In a feature interview with Men’s Health, actor Dolph Lundgren revealed that a cancer diagnosis once left him with just months to live and permanently altered his approach to physical fitness.
The 69-year-old action star, known globally for his role as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, is currently promoting a new memoir titled Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle alongside a documentary titled Dolph: Unbreakable. Lundgren stated in the interview that he has reached a status of “NED”—no evidence of disease—maintaining clear scans every few months after three years of remission.
“Once you have the cancer diagnosis, you’re always wondering what’s going to come in the future, but it keeps you honest on some level,” Lundgren told Men’s Health.
- No Evidence of Disease (NED): A clinical designation meaning that diagnostic imaging and tests currently show no detectable traces of cancer in the patient’s body, though it does not formally declare a complete cure.
Reflecting on his health journey, Lundgren said that the cancer experience forced him to recognize physical limitations he previously ignored. Moving away from high-impact sparring with younger athletes and grueling mountain runs, the actor transitioned to a streamlined fitness protocol.
“I said, ‘No, I’m going to cut back on the crazy stuff,'” Lundgren told Men’s Health. He designed a routine focused on 30- to 40-minute sessions a couple of times a week, prioritizing strength training, baseline cardio, and martial arts mobility.
The actor is currently developing a personal fitness app modeled after similar projects by peers like Arnold Schwarzenegger, aiming to share his specific, joint-safe training methods with the public.
| Metric | Previous Regimen | Post-Diagnosis Regimen |
|---|---|---|
| Session Duration | High-intensity, prolonged hours | 30 to 40 minutes |
| Frequency | Daily heavy exertion | A couple of times a week |
| Core Components | Heavy sparring, mountain running | Strength, basic cardio, mobility |
Alongside discussions of his health, the documentary and memoir explore Lundgren’s cinematic catalog, ranging from high-budget studio releases to direct-to-video projects like Command Performance and Wanted Man, which he directed.
Lundgren also shared memories of working with the late Brandon Lee on the 1991 action film Showdown in Little Tokyo. Recalling their shared background in martial arts and Scandinavian heritage through Lee’s mother, Lundgren expressed deep regret over Lee’s accidental death.
“I was very, very upset when I got that call a couple years later that he’d gotten killed in some freak accident,” Lundgren told Men’s Health. “He would’ve certainly been a huge star.”
Buoyed by his recovery and recent supporting work in major productions like Creed II and Aquaman, Lundgren intends to pivot toward dramatic cinema. Citing advice from actor Russell Crowe regarding the impact of directors on performance, Lundgren plans to apply his renewed perspective to dramatic feature films scheduled for production.
- Men’s Health: Dolph Lundgren Interview
- Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle (Memoir)
- Dolph: Unbreakable (Documentary)
