A world first epic split
Jean-Claude Van Damme definitely needs no introduction as he is idolised by countless action fans and, dare I say, disliked by others who criticise his acting capabilities. Love him or hate him … one thing is certain, the man can do the splits!
Who better to perform in the latest Volvo Trucks’ film (appropriately) entitled The Epic Split, which shows the stability of Volvo’s Dynamic Steering? Standing between two moving newly-launched Volvo FM trucks, with a foot on each side mirror, Van Damme performs one of his world-famous splits as the two vehicles drive in reverse. He calmly holds his position for the entire length of the drive.
“It’s going to be quite unusual, and the first time we’ll ever see anything like it – in a movie or a commercial,” said the Belgian superstar on set at a deserted airfield in Spain before shooting the scene. “Before doing the splits between the trucks, I saw the storyboard and thought it looked amazing. It’s very majestic and very powerful.”
Since taking up karate at age eleven, Van Damme has gone on to become a martial arts icon and world-famous action star. Over the past three decades, “the muscles from Brussels” has starred in dozens of Hollywood blockbusters including Bloodsport, Universal Soldier, Hard Target, Street Fighter, Timecop, and even played a fictionalised version of himself in JCVD (2008).
Throughout his career, doing the splits has been Van Damme’s signature move in many of his action films. But until now, neither he, nor anyone else, has ever done the splits between two moving trucks.
Says Andreas Nilsson, the director behind The Epic Split: “Compared with the previous Volvo Trucks’ films, which have a documentary style, we wanted to make something more poetic. He adds that the film is very clean and simple. “There isn’t a lot of information and we just let the stunt illustrate what the trucks can do. It’s like a slow-moving, carefully choreographed modern dance.”
Click here to see the epic performance.