Dolph Lundgren

Hans "Dolph" Lundgren is a Swedish-American actor, filmmaker and martial artist whose impressive physique and commanding presence have made him a fixture in the action movie genre.

Lundgren made his film debut in the 1985 James Bond film "A View to a Kill" but his breakthrough came with his role as the imposing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in the blockbuster "Rocky IV" later the same year. His portrayal of the icy and intimidating opponent to Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa not only established him as a star in the action movie genre but also created one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history. Following this success, Lundgren headlined a series of action films throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including "Masters of the Universe," where he played the heroic He-Man, "Universal Soldier" and "Johnny Mnemonic," alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme and Keanu Reeves, respectively. Lundgren went on to play lead roles in over 80 action-oriented films. In the 2000s, Lundgren mostly appeared in direct-to-video films and also directed and starred in his own films as well, including "The Defender," "Missionary Man," "Icarus," "Castle Falls" and "Wanted Man," among others.

Lundgren returned to prominence in 2010 with the role of Gunner Jensen in Sylvester Stallone's "The Expendables" alongside an all-action star cast; he reprised this role in its sequels. He also returned to the role of Ivan Drago in "Creed II " and had notable roles in the fifth season of "Arrow," "Aquaman" and "Minions: The Rise of Gru" and more. Lundgren was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Action on Film International Film Festival in 2014.

Born and raised in Sweden, Lundgren was a world-class competitor in Kyokushin, a Japanese style of karate. He won the European championships in 1980 and 1981. He also served in the Swedish Marine Corps for two years before enrolling in the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm to study chemical engineering. He completed his master's degree in the same subject on an exchange program with the University of Sydney in Australia and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to the Massachusetts of Technology. He quit school after two weeks to pursue acting, following his girlfriend, actress Grace Jones, to New York.