Dolph Lundgren
The actor: Dolph Lundgren made an indelible impression on moviegoers as Sylvester Stallone's genetically engineered Russian nemesis in the 1985 blockbuster Rocky IV. He went on to play iconic roles in action thrillers like 1987's Masters Of The Universe and 1989's The Punisher before finding a niche starring in low-budget direct-to-DVD action movies. His most recent film is Missionary Man, which he also co-wrote and directed.
Rocky IV (1985)—"Ivan Drago"
Dolph Lundgren: That's a very memorable role—that's my first film role. I had just started studying acting. I used to be a chemical-engineering student, but I started studying acting, and I went for a cattle call, up against hundreds of people. They tore me down because I was too tall. They said "How tall are you?" "6'5"." "Next." But then I realized that it was for a Rocky movie, and I was a martial-arts student and a big fan of Rocky. So I took a bunch of photos of me in boxing gear, and I got them to a friend who said he knew a guy who knew a guy who knew Stallone. A few months later, they tracked me down in Europe, and flew me into L.A. to see Sly. We got along pretty well. And then I had to go through another audition process for another six months. I had to put on some weight, learn to speak in Russian. I did a screen test at the end of that year, and then I got the role.
The A.V. Club: Was there originally a problem with the height difference between you and Stallone?
DL: I think it was the height difference. I think when he saw me, he realized it was an advantage. They put me on a box instead of him a few times. He's a clever guy. It worked really well for the invincibility of this Russian fighter.
AVC: That was one of the quintessential Cold War movies. You're from Sweden—what was your take on the Cold War?
DL: When I was a kid, I was like everyone else: afraid of getting nuked. We had drills in school—Sweden was very close to the Soviet Union. There was definitely a lot of tension. My dad was in the Swedish armed forces, he was always reading up on different weapons from the Americans and Soviets. When I was a kid, I was in bed looking at his books, reading about the Red Army. So I was very aware of it. I had an interest in military matters ever since. Playing a Russian officer/boxer was cool as a first role.
AVC: Were you at all worried that because it was such a high-profile role, you would get typecast as a bad guy, as a glowering inhuman hulk?
DL: I was too busy dealing with the situation. First the movie, the actual playing of the role and trying to deliver what everybody wanted. Then, when the film came out, there was instant fame. I was just a kid from Sweden, I didn't know what was going on. I was too busy with that stuff; I didn't worry about being typecast. Looking back, yes, a different way would have been to study acting and take small roles. I had other offers to play a European playboy, or romantic roles, stuff like that. But I think that basically, the confusion of coming from total obscurity—well I was a champion in karate, so I had a little bit of the limelight—to fame worldwide was a strange experience. It was a typical Hollywood experience.