QUICK READ ---- DOLPH LUNGREN Dolph Lundgren (born Hans Lundgren; 3 November 1957) is a Swedish actor, director, and martial artist. He belongs to a generation of film actors who epitomise the action hero stereotype, alongside Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Steven Seagal, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS B Sc Chem Eng; [Royal Institute of Technology / Stocholm -- 1976 M Sc Chem Eng; [University of Sydney / Australia] -- 1982 He received a degree in chemistry from Washington State University in 1976, a degree in chemical engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm in the early 1980s, then a Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Sydney in Sydney in 1982. Lundgren holds a rank of 3rd dan black belt in Kyokushin Karate and was European champion in 1980 and 1981. While in Sydney, he became a bodyguard for Jamaican singer Grace Jones and began a relationship with her. They moved together to New York City, where after a short stint as a model and bouncer at the Manhattan nightclub The Limelight, Jones got him a small debut role in the James Bond film A View to a Kill as a KGB henchman. Lundgrens breakthrough came when he starred in Rocky IV in 1985 as the imposing Russian boxer Ivan Drago. Since then, he has starred in more than 40 movies, almost all of them in the action genre. He portrayed He-Man in the 1987 film Masters of the Universe, and Frank Castle in the 1989 film The Punisher. In the early 1990s, he also appeared in films such as Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991), alongside Brandon Lee; Universal Soldier (1992), opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme; Joshua Tree (1993), opposite Kristian Alfonso and George Segal; Johnny Mnemonic (1995), opposite Keanu Reeves and Ice-T; and Blackjack (1998), directed by John Woo. In 2004, Lundgren directed his first picture, The Defender, and subsequently helmed The Mechanik (2005), Missionary Man (2007), Command Performance (2009), and Icarus (2010), in which he also starred. After a long spell performing in direct-to-video films, 2010 marked his return to theatres with The Expendables, an on-screen reunion with Stallone, alongside an all-action star cast which included, among others, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Mickey Rourke. He reprised his role as Gunner Jensen in The Expendables 2 in 2012. Known for his stature and fitness, at peak, Lundgren stood around 194 centimetres (6 ft 4 in) and weighed 110 kilograms (240 lb), and continues to be an influence in the world of fitness and bodybuilding. KARATE ACHIEVEMENTS 3RD DAN -- KYOKUSHIN CAPTAINED THE SWEDISH TEAM IN 1979 EUROPEAN CHAMPION -- 1980 AND 1981 Amidst his years of studying, Lundgren honed his karate skills by training hard in the dojo for five years, attaining the rank of 2nd dan black belt in Kyokushin in 1978. He captained the Swedish Kyokushin karate team, and was a formidable challenger at the 1979 World Open Tournament (arranged by the Kyokushin Karate Organization) when he was only a green belt. He won the European championships in 1980 and 1981, and a heavyweight tournament in Australia in 1982. Dolph continued training kyokushin karate after leaving his tournament career, when his new career allowed, and eventually graded to 3rd Dan in July 1998, in the Shinkyokushin organization of Kyokushin karate. The formal grading took place in Stockholms kyokushin karate Gym, in Stockholm, Sweden. Lundgren is often seen on Shinkyokushin tournament events, doing karate exhibitions during breaks. In 1982, Lundgren graduated with a masters degree in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney, finishing with the highest results in his class. During his time in Sydney, he earned a living as a bouncer in a nightclub in the renowned Kings Cross area. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1983. However, while preparing for the move to Boston, he was spotted in the nightclub he worked at in Sydney and was hired by Grace Jones as a bodyguard. He fell in love with Jones. Their relationship developed dramatically, and he moved with her to New York City.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Feb 2014 16:43:58 +0000
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