The Muscles From Brussels is alive and well and kicking (ass!)

BEVERLY HILLS — This guy Jean-Claude Van Damme is very funny. At the Expendables 2 junket here last week, when he learned that I am from the Philippines, his big, wide eyes became even wider, far wider than his smile that made me feel at ease, dispelling my initial suspicion that, like his menacing screen persona, he could send people to eternal sweet slumber with a flying kick at the slightest provocation.

The Muscles From Brussels didn’t do that, thank heavens! During the TV interview, the round-table interview and the one-on-one, Van Damme turned out to be lovable, so harmless and so suddenly familiar and connecting — especially when he learned that I am from the Philippines.

“I love the Philippines,” he said. “I’ve been there several times. I have several friends there.”

That set an easy-breezy mood for our three close encounters.

In fact, when I asked if it was okay to have his picture taken with his family (present during the one-on-one), Van Damme said, “By all means!” He even insisted that I sit with them for a “family picture” and that we pose together for posterity. Click!!!

His family consisted of his wife Gladys Portugues (a fitness expert and former bodybuilding champion) with whom he has three beautiful children — Kristopher, 25; Bianca, 22; and Nicolas, 17. They sat at the other end of the long table at a function room of Four Seasons, listening to the interview with undisguised interest.

Turning 52 (on Oct. 18), Van Damme is in tip-top shape, back in fighting form as the main villain in Expendables 2 (premiere on Wednesday, Aug. 15, and opening nationwide on Thursday, Aug. 16, from Lionsgate and Millennium Films, and released locally by Viva Films) which pits him with, among other action stalwarts, Sylvester Stallone who conceptualized this and the first Expendables which grossed $274 million worldwide in 2010. (Part 2’s other stars include Jet Li, Liam Hemsworth, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren and Jason Statham, with Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as “special guests.”)

In Expendables 2, Van Damme doesn’t disappoint. He’s even perhaps better than he was in his previous films like Bloodsport; No Retreat, No Surrender; Double Impact; Hard Target; Universal Soldier; and Maximum Risk…especially in his fight-to-the-finish scene with Stallone using only bare (but lethal) hands. Look, guys, no guns!

“I grew up on Steve McQueen and Bruce Lee movies,” volunteered Van Damme who won the bodybuilding title Mr. Belgium before he ventured into movies. “It was Bruce Lee’s movie Enter The Dragon that motivated me.”

The Muscles From Brussels. Nice title, isn’t it? How did you get it?

“We came up with that stuff ourselves because in Belgium we have good mussels…I mean, the seafood. The American people go to Belgium to eat the mussels with white wine. At that time, 20 years ago, mussels were cultured in farms. And then, mussels became muscles. Finally, Muscles From Brussels.”

How do you maintain those iconic muscles?

“By training, workout. And lots of vegetables. No, I’m not vegetarian. I just like lots of vegetables. My wife takes good care of me.”

So it helps a lot if you have a wife who’s a fitness expert and a former bodybuilder champion.

“Absolutely! If you have a good wife behind and beside you, it helps a lot. But now, she’s gonna start to travel with me. It’s a problem when your wife doesn’t travel with you. You make movies and you’re away from home too long, you become lonely and, you know, the business. So it’s good to have your wife with you.”

And your children?

“They are grown-up now and they can take care of themselves.”

They are all good-looking and talented, following in your footsteps.

“Good-looking? Yeah. Better than me. (Laughs) They are a good mix of Gladys and me. My sons are into martial arts. Nicolas did some karate and then he switched to skiing and snow-boarding. Kris is also into karate. Both of them are into movies.”

What about doing a movie with the three of them?

“Actually, we have just finished doing one which is coming out after Expendables 2. They are all in it.”

How was it working with your fellow action greats and the younger ones (Jet Li and Liam Hemsworth)?

“It’s amazing because they all have stories to tell from the past, they have made great movies. The movie brings together the crème de la crème of action. The movie does have CGI scenes but not too much. It’s more raw action. The blood and the bullets are all CGI.” (Adding with a laugh) “We have to conserve them for Expendables 3 and 4 and 5 and 6.”

I love the finale scene between you and Stallone. It was an exciting showdown between Rocky and The Muscles From Brussels, a fight to the finish. And I thought you have retired those muscles. They’re back with a vengeance!

“Yeah. I’m smaller now. I was bigger in the other movie that I have just done.”

What convinced you to play the bad guy in Expendables 2? A good bad guy, I should say.

“You know, I said to myself that if one day I’d get the chance to be in a big, big movie, why not play a bad guy?” (Stallone on Van Damme, from the Production Notes: “People have never seen him like this before. Usually, he plays heroes and I think people will be quite surprised by his role as Jean Vilain who is fearlessly hell-bent on destroying us despite the risk of self-destruction. He’s willing to die and eventually when Vilain and Barney Ross, my character, meet one-on-one, it ends up being a hellacious battle until the very end. It’s kind of like a heavyweight championship fight that you never thought would happen.”)

The Van Dammes are a martial-arts family. I wonder, do you still talk about martial arts among yourselves?

“We do talk about martial arts but not all the time.” (Adding with a good laugh) “Isn’t it cool that you are interviewing me with my family around?”

Obviously, you are encouraging them to pursue a showbiz career.

“Oh yes, I do. I think show business is a great business. But it’s harder for them today than it was for us when we were starting. There’s so much competition today. What do you think?”

Hmmmm, I don’t think so. I think it’s even easier for your kids because they have you and other actors as role models from whom they can learn a lot. Any tips for your kids?

“I always remind them to believe in themselves. My kids are different from one another. Kris is like me, very hard on himself; Nicolas is very confident; and Bianca, she’s very relaxed.”

Are you based here in Hollywood?

“No, I live in Hong Kong.”

With your family?

“No, not my kids, only my wife.” (Kristopher: “I’ve been to Hong Kong and I love it. I’ve heard so much about the Philippines from my dad. He told me about how gracious the people are. I would love to go to the Philippines.”) “Yes, I’ve been to the Philippines several times. I have several friends there, like Jude Estrada, the son of the former President (Erap Estrada). I’ve been telling my kids about how beautiful the Philippines. They should go to the Philippines and then go to Hong Kong later. Meanwhile, they’d rather stay in Los Angeles right now to pursue their careers.”

Oh, they’re doing in reverse of what you did. You started your career in Hong Kong before you came to Hollywood, didn’t you?

“No, not in Hong Kong. My first movie, with a very low budget, was shot in the Philippines. I was also the first guy to endorse Red Bull in the Philippines when that (energy drink) was only starting.”

What’s the title of that movie?

“I forgot what it was called.”

The highlight of the movie is the showdown between Sylvester Stallone (left) in his Rocky best and Van Damme with his kicks flying

 Your Filipino fans have been missing you. Any plans of going to the Philippines maybe for a visit or to do another movie (bigger than the first)?

“Absolutely! For the last six years, I’ve been staying in Hong Kong and I travel a lot around Asia. One of these days I will go back to the Philippines. Asia is a wonderful place. The people are so…different. They are very relaxed, they have a different type of philosophy. They are so respectful. That’s why I love Asia. It gives me a different kind of feeling.”

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