Dolph Lundgren facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dolph Lundgren
|
|
|---|---|
Lundgren in 2018
|
|
| Born |
Hans Lundgren
3 November 1957 Spånga, Stockholm County, Sweden
|
| Citizenship |
|
| Education | Royal Institute of Technology (MSE) University of Sydney (Exchanging 1 semester) Washington State University |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1979–present |
|
Works
|
Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children | 2 |
Hans "Dolph" Lundgren (born 3 November 1957) is a famous Swedish-American actor, filmmaker, and martial artist. He is also a chemical engineer. Dolph Lundgren first appeared in a movie in 1985. This was a small role in the James Bond film A View to a Kill.
In the same year, he became very well known. He played the main villain, Ivan Drago, in Sylvester Stallone's movie Rocky IV. Ivan Drago was a strong Soviet boxer. After this, Lundgren starred in over 80 action movies. Some of these include Masters of the Universe (1987) and Red Scorpion (1988). He also played the main character in The Punisher (1989).
He continued to play tough characters. A notable role was Sergeant Andrew Scott in the Universal Soldier films. He starred alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme in these movies. In the 2000s, Lundgren started directing his own films. These include The Defender (2004) and The Mechanik (2005).
Dolph Lundgren became very popular again in 2010. He played Gunner Jensen in The Expendables. This movie featured many famous action stars. He also appeared in the sequels to The Expendables. Later, he was in popular films like Aquaman (2018). He also directed Castle Falls (2021). In 2018, he returned as Ivan Drago in Creed II. He has also done voice acting for animated movies.
Lundgren studied chemical engineering at the Royal Institute of Technology. He earned a master's degree from the University of Sydney in 1982. He started practicing martial arts at age 16. He holds a 4th dan black belt in Kyokushin karate. He was also the European champion in 1980 and 1981.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Early Life and Education
Dolph Lundgren was born Hans Lundgren on 3 November 1957. He grew up in Spånga, Stockholm County, Sweden. His mother was a language teacher. His father was an engineer and economist for the Swedish government. He lived in Spånga until he was 13. Then he moved to his grandparents' home. He has two sisters and an elder brother. He has said that his difficult relationship with his father made him want to do contact sports like boxing and karate.
As a child, Lundgren felt insecure and had allergies. He described himself as small. He was very interested in drumming and wanted to be a rock star. At age seven, he tried judo. He started Kyokushin karate when he was 10. As a teenager, he began lifting weights. His father always told him to go to America to make something special of his life.
After high school, he studied in the United States. He attended Washington State University and Clemson University. He also served one year in the Swedish Coastal Artillery. In the late 1970s, he went to the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. He graduated with a degree in chemical engineering.
While studying, Lundgren trained hard in karate. He earned a black belt in Kyokushin. He led the Swedish Kyokushin karate team. He won the European championships in 1980 and 1981. In 1982, he got his master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney. In Sydney, he worked as a bouncer at a nightclub.
In 1983, Lundgren received a scholarship to MIT. But before moving, he was discovered by singer Grace Jones. She hired him as her bodyguard. They moved to New York City. There, he tried modeling. He also worked as a bouncer at a nightclub called The Limelight. During the day, he studied acting. He met famous artists like Andy Warhol. He decided to quit MIT after two weeks to become an actor. He found the entertainment business more exciting than chemical engineering.
Becoming an Action Star
First Steps in Film
Dolph Lundgren's first movie role was in the 1985 James Bond film A View to a Kill. He played a small part as a KGB assassin. His former partner, Grace Jones, helped him get the role.
Sylvester Stallone was looking for a strong actor to play Ivan Drago in Rocky IV (1985). Lundgren sent his videos and pictures to Stallone. He was first turned down because he was too tall. But Lundgren eventually got the role, beating 5,000 other actors. He trained very hard for five months. He did bodybuilding and boxing. His character, Ivan Drago, became very famous. Drago's lines like "If he dies, he dies" are well-known. The premiere of Rocky IV changed Lundgren's life. He went from being a student from Sweden to a movie star.
In 1987, Lundgren released a workout video called Maximum Potential. He also got his first main role as He-Man in Masters of the Universe. This movie was based on the popular toy and cartoon. The film was not well-received by critics. Some said it was too violent for a family movie.
In 1988, he starred in Red Scorpion. He played a Soviet KGB agent. The film did not get good reviews. In 1989, Lundgren played the main character in The Punisher. This movie was based on a Marvel Comics character. The film had some changes from the comic book. It was released in cinemas internationally but went straight to video in the US. Over time, some fans have come to like the movie.
In 1990, Lundgren starred in the sci-fi thriller I Come in Peace. In 1991, he was in Cover Up. He played a US Marine veteran who becomes a reporter. He also starred with Brandon Lee in Showdown in Little Tokyo. They played police officers investigating the yakuza.
Action Films in the 1990s
In 1992, Lundgren starred in Universal Soldier. He played Sergeant Andrew Scott. Jean-Claude Van Damme played Luc Deveraux. They were US soldiers who died in the Vietnam War. They were brought back to life for a secret Army project. The movie was a big success worldwide.
In 1993, Lundgren starred in Joshua Tree. In 1994, he played an East German Olympic gold medalist in Pentathlon. He trained with the US pentathlon team for the role. He later became the Team Leader for the 1996 US Olympic Modern Pentathlon team.
Later in 1994, Lundgren appeared in Men of War. He played Nick Gunar, a former Special Ops soldier. He leads a group of mercenaries to a treasure island. Some critics liked the film. In 1995, Lundgren was in Johnny Mnemonic with Keanu Reeves. He played Karl Honig, a hitman. The film was not well-received and did not make much money.
Directing and More Films
In 1996, Lundgren starred in Silent Trigger. He played a former Special Forces agent who becomes an assassin. In 1997, he starred in The Peacekeeper. He played Major Frank Cross of the US Air Force. The film was praised for its action scenes.
In 1998, he appeared in The Minion. He played Lukas Sadorov, a templar guarding the gateway to Hell. He also appeared in Sweepers. He played Christian Erickson, a demolition expert. He also featured in the TV pilot Blackjack.
In 1999, Lundgren played a mercenary in Bridge of Dragons. He was a military pilot in Storm Catcher. He also played a cop and former boxer in Jill Rips.
In 2000, Lundgren starred in The Last Warrior. He also appeared in Agent Red. He played a soldier trapped on a submarine. In 2001, Lundgren starred in Hidden Agenda. He played Jason Price, an ex-FBI agent. In 2003, he was in Detention.
In 2004, Lundgren appeared in Direct Action. He played Sergeant Frank Gannon. He also had a role in the comedy Fat Slags. His next main role was in the science fiction movie Retrograde.
In 2004, Lundgren directed his first movie, The Defender. He also starred in it. He played the bodyguard of the head of the National Security Agency. In 2005, Lundgren directed and starred in his second film, The Mechanik. He played a retired Russian Special Forces hitman.
In 2006, Lundgren played gladiator Brixos in The Inquiry. This was a historical drama set in the Roman Empire.
In 2007, Lundgren directed and starred in Diamond Dogs. He played a mercenary hired by fortune hunters. Later in 2007, Lundgren wrote, directed, and starred in the western film Missionary Man. He played a lone, Bible-preaching stranger named Ryder. He comes to a small Texas town and gets into fights with a local gang. Lundgren had always wanted to direct a western.
In 2008, Lundgren starred in Direct Contact. He played an ex-US Special forces operative. This was followed by Command Performance (2009). Lundgren, who is a good musician, played a rock drummer. He has to face terrorists at a concert. His own daughter, Ida, appeared in the film.
In 2009, the Dolph Lundgren Scholarship was created in his name. It is given to the best student at Ådalsskolan in Kramfors, his old school. Lundgren then worked with Jean-Claude Van Damme again in Universal Soldier: Regeneration. He played Andrew Scott's clone. The film received better reviews than many direct-to-DVD sequels. Later in 2009, Lundgren directed and starred in Icarus. He played a businessman with a secret past as a KGB agent.
Recent Projects and Comeback
In 2010, Lundgren appeared on the TV series Chuck. He played a Russian spy named Marco. He then starred in the action film The Expendables. The cast included many action stars like Stallone and Jason Statham. The film was a big commercial success.
Lundgren was also one of the hosts for the 2010 Melodifestivalen. This is where Sweden chooses its song for the Eurovision Song Contest. His performance was praised, especially his singing of Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation".
Lundgren played the main role in In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds. He also had supporting roles in Small Apartments and Stash House. He filmed Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning and One in the Chamber. The Expendables 2 was filmed in late 2011. Lundgren played Gunner Jensen again. It was released in 2012.
In 2013, Lundgren starred with Steve Austin in The Package. He also appeared in other films that year. These included Legendary, Battle of the Damned, and Blood of Redemption.
In 2014, Lundgren co-starred in Puncture Wounds. He also played Gunner Jensen for the third time in The Expendables 3. He then wrote, produced, and starred in Skin Trade. He filmed a small role for the 2016 comedy film Hail, Caesar!.
In 2015, Lundgren started filming Shark Lake. He played Clint Gray, who deals in exotic animals. He is responsible for releasing a dangerous shark into Lake Tahoe. Also in 2015, War Pigs premiered. Lundgren played Captain Hans Picault, a French Legionnaire. He trains a US Army group to fight Nazis. In August 2015, he started filming Kindergarten Cop 2. He played Agent Reed, a law enforcement officer. He goes undercover as a kindergarten teacher. He also starred in other films that year, like The Good, the Bad and the Dead. In 2017, he was in the music video for Imagine Dragons's song "Believer". In August 2017, he played a future version of Gil Shepard in Sharknado 5: Global Swarming.
In 2018, Black Water was released. This was his fifth movie with Van Damme. They played allies for the first time. Lundgren also returned as Ivan Drago in Creed II. He played an older, less wealthy Drago. The film also introduced Drago's son, Viktor. This role helped Lundgren make a big "comeback." In the same year, Lundgren appeared in the DC Extended Universe film Aquaman. He played the underwater king Nereus. In 2021, Lundgren starred in and directed Castle Falls. This was his first time directing a feature film in almost 12 years.
In 2022, Lundgren appeared in commercials for Old Spice. He played a younger version of himself in an "80s action movie spoof."
Training and Health
Dolph Lundgren has always been very dedicated to fitness. He has been associated with bodybuilding since his role as Drago in the 1980s. He trains often, usually six days a week. His workouts are usually one hour long in the morning. He says this leaves him the rest of the day to enjoy. He started lifting weights as a teenager. His co-star Sylvester Stallone influenced his fitness routine. Stallone taught him to eat more protein and have five or six smaller meals a day.
In 2011, he announced he was working on his own line of vitamins. He also wrote a fitness book called Train Like an Action Hero: Be Fit Forever. It was published in Sweden in 2011. The book gives tips on how to work out with a busy schedule and travel. It also shares details about his early life. He says that having a better quality of life inspires him to stay fit.
When he is in Los Angeles, he trains at the Equinox Gym. He also practices karate and lifts weights. He believes that deadlifts and squats are the best exercises for building muscle.
In May 2023, Lundgren shared that he has been fighting kidney cancer since 2015.
Personal Life
Dolph Lundgren divides his time between Stockholm and Los Angeles. He speaks Swedish and English very well. He also knows some French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish.
He is a big football fan. He supported Everton when he lived in Europe. After moving to Los Angeles, he became more interested in international football tournaments.
In 1994, he married Anette Qviberg. She is a jewelry designer and fashion stylist. They chose to live in Marbella, Spain. They have two daughters: Ida Sigrid Lundgren (born 1996) and Greta Eveline Lundgren (born 2001). Both were born in Stockholm. Lundgren and Qviberg wanted their children to have a normal childhood away from Hollywood. They divorced in 2011.
Lundgren was in a relationship with Jenny Sandersson from 2011 to 2017. In June 2020, he got engaged to Emma Krokdal. She is a personal trainer from Norway. They married at their villa in Mykonos on July 13, 2023.
In February 2024, Dolph Lundgren and his wife, Emma Krokdal, became US citizens.
Filmography
Awards and Honors
| Nominated work | Year | Award | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky IV | 1985 | Marshall Trophy for Best Actor | Won |
Special Awards
| Ceremony | Year | Award | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Málaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema | 2007 | Fantastic Lantern | Won |
| Nominated work | Year | Award | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky IV | 2013 | Lifetime Achievement Award Best Actor Historical Blockbuster | Won |
Images for kids
-
Lundgren in 2018
-
Lundgren at the Air America premiere in 1990
-
A wall mural of Lundgren outside a cinema in Damascus, Syria
-
Lundgren in 2007
-
Lundgren with the cast of The Expendables at ComicCon 2010
-
Lundgren and Mathew Pritchard at the 2015 annual Gumball 3000 event in Stockholm, Sweden
See also
In Spanish: Dolph Lundgren para niños
