• Interviews

• All
• Music
• Cinema
• TV
• Comic Books

Dec 11, 2017 Web Exclusive By Austin Trunick

Equal parts action and comedy, the upcoming Amazon series Jean-Claude Van Johnson – debuting on December 15^th – feels like a gift from Jean-Claude Van Damme to his fans.

In the show, the Belgian martial arts superstar plays a version of himself, Jean-Claude Van Damme. The series supposes that the master of high kicks and wide splits was recruited by a top secret black ops unit early in his career, and that the movies he made over the last 30 years – often filmed in far-off countries – were actually a cover for dangerous, James Bond-like espionage missions. His operative name? The not-suspicious-sounding-at-all “Jean-Claude Van Johnson.”

Followers of Van Damme’s career will appreciate the series’ hilarious winks to the actor’s past and career. There are plentiful references to his old classics, like Hard Target and Timecop, and parodies of the current action film industry. (The film-within-a-film his character is making throughout this first season is an “action re-imagining” of Huckleberry Finn, shot in Bulgaria.) Fans will also be pleased to find out that this self-aware humor doesn’t come at the expense of the flashy, hard-hitting style of martial arts action that made the Muscles from Brussels a worldwide star. Finding that balance was a primary concern for Jean-Claude Van Johnson creator Dave Callaham, a writer well-versed in action and whose previous scripts include all three Expendables movies and the 2014 Godzilla reboot. (He’s currently attached to co-write 2019’s Wonder Woman 2.) His talents combine superbly with those of series director Peter Atencio, a veteran comedy filmmaker who directed last year’s Keanu and every single episode of Comedy Central’s Key & Peele.

Of course, it’s Van Damme who makes the show. Jean-Claude Van Johnson gives the actor a long-overdue showcase for his unsung gifts as a comedian. Not only does the series allow him to poke good-humored fun at himself, but to take on multiple roles thanks to disguises, doppelgangers, and even time travel. (Let that last sentence sink in for a moment: JCVJ is truly a wild ride.) One of his most memorable, standout characters is the hunched-over, Muppet-voiced Filip, a meek Bulgarian factory worker who swears revenge on Van Damme after the actor kills all of his friends in a narcotics factory explosion. We’ve long been well-aware that Van Damme can kick ass, but who ever thought he’d have the chance to make us laugh this hard?

We had the opportunity to speak with Van Damme, Callaham, and Atencio ahead of the show’s streaming debut. You can read our conversation below, and check out the series’ trailer.

Austin Trunick [Under the Radar]: You’ve predominantly played very serious action personas in your movies, but on talk shows and on social media you’re much more laid back, relaxed, and funny. Was it refreshing for you to receive a script like this one, where you’re asked to tap more into that side of yourself?

JCVD: It was amazing. I was very lucky to be able to get more to do, with the different characters.

From this show and the commercials you’ve done in recent years, it’s clear you have a good sense of humor about yourself. Once you decided to move forward with Van Johnson, did you give Dave and Peter any guidelines about what you would and wouldn’t do? Was anything off limits?

JCVD: Well, they knew me, but they didn’t know me that well. We pushed it as far as we could, but of course always maintained a level of truthfulness. We pushed as far as we were able to without going over the border. When you see [characters] like Filip or the driver, they’re over the border, but they’re still real – they don’t look like they’re acting. So, that was great. But then, you also need a good story, and everything to be well-shot. Everything was perfect, man.

Many great physical comedians also happen to be superb athletes. As a performer, do you find any similarities in the way you approach a martial arts scene and how you prep for a piece of physical comedy?

JCVD: Yeah, it’s kind of the same as martial arts, you know? I trained so well – well, I mean, I never trained [for comedy], but I watched movies. I was always in love with film, and all sorts of movies. I was not the strongest kid at school: I was watching movies and movies, and doing martial arts, and more movies, and [more] martial arts. Those two work good together, because with martial arts you need to follow the rules, and you need to be technical. It’s all about perfection. The same with film.

I would say to you, it’s good for me to show a show like [Jean-Claude Van Johnson] to some people. For many years I read articles that said, “JC’s a one-dimensional actor.” You know, it’s hard for an action star, because we [are told] “Don’t go there.” What do you mean, don’t go there? We don’t have an award for best action movie. We don’t have an award for best action star – it doesn’t exist, so don’t go there. If an action star is going to be respected in the world of comedy, or the world of drama, then he has to do a great, great, great job – better than the normal guy, or it’s not enough to make a difference. Do you know what I’m saying? It’s hard for James Bond to become Snow White, and it’s hard for Snow White to play James Bond. But, it is possible with a good actor, and a good script, and director. And with Amazon, I can also go beyond what people know [of me]. It’s a different audience. They’re so big. They can also swallow a big part of my past history, in terms of being the guy from Bloodsport [to] the Jean-Claude Van Johnson guy.

I know Bruce Lee inspired you to become a martial arts star. I’m curious if there are actors you look up to or who inspire you when it comes to comedy?

JCVD: I was in love with… Well, I was not in love with, but, well, yeah, you can say “love” in European terms… I really liked Charles Bronson. Charles Bronson had a big influence. Bruce Lee was my hero. I loved James Dean, Montgomery Clift, Steve McQueen. Those were my American actors. And then my guy in Europe, Jean-Paul Belmondo. He had that essence where he was able to be funny, but also physical. I think he’s the closest guy I can compare to my character in Jean-Claude Van Johnson.

Jean-Claude’s directed action films [1996’s The Quest and the upcoming Full Love], and he did behind-the-scenes work fixing up classics like Bloodsport and Cyborg after shooting wrapped. That on top of all of his on-screen experience, he knows a lot about how to make martial arts work on screen. Peter, did the two of you collaborate on any of Jean-Claude Van Johnson‘s action scenes?

Peter Atencio: Oh, yeah! He was an encyclopedic resource of knowing how to shoot a great action film or martial arts scene. I would work with Casey O’Neill, our stunt coordinator, to work out how we’d tell the story we wanted to tell using the action. Our next step would always be to bring JC in and show him what we had so far, and then let him do his thing. It was very collaborative in that way. He’s able to spot ways to make it better, ways to make it more exciting, through the instruction and guidance he’d give the performers. For me, it was a remarkable education as a director to work with someone like that. It was awesome.

Dave and Peter, not only did you find a way to showcase Van Damme’s funny side, but you did it without sacrificing the action. How important was it for you to find that balance between humor and the style of action that made Van Damme a household name?

Dave Callaham: I would say that the whole premise of the show was predicated on us finding that balance. We were only interested in writing and telling a story that combined my love of Jean-Claude’s traditional filmography with the sort of things I find funny today. When Peter and I started working together, he was very much in the same mind set. That was a priority for both of us. In the show, all of the action sequences were designed to both reflect Jean-Claude’s past, but also be told with kind of a wink, and a comedy element.

Peter: My background is comedy, but I always loved action. My biggest concern was making sure the show still worked as an action show as well as a comedy, and that those two things didn’t fight against each other at all. I like great action scenes, and I like when there’s humor in them without killing the tension. A well-executed scene uses the humor as a little release valve, to give you moments of levity and then you’re right back into being invested in what JC is experiencing.

Obviously there are factors outside of your control, but the series does leave itself open for continuation. If this season goes over as big as I hope it will, are all three of you open to do more?

Dave: Of course.

Peter: Absolutely!

JCVD: Yeah!

Peter: I hope we get the chance to do more of it, because it was a truly great experience.

***

Jean-Claude Van Johnson starts streaming on Amazon Prime on December 15^th. For more information, head over to the series’ Facebook page.