In the action-thriller Darkness of Man, actress Kristanna Loken (The L Word) stars as Claire, the girlfriend of Russell Hatch, an Interpol agent played by action star Jean-Claude Van Damme (Bloodsport). As a character, Claire serves as a support system for Russell who’s battling his dark past and trying to save a young man from gangsters in Los Angeles.
During a recent interview with the Current, Loken, 44, talked about her experience working with Van Damme and whether action movies like Terminator 3 will be in her future again.
Darkness of Man is currently streaming on VOD platforms.
When you think of Jean-Claude Van Damme as an action star in the 1980s, you know what you’re getting. How is Darkness of Man different?
We see a softer side of Van Damme than we normally do. We’ve only seen that side of him before in [the 2008 crime-drama] JCVD, which is my personal favorite film of his. Working with him as an actor, he has wonderful depth. That was really heartwarming. My character Claire certainly aids him in the vulnerable aspect of his journey in the film. She is really nursing him back to health in an emotional and physical way.
A misconception about Van Damme is that he’s just an action star. But I agree with you about JCVD. He’s at another level in that film.
For sure. He can really bring it. I think people will be pleased. For me, it’s important to feel for the characters [and] feel for the journey no matter what — even in action films. We want to be swept away with characters [and] actually relate to them in some way. We all have flaws. These characters are flawed. They’re not perfect.
What is he like as an acting partner?
I think the beauty of him is that he allows himself to be seen on a deeper side, which is really compelling for me as an actress. I think we were able to connect on that level and really sell that aspect of our story. That was a great side of him. I was very pleased that he allowed it to be shown.
Did the fact that both of you have played cyborgs before — you in Terminator 3 and him in Cyborg – ever come up?
(Laughs.) You know what — that’s funny. No, it didn’t. We missed that one. But that would have been a great talking point!
In the film, you talk to a cat. Is that something you really do with your pets?
I’m a dog person. I don’t currently have a dog, but I’ve had many in my life. They’ve certainly been there for me. You can’t really train cats. You never know what you’re going to get working with animals. It can be challenging. The cat [in the movie], we couldn’t really get it to do what we wanted. We were trying, [and] finally, at the end, we got it. Then, I realized the cat peed on me. It was like, “Well, we got the scene. Now, I’m going to go shower off.”
We’ve seen you in a lot more action scenes earlier in your career. Is that something you’d like to get back to?
Yeah, for sure. I was just thinking that I’d like to do another action film. There’s certainly more action coming up for me. I do have three other films coming out later this year. One is called Vice & Virtue that my company Trio Entertainment produced. One is called Dark Night of the Soul. It’s a survival film kind of like 127 Hours. Then, I have a film called No Address, which underscores the homeless crisis that we’re having in America right now.
Shannen Doherty has a cameo in Darkness of Man. You don’t have any scenes with her, but with all the things that are going on in her personal life, is she someone that inspires you as an actress?
Anybody who’s going through difficult health issues, to really talk about it in public and be inspirational for others, is really empowering. So, I really give her a lot of credit. She’s working and doing it.
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This article appears in May 1-14, 2024.