia? I cannot do this. I’m too natural.”

Although it is currently unknown just what ticked Jean-Claude off to the point of exiting the conversation, those who favor the internet are incredibly aware of just how odd things tend to get when the Belgium-born star is being interviewed for a project. As noted by Esquire, a now-infamous 2007 appearance on a Brazilian talk show involved a moment that saw Van Damme showing off his dance moves with an attractive woman, before getting a bit too excited, so to speak, over the situation at hand.

On the flip side, the man who is often referred to as, “The Muscles From Brussels,” has proven many times in the past that he doesn’t normally take himself too seriously. In 2013, Van Damme showed off his flexibility and his funny side in a trio of commercials for the web hosting company, GoDaddy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzgm5WBJ_1Q

He did so again in a 2014 commercial for Volvo, where he pulled off a death-defying stunt that saw him doing a split between two semi-trailer trucks that were in motion.

Jean-Claude has not publicly commented on his decision to storm off from the interview. According to the US Weekly report, the main reason for the sit-down was to, ironically, promote an upcoming speaking tour that will see him visit multiple cities in Australia.

[Photo by Francois Durand/Stringer/Getty Images]