Dolph Lundgren

Dolph Lundgren Headshot

Actor • Martial Artist

Birth Date: November 3, 1957

Age: 66 years old

Birth Place: Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Dolph Lundgren became a beloved action star in the 1980s, but his path to stardom was not always so clear. Born in Spanga, Sweden in 1957, Lundgren took an interest in martial arts as a child as a means of coping with his sometimes troubled relationship with his father. He took up judo and Gōjū-ryū at age seven and karate at age 10, and later began lifting weights as a teenager. However, after graduating from high school, Lundgren pursued a decidedly academic path, moving to the United States to study chemical engineering at Washington State University and Clemson University on an academic scholarship before returning to Sweden to complete his degree at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

Lundgren then moved to Sydney, Australia, where he completed a master's degree in chemical engineering at the University of Sydney. However, during the course of his higher education, Lundgren continued studying martial arts, competing as the captain of Sweden's Kyokushin karate team at the 1979 World Open Tournament, winning the European championships in 1980 and 1981, and winning a heavyweight tournament in Australia in 1982. In addition to both his academic and extra-curricular interests, Lundren also earned money working as a bouncer at a Sydney nightclub.

He was on the job after recently finishing his master's degree and receiving a Fulbright scholarship to continue his graduate studies at Boston's Massachusetts Institute of Technology when he met up-and-coming singer and model Grace Jones. She hired him as a bodyguard in addition to the two beginning a romantic relationship, and Lundgren opted to forgo his academic plans, instead moving with Jones to New York. There, he found a new job as a bouncer-working alongside fellow future on-screen actor Chazz Palminteri at famous nightclub the Limelight-and began working occasionally as a model. Soon, Jones helped Lundgren audition for a small role in her upcoming film, the James Bond movie "A View to a Kill" (1985).

He won the bit part and made his debut as a KGB operative in the movie. He found the process of filming to be surprisingly rewarding, and quickly decided to audition for another role, that of antagonist Ivan Drago opposite Sylvester Stallone in the upcoming sequel "Rocky VI" (1985). Lundgren beat out 5000 other hopefuls to win the role, which proved to be his breakout. He continued acting even after his relationship with Jones came to an end in 1986, starring in cult favorite "Master of the Universe" (1987) and as comic book character "The Punisher" (1989).

Lundgren's interests in bodybuilding and martial arts helped suit him to roles in action movies and he continued this throughout the 90s, co-starring with Jean Claude Van Damme in "Universal Soldier" (1992) and Keanu Reeves in "Johnny Mnemonic" (1995), as well as in the 2000s, starring in films like "The Defender" (2004) and "Direct Contact" (2009). While these later films were less prestigious, Lundgren's career entered another upswing when he appeared with several other top-tier action stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone in the ensemble hit "The Expendables" (2010).

He returned for "The Expendables 2" (2012) and "The Expendables 3" (2014) during this period, in addition to appearing in movies like the crime dramedy "War Pigs" (2015) and in a six-episode arc on the popular series "Arrow" (CW, 2012-). In 2018, Lundgren reprised the role of Ivan Drago for the acclaimed latter-day spin-off "Creed II" (2018) and also appeared as King Nereus in the superhero blockbuster "Aquaman" (2018). The following year found him starring in the action thriller "The Tracker" (2019).

Credits

Wanted Man: Exclusive Interview

Actor
Show
2024

Wanted Man: Exclusive Interview

Director
Show
2024

Wanted Man

Actor
Travis Johansen
Movie
2024

Wanted Man

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Movie
2024

Wanted Man

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Movie
2024

Wanted Man

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Movie
2024

The Expendables 4Stream

Actor
Gunner
Movie
2023
14%

Aquaman and the Lost KingdomStream

Actor
King Nereus
Movie
2023
33%

The Best Man

Actor
Anders
Movie
2023

Showdown at the Grand

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Claude Luc Hallyday
Movie
2023

Aquaman 2 - O Reino Perdido (Acessibilidade)

Actor
King Nereus
Movie
2023

Access Daily With Mario & Kit

Guest
Show
2022

Minions: The Rise of GruStream

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Svengeance
Movie
2022
70%

Section 8Stream

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Tom Mason
Movie
2022
31%

Section 8Stream

Executive Producer
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2022
31%

Operation Seawolf

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Captain Hans Kessler
Movie
2022

Carina Bergfeldt

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2021

Pups Alone

Actor
Victor
Movie
2021

Castle Falls

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Richard Ericson
Movie
2021

Castle Falls

Director
Movie
2021

Castle Falls

Producer
Movie
2021

Seal Team

Voice
Dolph
Movie
2021

Come Out Fighting

Actor
Major Chase Anderson
Movie
2021

2020 Fighters Only World MMA Awards

Host
Show
2020

The Tracker

Actor
Aiden Hakansson
Movie
2019

The Tracker

Producer
Movie
2019

Acceleration

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Vladik
Movie
2019

Hard Night FallingStream

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Michael Anderson
Movie
2019

Hard Night FallingStream

Producer
Movie
2019

히맨: 영웅의 탄생

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Movie
2019

Take the Tower

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Show
2018

The Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

Self
Show
2018

AquamanStream

Actor
King Nereus
Movie
2018
66%

Creed IIStream

Actor
Ivan Drago
Movie
2018
83%

Black WaterStream

Actor
Marco
Movie
2018
0%

The Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

Self
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2018

The Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

Actor
Movie
2018

Tour de PharmacyStream

Actor
Movie
2017
90%

AltitudeStream

Actor
Matthew Sharpe
Movie
2017

Larceny

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Jack
Movie
2017

Stopping Traffic

Self
Movie
2017

Dead Trigger

Actor
Kyle Walker
Movie
2017

Kindergarten Cop 2

Actor
Agent Reed
Movie
2016

Kindergarten Cop 2

Executive Producer
Movie
2016

Don't Kill It

Actor
Jebediah Woodley
Movie
2016

Don't Kill It

Executive Producer
Movie
2016

Welcome to Willits

Actor
Derek
Movie
2016

Female Fight Club

Actor
Holt
Movie
2016

From Rocky to Creed: The Legacy Continues

Actor
Show
2015

The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

Guest
Talk
2015

Gumball 3000

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2015

Renées brygga

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2015

War Pigs

Actor
Captain Picault
Movie
2015

4Got10

Actor
Bob Rooker
Movie
2015

Shark Lake

Actor
Clint Gray
Movie
2015

Shark Lake

Producer
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2015

Riot

Actor
William
Movie
2015

The Real Miyagi

Self
Movie
2015

The Rich Eisen Show

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2014

Making of...

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2014

Good Morning Britain

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2014

The Expendables 3Stream

Actor
Gunner Jensen
Movie
2014
31%

Puncture WoundsStream

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Hollis
Movie
2014

Puncture WoundsStream

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2014

Skin Trade

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Nick Cassidy
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2014

Skin Trade

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2014

Skin Trade

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2014

U Potrazi Za Osvetom

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2014

U Potrazi Za Osvetom

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Movie
2014

SAF3

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2013

Race to the Scene

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2013

Ambushed

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Maxwell
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2013

Blood of Redemption

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Axel
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2013

Battle of the Damned

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Max Gatling
Movie
2013

Battle of the Damned

Executive Producer
Movie
2013

Legendary: Tomb of the Dragon

Actor
Harker
Movie
2013

The Package

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The German
Movie
2013

Arrowverse

Guest Star
Konstantin Kovar
Franchise
2012

God kveld Norge

Guest
Show
2012

The Expendables 2Stream

Actor
Gunnar Jensen
Movie
2012
67%

Stash HouseStream

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Andy Spector
Movie
2012

Stash HouseStream

Executive Producer
Movie
2012

One in the Chamber

Actor
Aleksey Andreev
Movie
2012

Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning

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Andrew Scott
Movie
2012

Small ApartmentsStream

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Dr. Sage Mennox
Movie
2012
30%

WorkaholicsStream

Guest Star
Dolph Lundgren
Series
2011
86%

In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds

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Granger
Movie
2011

The TalkStream

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Talk
2010

Hellenius hörna

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2010

Access Hollywood Live

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2010

In Depth With Graham Bensinger

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2010

The ExpendablesStream

Actor
Gunnar Jensen
Movie
2010
42%

The Killing MachineStream

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Edward Genn/Icarus
Movie
2010

The Killing MachineStream

Director
Movie
2010

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Guest
Talk
2009

Direct Contact

Actor
Mike Riggins
Movie
2009

Command Performance

Actor
Joe
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2009

Command Performance

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2009

Command Performance

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Movie
2009

Universal Soldier: Regeneration

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Andrew Scott
Movie
2009

Berg flyttar in

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2008

ChuckStream

Guest Star
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2007
90%

L'inchiesta: Anno Domini XXXIII

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Brixos
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2007

Missionary Man

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Ryder
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2007

Missionary Man

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2007

Missionary Man

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2007

Diamond Dogs

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2007

The Inquiry

Actor
Brixos
Movie
2006

The Mechanik

Actor
Nikolai Cherenko
Movie
2005

The Mechanik

Director
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2005

The Mechanik

Writer (Story)
Movie
2005

Fat Slags

Actor
Randy
Movie
2004

Retrograde

Actor
Movie
2004

The Defender

Actor
Lance Rockford
Movie
2004

The Defender

Director
Movie
2004

Direct ActionStream

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Sgt. Frank Gannon
Movie
2004

Detention

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Sam Decker
Movie
2003

Captured

Actor
Cpt. Matt Hendricks
Movie
2001

Agent RedStream

Actor
Cpt. Matt Hendricks
Movie
2001

Hidden Agenda

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Jason Price
Movie
2001

The Last WarriorStream

Actor
Nick Preston
Movie
2000

Family Guy

Guest Voice
Captain Ivan Drago (archive footage)
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1999

Family GuyStream

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Captain Ivan Drago (archive footage)
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1999

Family GuyStream

Guest Voice
Captain Ivan Drago (archive footage)
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1999

Bridge of DragonsStream

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Warchild
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1999

SweepersStream

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Christian Erickson
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1999

Storm Catcher

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Major Jack Holloway
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1999

Tied Up

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Matt Sorenson
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1999

Blackjack

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Jack Devlin
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1998

Fallen Knight

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Sadorov
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1998

Homicidio en la Pasarela

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1998

När och fjärran

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1997

The Peacekeeper

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Maj. Frank Cross
Movie
1997

Silent TriggerStream

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The Shooter
Movie
1996
20%

Johnny MnemonicStream

Actor
Street Preacher
Movie
1995
18%

Men of War

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Nick Gunar
Movie
1995

The Shooter

Actor
Michael Dane
Movie
1995

Franc-tireur

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1995

PentathlonStream

Actor
Eric Brogar
Movie
1994

Army of One

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Wellman Anthony Santee
Movie
1994

Men Of War

Actor
Nick Gunar
Movie
1994

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

Guest
Talk
1992

Universal SoldierStream

Actor
Andrew Scott (GR13)
Movie
1992
34%

Showdown in Little Tokyo

Actor
Sgt. Chris Kenner
Movie
1991

Cover-Up

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Mike Anderson
Movie
1991

The Punisher

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Frank Castle
Movie
1990
25%

Dark AngelStream

Actor
Det. Jack Caine
Movie
1990
38%

Red Scorpion

Actor
Lt. Nikolai Rachenko
Movie
1989

Masters of the UniverseStream

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He-Man
Movie
1987
22%

A View to a KillStream

Actor
Venz
Movie
1985
37%

Rocky IVStream

Actor
Drago
Movie
1985
39%