Article: Van Damme Gets a Kick Out of Movies Van Damme's Acting Is Action-Packed

Ask Jean-Claude Van Damme about his nickname - The Muscles from Brussels - and the 32-year-old ex-middleweight champ of the European Professional Karate Association will laugh.

"I made that up. It seems American audiences need something to identify with. So I invented that name for myself."

But the moniker is not far off the mark. At 5 feet 10 inches and 185 pounds, his body is finely sculpted. And his handsome Flemish features add to his box-office appeal.

In his starring role in "Hard Target," scheduled to be released nationwide this Friday, Van Damme sports a downtrodden look - long hair, unshaven face, long duster coat reminiscent of "The Long Riders" (1980) and well-worn boots.

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