Jean-Claude Van Damme is currently in a chatting mood. That’s how he already spoke to him about how Steven Seagal wouldn’t even fight him for 20 million and how stunts are rarely done by the stars themselves. Now he started the conversation with her a new topic: “Friends”.
More specifically, the interview was about Jean-Claude Van Dammes Cameo appearance as himself in the episode “Affengeil – Part 2” in season 2 of “Friends“. In the episode, Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Monica (Courteney Cox) fall for the actor, who is currently filming a movie in New York. When Rachel first approaches Van Damme because Monica is too shy, an argument arises between the friends over who can go on a date with the star.
Van Damme explained that the experience was a bit “strange”: “My acting was so bad. I look like a crazy person. I mean, “Hey, girls.” [….] I mean, I’m ashamed of myself,” the action star said.
In the original of the interview with By the way, says Van Damme, “I look so much like a ham” – but he doesn’t mean a ham at all. A ‘ham actor’ is the term used to describe a comedian. “Look like a ham” is what people in the industry say when their acting is too theatrical or exaggerated. In colloquial speech, the term can also be used for someone who heavily dramatizes to be the center of attention.
‘It was strange. They were very nice.’
The actor continued his ‘strange’ experience, saying: ‘So I was on set and these women came and they kissed me, they kissed me on the lips. I didn’t know what to do, how to do it… It was strange. They were very nice.”
He didn’t know much about the sitcom beforehand; his agent introduced him: “When I went to see the series, I saw these two beautiful women and they said it was the most popular series in the world. So I was very happy.”
Even if he’s not a fan of his own performance, he still has “fond memories” of the shoot in general. This was mainly due to the people involved: “They were very open because they did this series every day. So I’ve ended up in a place where everything works well for them, like a well-oiled machine. It was amazing.”