Damn, Jean-Claude Van Damme is not a morning person.
The action star appeared via satellite on the Australian morning show Sunrise Thursday, but his interview didn't go as planned. Van Damme—who is doing interviews to promote an upcoming speaking tour—was frustrated with the technical setup for the TV interview. "I just...Guys, you are talking behind the cameras. This is a direct line. It's good to have them, by the way, so people can understand this," the Belgin Bloodsport actor complained. "I'm online talking to you and I have people behind that camera talking about...because I'm sweating and everything. So, I'm not looking anymore for...I'm looking to be as natural as possible when I come to Australia."
Van Damme added, "I just want to talk to the people there."
In a 2012 interview with The Guardian, Van Damme admitted to having an affair with Kylie Minogue on the set of 1994's Street Fighter. Asked about Minogue again, he got annoyed.
"Yeah, I like Kylie, I like everybody—can I please come to Australia and talk to you? Sorry guys, I cannot do this anymore. You are talking to a guy who's very rough, you know? Let me talk. It's good for the people; they can hear that. Let me talk please," he said. "Those questions, the press, they have been asking me the same questions for the last 25 years. 'Kylie?' 'How's your training?' 'How's your this?' 'How's your that?' So, I'm coming to Australia to maybe do something kind of different with the audience."
"I'm 55 years old. So I'm not anymore 35, 25. I'm 55 years old," he continued. "So I've got a different view of life, and we'll talk about this in Australia. But those interview you are giving me on TV right now, they are very boring. Because the questions are boring. It's difficult for me to answer the question, so I start to sweat. I don't feel good, because then I'm very...they are boring. Next question? You have something interesting to ask me?"
Van Damme then stood up, claiming he had to go to the restroom, and tore off his microphone. "What the f--k is going on with Australia? What the f--k is going on?" the actor said while removing his mic. "I cannot do this. I'm too natural. You can blow this stuff away. What is this?"
The actor, who is on location in Bangkok, will start his speaking tour Down Under next month.