Dolph Lundgren, who is best known for playing the Russian boxer Ivan Drago in the Rocky franchise, is speaking out this week to gush over his love for America.
Lundgren Praises America
Lundgren, 67, became an American citizen last year. In a new interview, he is making it clear just how much this meant to him.
“It’s been very important to invest in America,” Lundgren told Fox News. “I’m from Sweden, but I’m an immigrant and … all the good things in my life have come from America.”
“I switched from chemical engineering and martial arts to becoming an actor, a movie star in Hollywood,” he continued. “That couldn’t have happened in any other country. And so, I feel really comfortable working in America with Americans.”
Related: The Time Dolph Lundgren Nearly Killed Sylvester Stallone
‘Better Late Than Never’
When it came to becoming an American citizen, Lundgren felt that it was “better late than never.”
“It was about time,” he explained. “I’ve been here for 40 years. I went to school here when I was in my teens and moved here. I was an American resident for a while. Then I got married and I moved to Spain for various reasons.
“I lived there and my kids grew up in Spain, my two daughters,” Lundgren added. “But I always wanted to come back. I moved back here about 15 years ago, and then I got my residency back. And then I decided I wanted to become a citizen.”
Unlike many Hollywood stars, Lundgren has nothing but love for America.
“This country has been my life,” he said. “Everything good in my life has come from America. I love Sweden, but like I said, I’m very close to this country. And standing there, swearing the oath, [seeing] the flag, it was very emotional. And it’s big. It’s not easy to become a citizen. It’s difficult to become an American citizen, and I think it should be. I’m proud that I made it.”
Related: Sylvester Stallone Confesses Why Dolph Lundgren Was His Perfect Nemesis For ‘Rocky IV’
Lundgren’s Rocky IV Fame
Lundgren skyrocketed to fame when he played Drago in the 1985 movie Rocky IV. Indeed, this was an experience that he still hasn’t forgotten to this day.
“I went in there as a kid,” Lundgren recalled of the Rocky IV premiere. “… My girlfriend was a famous singer at the time, Grace Jones. People tried to get me out of the way to take pictures of her. And then I went [inside the theater]. The lights went down, and these two boxing gloves came up, a Soviet glove and an American glove. The movie starts, and I’m sitting there frozen for 90 minutes.”
“The lights came up, and suddenly everybody was looking at me,” he continued. “I was a bit – I didn’t know what to do. I felt really sick to my stomach but excited. We went out and people are taking pictures of me now. It took me a couple of years to get over it.”
All these years later, Lundgren is still friends with Rocky himself, Sylvester Stallone.
“It’s quite unusual to be close to somebody for 40 years in this business and be in the ring, punching each other,” Lundgren stated.
In the crazy world of Hollywood, it’s rare to find a celebrity who actually loves America. God bless Lundgren for giving this great nation the respect that it deserves!
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