Dolph Lundgren on playing He‑Man: ‘My hair extensions caught fire in a shootout!’

Cannon Films had the rights to Masters of the Universe and thought: “Let’s get this new guy. He’s blond, has good pecs … He can wield the sword.” I was convinced to do it but only very reluctantly – I didn’t want to play a toy. There was lots of excitement but also lots of worry.

I’d been Soviet bad guy Ivan Drago in Rocky IV and now I was going to be this American hero. I was nervous and afraid people weren’t going to like it. It was a challenging role. If you play a Soviet fighter, you can watch them on TV but who do you study to play He‑Man?

The cartoon? I could find some common ground though. I was extremely innocent at that time, vulnerable and kind of boyish. It was daunting trying to access that because I hadn’t done it on camera before. I had conversations with Gary Goddard, the director, but he was also preoccupied with effects and budget.

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