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Here’s a wild Hollywood nugget: Jean-Claude Van Damme got kicked off Predator in 1987. And the reason? That iconic alien hunter suit almost took him out. It wasn’t just uncomfortable, it was a nightmare for the muscles from Brussels. Van Damme wasn’t shy about how awful the Predator suit was. In a 2019 interview, he said, “It was disgusting,” he said (via The Hollywood Reporter).
“I like to breathe… they put in my mouth like a tube.” It was so bad that he had full-on panic attacks. He even had a buddy on standby to help him out: “If you can’t breathe, just move your finger, and I’ll pull that stuff off you,” his friend said. But Van Damme was stuck in that rig for what felt like forever—boiling, barely able to breathe, and completely panicked. But they made him wait five more minutes. Yep, no escape.
As if that wasn’t enough, he was trapped in this beast of a suit, which didn’t allow him to move properly. That combo of heat, claustrophobia, and dehydration led to him passing out twice on the Predator set. Actor Bill Duke, who played Mac, confirmed this in a 2021 interview (via CBR), sharing how the producers warned him: “If you pass out again, I’m gonna fire you.” And sure enough, Van Damme’s second fainting spell did him in.
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So, who replaced him? The Predator crew decided they needed someone with more height and stamina. Enter Kevin Peter Hall, who stood at 7’2” and had just finished wearing a sasquatch suit in Harry and the Hendersons. Hall was the perfect fit, and he finished the role without issues.
As for Van Damme? He didn’t miss a beat. A year later, he broke out in Bloodsport (1988), and the rest is action movie history. So, while Van Damme may have been fired from Predator, the story became pure Hollywood gold, and his career definitely didn’t slow down.
For more such stories, check out Hollywood News
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