I love playing the villain, but a villain with class.

An action hero has to be always in shape mentally and physically. People, sometimes they believe Sly, Arnold, myself, we`re athletes, you cannot make mistakes. But Hollywood forgives, I guess.

I`ve become 40, my audience is partly the same age.

I liked the movement, technique and philosophy and I was training to be the best. Karate`s a very boring sport, but when you know the technique you can go further and further. You need at least six or seven years to understand the philosophy and concentration of karate to know to clean your spirit of everything and dedicate your mind and body to the sport. I also use it for concentration before acting scenes.

What is a movie star? It is an illusion. It was everything I ever wanted to be, but it became a kind of shell, non? It was what made me famous and got me women. But it wasn`t real

My dreams came true in America. It`s not possible in Belgium. I grew up sadly. Skinny kid. Big, thick glasses. Everything I`ve done is a miracle.

I love challenges. If you don`t have any and can do whatever you want, then it`s probably time to die.

I`m one of the most sensitive human beings on Earth -- and I know it.

I am the Fred Astaire of karate.

I took his (Alex Van Damme) name, in fact from his father because his father sent me for the first time in Hong Kong to be a picture model. I`m not enough tall to be a catwalk model, plus too big for that, and we became very good friends and I took his name as an honor. Because my name, by the way, is too complicated, it`s Van Veren Berg, so in America it sounds like Van Varen Berg" (said with American accent). So Van Damme it`s punchy, short, and clear." - [on adopting the name `Van Damme`]

God gave me a great body and it`s my duty to take care of my physical temple.

In an action film you act in the action. If it`s a dramatic film you act in the drama.

[His response to being asked what he thinks of his nickname `Muscles from Brussels]: "It`s better than being called `The Idiot from Brussels`."

Time Cop could have been a very profitable franchise, but those idiots chose instead to sell the rights to television. That could have also been the case with Bloodsport, but they settled instead on second-rate kick-boxers for the sequels. - [on his famous films sequels]

Ten, 15 years ago, Sly, Arnold, those guys, were well-built; of course, they had to act and find good scripts, but today action heroes don`t have to be Mr. Muscles. What really helps a guy to become an action hero today is the directing of the movie. All those fast cuts.