20 Interesting Facts You May Not Know About Dolph Lundgren
You probably knew Dolph Lundgren was really smart - like, chemical engineer at MIT smart. You definitely knew he was in Rocky IV and that he played the first live-action version of Marvel's Punisher. And if you're the right age, you might have been disappointed that he played He-Man, but have grown to appreciate it since.
But there's still a lot of trivia and stories you probably don't know from Lundgren's biography. What dessert does he like? How did he end up in a Coen brothers' movie? What soccer team does he support? And how tough is he, really?
We've combed the corners of the Dolph-Lundgren-o-sphere to bring you the best quotes, anecdotes, and facts from Lundgren's fascinating life history. And once you are, you'll be even more in awe of the blond giant.He Has Given a TED Talk - And You'll Never Guess the Topic
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You'd suspect he might have spoken on the subject of acting, or fighting. But no... the topic was "healing and forgiveness," stemming from the abuse he suffered from his army officer dad.
Still, he can't help but name-drop the time he met Andy Warhol. Wouldn't you?His Actual Birth Name Is Hans
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Lundgren took on the name "Dolph," from a maternal relative, with the release of Rocky IV. Coincidentally, wrestler Nick Nemeth did the same thing when he chose a great-grandfather's name to become "Dolph Ziggler."
That picture above? It's the first result when you do a Google Image Search for "Hans," the photo of a Dutch math professor. It may also give you a clue as to why maybe Dolph didn't think "Hans" was a tough-guy name.Convicted Lobbyist Jack Abramoff Brought Him to Meet Ronald Reagan
Abramoff, who was eventually imprisoned for corruption involving his lobbying for Indian casinos, was the producer of Lundgren's anti-Soviet action movie Red Scorpion.
Lundgren told Nerdist: "He was a nice guy, him and his brother. I remember they took me to the White House, and I saw Reagan there sitting in the Oval Office working, like 1987 or something like that. He just walked straight in. I remember, he walked past all the security, you know, he was pals with Oliver North and all of those guys, and I suppose there’s some talk that he had access to some money from the CIA, because they were suddenly sponsoring all these movies where the Russians were the bad guys… [laughs] like my film."He Thinks His "Johnny Mnemonic" Character Would Win All the Battles
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Sorry, Masters of the Universe fans, but Lundgren thinks his Preacher character who opposed Keanu Reeves in the 1995 actioner is the most powerful man in the universe of roles he's played.
In response to a question on Reddit asking who would win if all his characters fought, he said, "Let's see... it would be messy, yeah. The preacher in JOHNNY MNEMONIC would probably win. But then you have He-Man, with the sword. I think the preacher is so driven, he had such inner fire and conviction, maybe he would win in the fight!"- Photo:
He Once Did One of the Greatest Elvis Covers You've Ever Seen
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If you've never seen the video above, you need to. It's Lundgren on a Swedish talent show singing Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation," and it includes him playing the drums, and using his martial arts skills to break boards and blocks of ice.
He may not be a better pure singer than Steven Seagal, but he clearly has a lot more fun with it.He Went the Distance with Oleg Taktarov in a Russian Boxing Match
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Plain old boxing doesn't play to either man's strengths, as both are more well-rounded martial artists, but Lundgren lasted the entire fight against the ex-UFC star, losing a split decision.
