Action man Dolph Lundgren returns

IT'S RARE THAT the fourth instalment of a franchise can be as iconic as the first, yet for some reason boxing film Rocky IV (1985) continues to be as fondly remembered as the first outing, Rocky.
This is in no small part a result of Swede Dolph Lundgren's debut as the verbally challenged, yet physically enhanced Soviet nemesis to the titular hero, Ivan Drago. During the entire movie, Drago has six lines, four of which are in English. The most famous of those are, "If he dies, he dies" and "I must break you," so you get the measure of the man.
Since this picture Lundgren has enjoyed 30 years as the bulked up hero or villain and only now is looking to change the way he is perceived by audiences, as he explained while talking to us about his latest movie, The Good, The Bad and The Dead, in which he plays a drug enforcement agent pursuing a man holding $3million in cash and narcotics.
Being a DEA agent in The Good, The Bad and The Dead, does that mean your character is the boy scout?
I think he's the most untrustworthy! That's why I liked him. It's like nothing I have ever played before. There are bad guys and good guys, but this guy is somewhere in between. It was a chance to experiment. I play him like an oddball. He stands, walks and talks in a different way to anyone else I have ever played in a movie.
Is this an acting direction you'd like to go in the future?
Yes, you have to try things. It's much more fun when you do that. It depends on the role, but I think the future I'm looking at right now is actually more in the vein of directing and producing.
Do you feel at the stage of your career where you feel comfortable saying 'yes' to projects you may have rejected in the past?
It's the opposite for me. I said 'yes' to lots at the beginning. I was comfortable doing any part and taking the money and enjoying the experience of doing the movie. I got to travel the world with the parts I did and when you're young and single that's a great thing. Now I'm a little more conscious that I do have quite a skill and if I concentrate a little more it can pay off. It has taken till now to begin to explore the acting world and feel satisfied having done something challenging.
I feel like I took a lot of pictures in my stride early in my career because I was interested in other things. I didn't focus 100 per cent on movies. I felt it was just a job. As I have got older I feel a responsibility to pay more attention and deliver a better standard. As an athlete and as a scholar I focused on things a bit more. Now it's time to do that with films.
You have a Master's degree in chemical engineering. Have your studies ever helped you in Hollywood?
It helps you in life. It helps you understand concepts and how things work and helps you get more out of life. In Hollywood it hasn't helped me much so far, but as I get into more producing and directing, it may come into play a bit more. You have to multi-task: be into budgets and schedules.
How was it working with the young director, Timothy Woodward Jr.?
He had good energy and gave me carte blanche to do what I wanted.
Given the entertainment landscape, are you interested in working in TV?
I think I would. I had a project I was working on. I enjoyed the process. TV has great writing and the hours are a bit more regular. I feel I have been involved in two or three TV things, though, and they've never really worked, so movies may be a bit more what I'm comfortable with. It actually may be for the best because if you're attached to successful TV show, you're in there for four or five years and I don't feel like that right now. I like a little bit of a gypsy lifestyle.
Do you get back to Sweden much?
Not as much as I should. I have a 19-year old daughter who is in boarding school there. Her and her younger sister grew up in Spain, but are now getting back to their roots. I should too! I do have a project that, if it comes about, will be shot in Sweden in the summer.