Hollywood actor Dolph Lundgren, who played Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in "Rocky IV," is coming to Prague for a public discussion marking the 50th anniversary of the "Rocky" franchise. The event is being organized by agency VDN Promo as part of its "Night with a Legend" evening series.
The main focus of the meeting will be the anniversary of the iconic film series and the role that turned the Swedish actor into a global star back in 1985. But the conversation won't be limited to action films and muscle — organizers Petr and Jitka Vetrovský want to show a different side of Lundgren: his education and his difficult personal journey.
"He's one of Hollywood's most intellectual action heroes. We found out his IQ is over 160," said Petr Vetrovský, noting that Lundgren graduated with a degree in chemical engineering.
According to the organizer, the discussion will touch on the actor's childhood in Sweden, his difficult relationship with an authoritarian father, and his academic and creative achievements in America. "And of course, we'll definitely talk about how he beat cancer," Vetrovský added.
Arranging the visit of yet another Hollywood star was made possible thanks to close ties with the Schwarzenegger family: a key role in the negotiations was played by Patrick Knapp-Schwarzenegger — Arnold Schwarzenegger's nephew and an attorney who represents leading actors, including Lundgren himself.
This time, tickets are cheaper than for the previous evening with Schwarzenegger, whose prices were criticized on social media at the time — costing as much as 20,000 crowns. Admission to the meeting with Lundgren will range from 990 to 4,990 crowns, with the most expensive tickets including a personal meet-and-greet with the actor.
In previous years, the "Night with a Legend" series has brought Prague audiences face to face with American boxer Mike Tyson, Finnish Formula 1 driver Mika Häkkinen, and Belgian actor and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Dolph Lundgren in seven facts: born on November 3, 1957, in Stockholm under the name Hans Lundgren; despite his action-hero image, he holds a master's degree in chemical engineering and was awarded a prestigious Fulbright scholarship to MIT, which he ultimately turned down to pursue an acting career; a black belt in Kyokushin karate, he was European champion in 1980 and 1981; in 1985 he appeared in a small role in the Bond film "A View to a Kill," but his true breakthrough came that same year with the role of Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in "Rocky IV," which he reprised in "Creed II" (2018); he has appeared in dozens of films, including "Masters of the Universe" (1987 and 2026) and the three "Universal Soldier" installments; he also directs and writes action films himself; in 2023 he publicly revealed his ongoing 11-year battle with kidney cancer, and two years ago he was granted American citizenship.
Source: novinky.cz