MovieChat Forums > Missing in Action (1984) Discussion > Missing Trivia: Van Damme as stunt

Missing Trivia: Van Damme as stunt


I think there's a missing trivia: Jean Claude Van Damme is actually one of the four stunts in this movie, according to the final credits. I've just watched this movie again from a Blu-ray source.

It seems that Van Damme really had a hard time back in the day. Three years after this movie, he was the guy in the "Predator" suit in the 1987 movie and no one noticed. By that time, he wasn't even mentioned.

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He didn't get the job for Predator in the end I believe.

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He clarified the Predator issue in a interview back in mid-90s. He actually started as the Predator (in the suit), but he decided to quit. So he's not credited because of that. But who knows if he did actually quit or got fired. Van Damme was a very stubborn bad ass back in the day.

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Van Damme complained that the suit (a different one than in the final movie) was potentially dangerous---he was proven right as the other two stuntmen that wore it were injured, causing a redesign. He was also, for a time, Norris' sparring partner (which might be why he's a stuntman in this movie). Van Damme said that Norris was really tough and that in a real fight, he would have beaten Van Damme.

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[deleted]

Yeah that footage is out on the DVD as Van Damme as the Predator, the suit was horrible, no way would that film be as iconic as it is without that change to Kevin Peter Hall and that awesome new Predator suit.

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