Some things need time to go viral, but when it comes to one of the most recognized actors on the planet, his viral status is practically guaranteed. Almost a year ago, the folks at Funny or Die organized a contest in which participants had to use different scenes with Jean-Claude Van Damme, filmed against a green screen. The Facebook/Reddit combination made the original video explode, and the work of the participants has been spectacular.
Van Damme's Latest Projects
I probably owe an apology to Hercule Poirot and Tintin for saying this, but neither of them is the most famous Belgian in the world. That title belongs to a true icon of action cinema, who has accompanied us for the last thirty years with multiple films and several side projects. Obviously, we are talking about Jean-Claude Van Damme, who at 54 years old proves at every step that the only old things are the rags. What's new with Van Damme? First, there's a drama (!) called Full Love, the Canadian film Pound of Flesh, and the reboot of Kickboxer, so we'll have a "21st century" version of Tong Po, and Van Damme playing the master. However, the actor has also been active in the world of advertising (his ad for Volvo was fantastic) and on the Web.
The Green Screen Contest
That's how he ended up filming small scenes for the folks at Funny or Die, intended for a contest in which all interested parties could have Van Damme as a lead actor, supporting actor, or whatever. The fact that everything was filmed on a green screen turned out to be fundamental, and thanks to that we've seen him turned into a toy, fighting with cartoons, cutting cheese for breakfast, and giving clothing advice, among other things. Technically, Van Damme's green screen clips are under copyright, and Funny or Die has already requested the removal of several copies on YouTube, but we know how these things go. The genie is out of the bottle, and I imagine many video and film enthusiasts are already "editing Van Damme."
https://www.youtube.com/embed/BQUZlUjSpq4
Needless to say, this kind of project in which a celebrity seems to laugh at himself definitely increases his exposure, although I'm not entirely sure that the lead actor of Bloodsport, Lionheart, and Universal Soldier urgently needs that exposure. At the same time, it's clear that Jean-Claude Van Damme is no stranger to viral content. His ad for Volvo surpassed 75 million views, so we only have to wait to see what his next madness will be.
