Jean-Claude Van Damme soon became synonymous with the action genre with movies like Lionheart, Kickboxer, and Bloodsport. His martial arts skills combined with a fiery charisma resulted in a loyal fan club that holds him on a high pedestal. And why won’t they? I mean, it’s not every day you see an actor effortlessly pull off a split between two moving trucks!
However, during his rise in the entertainment industry, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s success might have gotten into his head a bit. When offered a picture deal worth 36 million dollars, the actor became over-confident enough to ask for more money. He believed that he was worth far, far more than what the studios were offering. As a result, he ended up getting the deal snatched away from him and getting blacklisted from the industry.
Jean-Claude Van Damme Wanted to Get Paid Like Jim Carrey
After riding on the waves of Timecop’s success, one could say that Jean-Claude Van Damme grew a bit cocky. Of course, studios knew that he was the action icon of the time and wanted him to be a part of their films. Once, Van Damme got a generous offer of signing a three-picture deal that would get him paychecks of $12 million per film. This meant that after he was done with the deal, he would be $36 million richer.
While that hefty amount is no joke, Van Damme didn’t believe the numbers matched his value. He told the studios to make it $20 million per film as he wanted to get paid like a superstar. Van Damme’s overconfidence cost him the deal entirely as the studios simply hung up the phone on him, never to call back.
On Jean-Claude Van Damme: Behind Closed Doors (via Yahoo), the actor recalled the incident stating,
“After the movie TImecop, I received a huge offer for a three-picture deal and it was $12 million per picture. That’s $36 million. I was wasted. I said, ‘I want $20 million like Jim Carrey’ and they hung up on me. I was not myself.”
The actor’s self-sabotage, which he soon realized was a mistake, resulted in him getting blacklisted. He stated, “I was completely f**ked up and I made a bad mistake and I was on the blacklist in Hollywood for years.”
After some time and a lot of hard work, JCVD was able to bounce right back up and continue building his legacy in Hollywood. He will soon be seen in James Cullen Bressack’s Darkness of Man where he plays Russell Hatch.
Why Exactly Did Jean-Claude Van Damme Demand More Money?
Speaking to The Guardian, Van Damme laughed at his arrogance and stated that the incident was indeed quite “f**ked up.” However, he clarified that it was never about the money for him. His demand to make as much money as like a superstar of Jim Carrey’s caliber was simply because he wanted to play with the system.
“But you know, it was not about the money. The people in the UK will read this and say, ‘What a f**king 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.”
It looks like it did not take JCVD much time before he realized that he didn’t make the smartest move. In his quest of playing with the system, he let go of an opportunity most consider to be a dream. Van Damme’s regrets were absolutely valid!
You can rent/buy Timecop on Prime Video.
Source: Jean-Claude Van Damme: Behind Closed Doors (via Yahoo)
