MOVIE NEWS – After four decades as one of the greatest action heroes in cinema history, Jean-Claude Van Damme will play himself in his final film.

It’s fair to say that, despite some terrible reviews in his long career, Jean-Claude Van Damme is one of the most recognisable names in action blockbuster cinema. After a series of uncredited or minor roles between 1979 and 1984, Van Damme played the main villain in 1986’s No Retreat, No Surrender, and two years later he landed his first starring role in Bloodsport. Now, thirty-six years later, at the age of 61, Van Damme will star in What’s My Name?

The film’s title comes from Van Damme’s portrayal of himself, an ageing action film actor who, after a near-fatal car accident, wakes from a coma with no memory of who he is. In the story, Van Damme will take on some of the most iconic fighters of his career as he struggles to regain his identity and his life, leading to one final confrontation.

Speaking to Deadline, Van Damme said that the film will draw from his filmmaking and personal life, similar to 2008’s JCVD. He said, “I wanted to leave the stage, but to do it in a way that revisits my career, starting with Bloodsport, where I started to become famous. I want this to be a new Bloodsport, but on a higher level. I’m going downhill in terms of my career in the film, and as I’m coming out of the premiere of another action movie, I’m not happy because I’ve been living in hotels for the last 30 years, which is actually true. We’re going to bring in real elements from my real life and what happened to me. I came from Belgium, all the way to Hollywood. I succeeded, I failed, I came back. After the premiere I walk out on the street and boom – a car hits me because I’m drunk. When I wake up from the crash, I don’t know my name and nobody recognizes me.”

Throughout his career, Van Damme has teamed up with pretty much every other action icon, from Dolph Lundgren to Tong Po, and starred alongside Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Chuck Norris, Jet Li and others in The Expendables 2. How many of these stars will appear in his action swansong is yet to be seen, but with the star promising to take on a number of his former adversaries, it’s safe to say that Van Damme fans everywhere will be in for a treat as they relive some of the greatest moments of his career in brand new form.

Director Jeremy Zag said of the film, “In this trap-22 where his heart is his only guide, he will be led on a journey that will include many struggles, in a true action mainstream film where JC is treated as a real human superhero. I grew up watching JC, and I want new viewers to do the same, and when he goes up against Tong Po, the flashback in his mind will begin, and we will reproduce the best fights from his greatest films”.

While there’s a lot of hard work in this last film, Van Damme has already planned what he intends to do afterwards, and it’s something that everyone can hope to have the opportunity to do at some point in their lives. Azt mondta: “Mindent lemondok, hogy formába lendüljek, és a film után vettem egy kis hajót. Nem egy nagy hajót – az nem nekem való -, de szeretném körbeutazni a világot, és pihenni. Egész életemben dolgozom, 30 éve szállodákban élek. All this is explained in the film, how I got far away from my family. After that I want to relax, enjoy my life and my family, because life goes by fast”.