Dolph Lundgren Quotations

When I got cast in 'Rocky IV,' I had never seen a film camera before. And here I was in this boxing movie.

Everybody's life has some mythical quality. You struggle against obstacles, you fight to get to a higher level and there are great loves.

Having bodyguards is just part of being famous, I think.

I think mortality makes you live a fuller existence. When I was a kid I was scared of death, and maybe that's what made me desperate to get the most out of life.

There are a lot of great athletes who stop working out, and they get out of shape like everybody else in their 30s and 40s.

My problem is that people get intimidated by someone big and beautiful like me. They hate to think I can be smart as well.

My sensei was a British karate champion named Brian Fitkin. He was my mentor and because I had a hard relationship with my dad, he became a father figure to me.

Nicolas Cage is a great actor and he's done some good action movies too.

Your body's made to run, to walk, to trek long distances and carry things, work in a forest, and hunt animals. You have to keep it alive to function.

I discovered martial arts, first judo and then karate, and I became quite good at it, because I had something to prove. And more than anything, I needed to feel safe.

I try to keep the martial arts up. It's a good thing, not just physically but also for your mind.

I do a little bit of yoga-style meditation. Relaxing and breathing even just one minute a day makes a big difference.

I used to play drums when I was a kid, play the trombone.

When I started studying acting in New York, I didn't plan to be an action hero. I just wanted to learn acting because I felt it was something I needed to try to do for myself, to express something, my inner pain, or something I couldn't get out.

I think by planning an exercise regime, your diet follows to some extent.

I've actually always been into suits. But I never really wore them, I guess because I was too young and it didn't feel right.

Jackie Chan, I've known him, he's a great guy. I know he's very watchable and fun. He's perfect, actually.

At least once a week, I try to have one day where I have nothing planned so I can get up and just go back to bed and lay around and recharge my batteries.

I wanted to become an engineer, or get a masters in business. But I had the opportunity to do films when I was about 25 and it was a great way to express myself.

When I was a teenager, my dad used to put a lot of pressure on me to be successful, and I'd really beat myself up about things like losing martial arts competitions.

Hollywood is great for entertaining people, it's a wonderful business but it's make-believe, you must remember that. That's one of the most important things to remember and the distinction in your own life, otherwise people get lost in their own fame, and it makes them unhappy.

The acting style that has emerged from HD, because of the contrast and how sharp the picture is, it's more neutrally played. The main character is very minamalistic. That's what works in this digital age.

I suppose I will try to enjoy my life now while I have it. Who knows what's going to happen in the future?

If I need to bulk up for a role, I will do more weights. If I need to slim down for something, I will do more cardio. That's usually how it goes.

You realize as a director that when you are cutting a film, you want to have alternatives. You need color and choices. You don't want four takes that are identical.

I train about four or five times a week. I guess I am addicted to it. I also do a lot of martial arts. More than I have done in awhile. I like to go back to martial arts because it makes me feel good.

When I was a kid, I was like everyone else: afraid of getting nuked. We had drills in school - Sweden was very close to the Soviet Union. There was definitely a lot of tension.

Stallone is a pretty tough director. You don't mess with him.

I like Stallone, because he writes. He sits down with a blank page and comes up with another Rambo movie. That isn't very easy for anybody. He's made it successful on top of that.

As you get older, it's important to have goals. When you're a kid you have them, but other people can set them for you, such as your parents, your school... so, as you get older it's nice to have your own goals, which don't have to do with being more famous, or being in bigger movies, or making more money. Those things kind of corrupt your soul.

I think the violence is important. It all depends on the genre. Rambo was ultra-violent, and I think it worked. You have to give Stallone credit. You have to respect him for taking that shot, and taking the violence all the way. He was the first one to do that in a long time. It fricking worked.

On the one hand, you have these huge budget films that cost millions of dollars. They are effects driven, they don't have well known actors in them, and they are making money. Well, some of them are. One the other hand, you have Stallone and Statham, and guys like DeNiro and Pacino, and Costner, who are all trying to make movies about real people. They are interested in character driven projects.

I discovered martial arts . . .

Because he's a character who's looking for his own identity, [He-Man is] an interesting role for an actor.

I prefer to channel my problems and inner demons through a character. Another persona. That protects me and my family. I can get my frustrations out that way.

Stallone is a great writer. He wrote one of the best screenplays ever written. Rocky. It is one of the biggest classics of all time. I think in the past, he was shying away from writing his own stuff, because there is a lot of pressure when you star in something that you write.

As a hero, you have to play it straight. The audience is going to live through you, so you have to be more neutral. They will be projecting their thoughts and their actions onto the main character.

You get a bigger paycheck if you are the hero. There is something good about it.

I like being the villian. I don't know if it has to do with my personality. You get to have a lot more fun as a villian. You don't have to stick to the rules. You can be a lot crazier. You can go off the rails.

People like to lay their whole life, and all of their own secrets out in front of the world. They make money off of it, and find satisfaction that way. I personally don't believe in that. I think it can be hurtful to yourself and those around you.

When you are acting in a film, you have no idea what scene the editor is going to choose. For instance, after you have directed, you feel more comfortable delivering a performance. Because you know the real performance is put together in the editing room.

I'm not going to freeze my body. One life is enough for me. Some people take this gamble. That someone will be able to bring them back in the future. I'm not going to do it.

You can't give someone five hundred punches in a film anymore. You beat on them, and they continue to stand there staring at you. That doesn't work. People just don't buy that anymore.

Film is about what you are thinking. It's about what's inside.

I do weights a few times a week. Not a lot of heavy weights. I do it just to keep my muscle toned. I do some sparring. If I get a chance, I will go swimming or running in-between. I keep in pretty good shape between films.

First the movie, the actual playing of the role and trying to deliver what everybody wanted. Then, when the film came out, there was instant fame. I was just a kid from Sweden, I didn't know what was going on.

I used to be a chemical-engineering student, but I started studying acting, and I went for a cattle call, up against hundreds of people. They tore me down because I was too tall. They said "How tall are you?" "6'5"." "Next.

I like the old school heavy metal bands like AC/DC and Aeromith. I like that type of music. As the director, I tried to influence the type of music the bands in the movie would play.

I never came with a conscious plan to replace anyone else. Stallone does feel that way. He is a real tough guy in real life, and he gets to act that out. If you meet him and work with him, he is what he is. He is a guy that works out every day.

Karate has helped me lots, otherwise I might have got lost in substance abuse or something like the things a lot of other people do.

I was very sickly as a kid and had a lot of allergies, so martial arts gave me the chance to feel strong.

I think that people are going to find more interest in the human condition, especially with them being weaned on so much reality television. They want character driven stuff along with real violence. Cage fighting is very popular with the kids right now. They see and know what one punch can do to someone's face. You can't give someone five hundred punches in a film anymore.

My dad was in the Swedish armed forces, he was always reading up on different weapons from the Americans and Soviets. When I was a kid, I was in bed looking at his books, reading about the Red Army. So I was very aware of it. I had an interest in military matters ever since.

I've never had a good line. Well, maybe 'I must break you'.

Working with Jean-Claude is a lot of fun. Because he's a great actor who also happens to be a fighter. That combination doesn't usually come together anymore. Usually, you have to fight the stunt double and then act against the actor. In his case, you are fighting with a real guy. It takes a minute to get used to that. Because it doesn't happen any more.

I would think that the drumstick is probably pretty good. Because you can put that anywhere. If you are a strong guy, you can put it in the throat, the nose, the mouth, the ear. It's also easily concealed. The guitar is pretty good, but you have to break it. And that's pretty difficult.

I know what its like to direct. You become a more considerate actor. After you have directed, you understand what is going on. You can't help but think of the material as a director. You do come up with suggestions. You come up with shortcuts that you weren't aware of before. You try to be helpful to the director if he has a lot on his hands.

One day you'll understand the sheer awesomeness that is me.

I've drank more beer and pissed more blood and banged more women than all you numb nuts put together!