Dolph Lundgren’s rise to fame can be credited with his notable performance in the 1985 hit Rocky IV. From being known as an action star, he has explored different aspects of the film industry and worked as a producer, screenwriter, and a director. Indeed, he has come a long way after starting out with a bit part in an old James Bond movie.
Named Hans Lundgren, he was born on November 3, 1957, to Swedish parents. As a young child, he saw his father as a physically-abusive figure who viewed him as a “loser.” This stuck to the young boy, who would, later on, attribute his ambitious streaks as a means to prove himself. The abusiveness present in the family was also one of the influencing factors as to why Dolph got into martial arts. Despite these circumstances, he had always maintained his love and admiration towards the old Lundgren. Dolph’s interest towards contact sports started when he was seven. He first tried judo and then moved on to karate and weight training when he reached his
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As the film industry was more lucrative than chemical engineering, he decided to pursue this new path. When he learned that a role for “Rocky IV” was open and that it needed an imposing fighter, he sent pictures and videos to a contact connected to Sylvester Stallone. The move paid off and he was cast as the steroid-enhanced Russian fighter, Ivan Drago. It was a very memorable character with his physical appearance and unforgettable lines that are still being quoted in pop culture today. This role catapulted him into Hollywood’s newest and hottest action star. In his interviews, he would often mention how at the beginning of the night’s film screening, he was just known as the boyfriend of Grace Jones. Ninety-minutes after the film and as he went out of Westwood Theater, he suddenly created a persona as Dolph Lundgren, the action