IN THE CROSSHAIRS THIS MONTH…: DOLPH LUNDGREN
FILM QUOTES POSE AS QUESTIONS. FILM STARS TRY TO COPE.
I am. I’m talking to you from my apartment in West Hollywood, up here on the 27th floor.
Why don’t you tell me the story of your life?
It’s a long story! There’s going to be a documentary about it called Fights Worth Fighting. That’s starting out in Sweden, my career in chemical engineering, studying martial arts, the movies, my dad, my trauma, getting back onto the big screen with The Expendables and Aquaman… And then my medical adventure with kidney cancer. I’ve had a pretty interesting life, I would say.
You’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?
I had a prognosis [in 2015] that I only had a couple of years left, so I feel lucky to be alive. Luck has always played a part, though. It’s like one of the Roman generals said, ‘Everything that happens to you has been decided since the beginning of time.’ Everybody has their fate. And my fate was to be somebody who entertains and inspires people, I hope.
Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?
No, I think I’m about the right size for a stormtrooper!
Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?
Oh, yeah, many times. I went through a period of heavy drinking and a few addictions while trying to deal with the trauma from my childhood and I think I danced with the devil a few times.
But I lived to tell about it.
Do you have an off switch?
I do. But I didn’t used to. The off switch would be to get drunk. But now I like to hit the couch at least once a day. I like watching historical dramas. I was directing, writing and starring in my latest movie, Wanted Man, which is a lot, but my wife keeps me balanced.
How much can you know about yourself if you’ve never been in a fight?
A lot of smart people think they know a lot about themselves. But they don’t know about physical courage. You learn a lot about yourself in a fight.
What’s your favourite scary movie?
I don’t scare that easily. It has to be really good for me to stop analysing what I’m seeing and get into it, so I would say my favourite is the original Exorcist. Those in-camera effects were way more powerful than anything that came later.
Why do you do it? Why get up? Why keep fighting?
Because the alternative is to lay back and die. We’re supposed to take on the challenge of life. That’s part of the deal. We’re supposed to be fighting and trying to make the best of the situation. That’s where you find your happiness and meaning.
