Ever since I was four years old, Dolph Lundgren has been a part of my life. My parents and older sister were obsessed with Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky franchise, and Rocky IV, starring Lundgren as the Siberian Express, Ivan Drago, was their favorite film in the franchise. By the time Lundgren played He-Man in Masters of the Universe, I was already a fan.
When I found out that Andrew Holmes was filming a documentary revolving around Lundgren’s life and career (read my review here), I was excited. Here was an opportunity to learn more about the man who’d been a pillar of the action community for most of my life. To my surprise, the film focuses more on Lundgren as a humble, unstoppable force of introspection and grace, with highlights from his career peppered into an overarching narrative about his battle with cancer.
As pleased as I was to watch the documentary and learn more about someone I’ve admired for decades, I was even more thrilled to secure an interview with Lundgren ahead of the doc’s wide release.
During our conversation, Lundgren and I discussed the most significant misconception people have about what it’s like to be an action icon. We also touched on his martial arts career and how it helped him come to terms with loss. We talked briefly about his cameo in Travis Knight’s Masters of the Universe, his time working alongside Brandon Lee in Showdown in Little Tokyo, and his advice/warning for any up-and-coming action star.
Concerning the documentary itself, Dolph: Unbreakable “paints a fascinating portrait of Lundgren’s larger-than-life persona while showing a side of him rarely seen. The film helped remind me of how long Lundgren has been pushing himself to the limit for my entertainment, and how much of that effort has perhaps gone underappreciated until now. If you’re a fan of Lundgren’s work or enjoy hearing people’s inspiring stories, there’s more than enough here to keep you engaged and grateful for having navigated life’s many gut punches.”
Dolph: Unbreakable is now available on digital in the U.S and premieres on Super Channel in Canada on Friday, October 16.
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