It has always circulated as an urban legend, but really Jean-Claude Van Damme was on the set of the original Predator movie and was fired.
When they started shooting the movie Predator, the actor Jean-Claude Van Damme was little known and began filming that movie under the alien's suit. But there came a time when the creative team decided they needed to change things up, so they replaced him with Kevin Peter Hall and also altered the look of the creature.
Actor Bill Duke played Mac in Predator and now in a recent interview he recalled that he happened with Jean-Claude Van Damme.
"The Predator you saw in the movie was not the original predator, did you know that? The original Predator was a much smaller creature and they were going to put the special effects on his body in post-production. He was wearing a stealth suit and they tied him up with cables and he flew through the trees with the cables on his back like he was flying. He had passed out twice from dehydration. The producer said, "If you pass out again, I'll fire you!" Two weeks go by and the guy passes out and the producer walks over and fires him. That person was Jean-Claude Van Damme.
What is the movie about?
Predator from 1987 features a group of soldiers who are in the jungle on a mission. But they meet a very dangerous alien who starts hunting them down one by one. It was one of the great Arnold Schwarzenegger movies of the 80s and with it a saga began that lasts today, as there are plans for a movie or series. But it would really be interesting if they gave Jean-Claude Van Damme a new opportunity and returned to the franchise in a big way.
