Hollywood star and martial artist Jean Claude Van Damme said he hopes to someday work with Chinese stars, especially "The Grandmaster" actress Zhang Ziyi, as reported by Wenweipo News.
Van Damme made the statement during the opening of the 6th Macau International Film Festival held recently to which the Belgian actor made a surprise appearance. He added that attending the Chinese film festival is a career opportunity for him as it gives him a chance to scout new locations for his upcoming projects.
The actor said that China has a huge potential concerning its movie market and expressed his wish to someday make a movie in Macau. He also expressed his admiration towards Chinese actors, citing that they have great potentials.
Van Damme stated that he would like to work with Chinese actors. Having watched Ang Lee's film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," he admitted being a huge admirer of the multi-awarded actress Ziyi. The actor expressed his desire to work with the famed actress but said, "I am just an actor, and 70 to 80 percent casting decision is up to the director."
The 55-year old actor was born Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg. He began studying martial arts at the age of ten, when his father enrolled him in a Shotokan karate school. He began his acting career in 1982. He is best known for his commercially successful action films. These include "Bloodsport" (1988), "Kickboxer"(1989), "Universal Soldier" (1992), "Hard Target" (1993), "Street Fighter" (1994), "Timecop" (1994), "Sudden Death" (1995), "JCVD" (2008) and "The Expendables 2" (2012).