Why the most eccentric couple in Hollywood melted: "Universal Soldier" Lundgren and "Black Amazon" Grace Jones

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

They were an amazing couple: the extravagant and eccentric Grace Jones and the brutal "universal soldier" Dolph Lundgren. He stubbornly practiced karate and was able to achieve very impressive success in this field, but he became famous thanks to his "black amazon". Their romance lasted several years, each appearance of an unusual couple in the world attracted attention, but the wedding march in their honor never sounded.

Finding yourself

Hans Lundgren at one time was an ordinary slender teenager who once abruptly changed his life by coming to the karate-kyokushinkai section. Since then, he began to train hard, learned not to feel pain and not to feel pity for his rivals.

After winning the Swedish Karate Championship, Hans Lundgren became convinced that he had no equal. He held the Swedish title for three years and won the UK Open in 1979. He became the captain of the national team, and this was followed by a series of victories in championships of all levels.

His area of interest was not limited to sports. Hans Lundgren, in addition to karate, was also endowed with outstanding mental abilities. He graduated from the Institute of Technology in Stockholm with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, then in the same specialty he received a master's degree, but already at the University of Sydney.

In Hollywood, Lundgren is still legendary today in which both his physical characteristics and the level of his intelligence are extolled. In particular, it is believed that his IQ level exceeds 160, but the actor himself laughingly denies that he has genius. However, it will still be a long time before Hans has to give his first interview. In the meantime, the year is 1983, he serves as a bouncer at a nightclub in King's Cross and is preparing to move to Boston, as he was able to get a grant to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

But he moved to the USA not alone, but together with the incredible Grace Jones. The Jamaican singer at that time was already a real star and became famous not only for her outstanding appearance and voice, but also as one of the most eccentric persons of that time.

Grace was capable of any madness, which she explained by the fact that she was bored with living in peace. She was nine years older than Lundgren, but she looked truly stunning. Noticing a brutal bouncer in a nightclub in Sydney, where she performed that evening, Grace immediately hired him as her bodyguard. She always got what she wanted, and soon Hans found himself in the bed of an extravagant beauty.

Sweet couple

At first, Lundgren's male pride was hurt, because, in fact, Grace Jones used him for fun. But soon he almost fell in love with her. However, the "black panther" could hardly leave anyone indifferent. She shared secular news with her lover, told stories about celebrities, and Lundgren listened to her with interest, since he was not familiar with this side of life.

Grace always helped her "boys". The affair with Lundgren was in full swing when Jones was offered to star in the next episode of Bond. And she made a patronage to Hans, agreeing to work in the picture only in exchange for a small role for her lover. And she also advised Hans to change his name to a more sonorous one. Then he became Dolph Lundgren.

The effect of an exploding bomb played a very small role in the life of yesterday's karateka. He suddenly realized what he would like to do in life: not sports or science, but filming a movie.

When he auditioned for the role of a Russian boxer in Rocky IV, Bridget Nielsen, Stallone's auditioning wife, didn't even look at him: Dolph Lundgren was too tall. But then Grace Jones again came to the rescue of the aspiring actor. She advised him not to worry, but to go to a photo shoot to take spectacular photographs in combat poses. Grace later personally gave the pictures to Stallone.

Sylvester Stallone agreed to take him on the role of Ivan Drago, but on condition that Dolph Lundgren will build muscle before filming. And he promised: after the release of "Rocky 4" on the screens, Lundgren will wake up famous. Dolph trained day and night and was able to bring his body to near perfection.

Grace Jones, an irrepressible Amazon, was known for her passion for bedroom experimentation. As the actor later recalled, the shooting in "Rocky-4" was also remembered by the fact that Grace often brought home her girlfriends with whom they spent the night. And in the morning Dolph Lundgren got up and went to the ring with Sylvester Stallone.

Test of Glory

When Dolph Lundgren and Grace Jones arrived at the premiere of Rocky IV, all the attention of the public was drawn to the dark-skinned beauty. But the very next morning, as soon as they appeared on the street together, all attention was riveted on Dolph. The starring role brought the actor fame, but along with it, and parting with Grace.

For the role of Ivan Drago, Dolph Lundgren received a very decent fee and immediately moved to Los Angeles, renting an apartment there. Grace hated this city and chose to stay in New York. In addition, the agent hired by Dolph categorically forbade the actor to maintain contact with the singer, believing that communication with her would damage Dolph's reputation.

But Grace Jones was not going to put up with this situation and, having decided that her lover was being held in Los Angeles by force, went to save him, taking with her a loaded pistol. As the singer admitted afterwards, it was a step of despair, she was not going to shoot at anyone, but just wanted to make sure that the handsome blond would follow her. She knocked down the doors of his apartment, shouted that she would shoot and was intent on "freeing" her lover at any cost. True, it was Dolph Lundgren who was wounded as a result.

He did not write a statement to the police on Grace, but since then there could be no question of any relationship. We must pay tribute to Dolph: he still thanked Grace for everything she did for him. And he promised never to forget her.

Each of them began their own life, but the memory of this incredible romance is kept by old photographs in which Dolph Lundgren and Grace Jones are so young and beautiful. However, the actor kept his word: he did not forget those crazy and full of passion days that he spent next to the incredible Grace.

We will not argue that people from the street get to the set of the dream factory, but not everyone can show off their diplomas. Hollywood actors for the most part are just students of acting courses and have graduated from college at most. And even more so units boast graduation from a prestigious university and high IQ, like Dolph Lundgren.