Dolph Lundgren: "Having had cancer is like being in a war. If Drago came back, I'd be there."

Forget for a moment the image of Ivan Drago (or in The Expendables saga) of the muscular Dolph Lundgren, because the Swedish actor, who obviously entered the collective imagination thanks to these titles, is a man with a more layered, curious personality, interested in exploring himself, what surrounds him, and what awaits him. We meet him at the last Turin Festival where he presented the documentary Dolph Unbreakable, directed by Andrew Holmes, which currently has no distribution. It's an intimate and personal story, in which he goes through the most important stages of his life and career (80 films), his illness, cancer, defeated after eight years of battle, his family, and of course Rocky 4 (which turns 40 this year) which launched him into the universe of great cinema faces.

What does it feel like to revisit (and rethink) your own life?

It's actually quite emotional for many reasons. One is, obviously, that I've had a tough life in many ways. I've had to fight, there have been really nice ups and downs, especially lately with my health situation and cancer. All the people who helped me, my wife, my doctors, make me feel grateful to be here, to be in Italy, eating pasta, instead of being down there or maybe up there. I'd prefer to stay on Earth a little longer...

You recently told Variety that you're not done with Ivan Drago yet.

They asked me and I said, "Well, I like the character, obviously, because he follows my life. I was young, a real-life fighter, and then I played this character, even returning in Creed 2. Now I can play the father of a son and see a little more of this man, a real person.

There was another project at MGM, about the character, titled Drago, it was about me and my son: it starts in Ukraine with a Russian invasion, from where we have to leave, for America. It was a good script, like an immigrant story, but since the Creed universe is very powerful, the films make a lot of money, and Michael B. Jordan is almost in charge, I think MGM put this project aside. It would be nice to play the character again if the script was good, but if it doesn't happen, that's fine too, I've already done it for 40 years.

Why is Rocky still so relevant?

Stallone is a very smart guy. You see the movie, but you don't have to know anything about boxing to enjoy it, it's about life. How do you take a punch and get back up? How do you fight in every battle of our lives? Rocky is still valid, it talks about this, there are no B versions, it's that soundtrack, people listen to it and immediately know what it represents, maybe they say "Oh, yes, I want to go to the gym. I want to be someone special."

Do you have any memories from that set?

A lot of memories. The first time I met Stallone he had long hair, he was supposed to do Rambo. I was mesmerized in his office. He said: "We have to wear short shorts and take pictures." There's a scene in Rocky 4 where I'm in this ring in Las Vegas, they're taking me into this arena, and I'm waiting. And the guy comes up, my trainer, and I'm waiting. When it's time, and I enter this ballroom with James Brown and all these dancers and a thousand people and there are planes flying. I remember that in the movie you see my face, not Drago's, but that's actually Dolph surprised and asking himself: "What happened to me? What am I doing here?"

It's funny because it's a really good moment in the movie, it's my favorite.

What has your journey against cancer taught you?

I had to tell the producers, they didn't know, it happened after about six, seven months, and I was emotional. When you go through something like that it's like being a soldier in war, you're in the trenches shooting, but you don't have time to think. You run, you shoot, you sleep. You don't feel anything, you're in survival mode. But then, there's someone, the moment they come home, maybe four months later, who starts drinking, maybe doing drugs, maybe committing suicide, the body has a reaction. After a year I started having emotional problems, but I got through it. I relive some of those experiences when I watch it, but I'm very grateful to have faced them and to be sitting here, in the documentary we also laugh (smiles, ed.).

Did you ever imagine this career?

I was a Swedish kid who had no idea what would happen. I went to America to become a chemical engineer and ended up in Hollywood, at Studio 54, from there everything else happened, then meeting Stallone. It's almost like a movie, like someone wrote a script, but it's real, and I'm still in it. I hope to have a few more pages to write and add.

Years ago you talked a bit about your father, a very difficult and complicated relationship, he was a military man. How did this influence your becoming a parent?

Good question. It was a difficult part of my life. My father, whom I admired, was quite violent. Later I realized that he probably had many problems himself since childhood, as my therapist used to say, "we are victims of victims." So, as a child I had a difficult time, he was violent with my mother. Obviously, at that age, I wanted to save my mom, but I couldn't because I was too small and he was too big. I think I always told myself: if I have children of my own, then I want to be very loving and caring with them. I was lucky to have two daughters, sons are more complicated. I think I spoil them a bit too much, but perhaps, for their own good, they now have to take care of themselves. I still think of my father, in a way, maybe it was destiny. Without him, I wouldn't have become a fighter. I probably wouldn't have become an actor. My brothers are simple people in Sweden, they do normal jobs. You can't choose your parents, but they were almost chosen for you, so you can complete a path in your life that someone else, bigger than you, decided. I think that's how I see it.

Do you really think girls are easier than boys? It's the first time I've heard that.

They're not easier to manage, but there isn't that physical threat, like with a boy, who eventually might overpower you. If you're insecure as a father, you can feel threatened by a boy. I was the first child, my mother loved and kissed me, and dad became jealous perhaps, he saw I could have made his same mistakes, ending up doing exactly like my father.

Do they watch your movies?

I don't know what they like. I directed a movie called Castle Falls, in which my daughter Ida is in it, we have a scene together. And another one, Command Performance, where I play the drums, they liked that one. I definitely think The Expendables because they were on set with Stallone and Arnold.

What is the best image of your career that represents you the most?

I haven't played good action characters, telling a well-rounded human being is difficult. Even when I was acting in Creed, I was playing my father. My brother told me: "Oh, no, that's our father." Maybe seeing a normal guy in the gym, trying to be alone, that's my image. It would be nice to play a comedy or a lighter character, but I don't see scripts like that. People want to pay to see me in action.

Have you never felt typecast?

Of course, very much so, and from the very beginning. The label has changed a bit though. I went from being an action guy, a young muscular guy who beat people up, to more complex roles, even a "political" figure like in Aquaman, a parent, like in Creed 2. Now, thanks to the documentary, I can talk about cancer and deeper topics. I also think you have to recognize that sometimes a label is a good thing, because if you don't have one, maybe no one wants to buy you.

Look at Clint Eastwood, he's a smart guy, he plays that character (he imitates him verbally, ed.), that's him, and he's always recognizable, no matter if he wins an Oscar. There's a way where you can keep some of those commercial qualities that people love to see in me, like being tough and scary, but you can also have a more human side.

What is your present and future like?

Now I produce some films, I also have a book coming out next year. I try to help people who are fighting cancer, I'm also on the board of a foundation, the Kidney Cancer Association. I just joined them this week, actually, to help them with fundraising. Cinema, theater, they're always there: I like running around and playing other characters. I have a script, we developed it, someone came to me with an idea.

Some time ago there was an incident where someone shot a dog walker and took Lady Gaga's three dogs. Then she paid a ransom, like 500,000 dollars. A writer proposed an idea to me about these two guys involved with the mafia in Los Angeles, two idiots, two kids, who wanted to make money, kidnap beautiful rich dogs in Beverly Hills.

I hope it materializes, it's a peculiar story, also funny. Next year I'll also host a series on History Channel called "History's Great It", engineering stuff, it's the first time I've done that.

You also have a vodka company you started a few years ago, called Hard Cut Vodka.

I started with my wife, but now I have to take over, I had to become the CEO after firing some people. I still want a lot of work, I do it every day. I hope to bring the brand to Italy. Someone said my advertisement will be: "You have to drink my vodka or I'll break you in two."

We'll see if it works (laughs, ed.)