My Favorite Jean-Claude Van Damme Hairstyles
Seriously. His mullet was beautiful.
You may know him as “The Muscles from Brussels.” But to me — a scrawny midwestern boy growing up insecure about my body — it wasn’t Jean-Claude Van Damme’s pecs, abs or glutes I envied. It was his hair. By my 16th birthday, I’d seen 21 of his films and attempted at least half as many of his hairstyles. His rippling body was something I could never duplicate. But his hair? I could pull that off.
I could take karate lessons, sure. And maybe lift some weights. But my wiry frame and clumsiness were no match for his beefcake body, frosted with baby oil. Not to mention I was in the middle of puberty, so my face wasn’t entirely reliable. But my hair…that had been my calling card since birth. My mom always told me how the nurses and doctors reveled in the glory of my lusciously curled, bright red delivery room hair. So, yeah, maybe I could run with that. And now I had a guide. My own personal style icon.
The first time I saw JCVD on the big screen, his hair wasn’t my primary focus. Of course, I was swept away by his marble-mouthed bravado and the graceful brutality of fight scene after fight scene that featured him kicking, punching, and flipping his way out of danger, defeating the bad guy, and rescuing the girl. But, once I checked off all the physical gifts we…
