Van Damme Talks ‘The Expendables’

Jean-Claude Van Damme recently sat down with totalfilm.com and went into why he turned down a role in Sylvester Stallone’s latest film, ‘The Expendables’.

Here’s what he had to say:

“Stallone gave me a part in his next movie,” he told us. “But I ask him about the subject, about the story.”

“He said, ‘You’re gonna make lots of money.’ I don’t want to hear that, I want to hear what was my character.   He was unable to tell what it’s going to be.”

“[Stallone said:] ‘You know, uh, well, the fighting will be good.’ [So I said:] ‘Sly, what is my character?’ So I didn’t do the movie.”

It sounds like either Van Damme is really turning into the “character” he played in ‘JCVD’ or that aspect of the film is really the way he views the films he chooses to be in.   Either way, it’s kind of impressive to hear Van Damme would turn down a part in Stallone’s latest film due to there not being much of a character involved.

Of course, this doesn’t bode well for people looking forward to ‘The Expendables’.   Evidently Jason Statham and Jet Li don’t have any qualms with a lack of character in the roles they choose.

‘The Expendables’ is set for release some time in 2010.

Source: Total Film