When Action Movies Had Real Heroes

Six-foot-five, an MIT grad, and fluent in several languages. Lundgren shattered the “dumb muscle” stereotype. As Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, he became the icy embodiment of Soviet strength. Later, in Universal Soldier and The Expendables, he found irony in that image. Behind the stoicism, there was always intelligence. He was the action star who looked like he could dismantle your engine and your jaw with equal skill. And when we first met him, he was truly godly and huge.