‘Rocky’ star Dolph Lundgren invests in America, proudly embraces citizenship: ‘This country has been my life’
After a date night with his future wife, Dolph Lundgren decided to step into the ring of vodka production.
The "Rocky" star, who studied chemical engineering before he became an actor, has unveiled Hard Cut Vodka, a 90-proof all-American spirit that’s made with Idaho potatoes and water from the Rocky Mountains.
It was a no-brainer for the 67-year-old, who famously played Russian boxer Ivan Drago.
"I’m from Sweden originally, and people drink a lot of vodka in Sweden because it’s cold and dark there in the winter," he told Fox News Digital. "… But I was taking my future wife at the time to Santa Barbara on a date, and I was trying some of the vodkas [at this] bar. I didn’t really like them. I like it straight up over ice and I couldn’t find one I really liked. They were all very harsh. And after complaining for a while, she said, ‘Why don’t you make your own?’"
Not willing to back down from a challenge, Lundgren accepted Emma Krokdal’s dare.
WATCH: ‘ROCKY’ STAR DOLPH LUNDGREN LAUNCHES HARD CUT VODKA AFTER BECOMING AN AMERICAN CITIZEN
"I looked at the vodka space, and it looked kind of boring compared to tequila," he shared. "A lot of people from Hollywood or entertainment have gone into tequila and whiskey. … Vodka was a wide-open field. … I wanted to have some fun and bring a little bit of an action movie pizzazz to it."
Lundgren and Krokdal were on a quest to find the best distillery to bring their idea of the perfect vodka to life. In Idaho, a two-hour flight from their California home, they found exactly what they were looking for.
Russet potatoes grown in the state, along with "Rocky Mountain snow-melt water" created a concoction that was both strong and smooth. Hard Cut Vodka was born.
The final product, which was awarded Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2024, featured "bright notes of fennel, green apple and just a bit of butterscotch," Forbes reported.
"The ones my wife and I liked the best were from Idaho, where they have a range of vodkas," he explained. "The one we liked came from a particular distillery … it was potato vodka. It turned out the potato gave it a really nice mouthfeel. … Once we found it, we realized it’s an American vodka now, which is cool. … It belongs here. And it’s something I can stand behind."
"With all the trade wars and everything, it’s also an advantage to be an American-made vodka," Lundgren chuckled.
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Investing in America was important for the star, he said. After living on and off in the United States, Lundgren officially became an American citizen in 2024. Krokdal, who is originally from Norway, also took part in a naturalization ceremony with her husband, where they both swore an oath of allegiance to the U.S., People magazine reported.
"It's been very important to invest in America," Lundgren explained. "I'm from Sweden, but I'm an immigrant and … all the good things in my life have come from America. I switched from chemical engineering and martial arts to becoming an actor, a movie star in Hollywood. That couldn't have happened in any other country. And so, I feel really comfortable working in America with Americans."
"It just makes it easier because everything is more organized," he said. "People are more on the ball when you're doing business. Yes, it's important to me, and I think Americans will like the fact that it is an American vodka. It's sophisticated. It's tough but smooth and it has an elegant image. Just because it’s all-American doesn’t mean it can’t be sophisticated and elegant."
The star noted he’s always felt proud to build a life and career in America. And when it came time to become a citizen, he felt it was "better late than never."
"It was about time," he reflected. "I’ve been here for 40 years. I went to school here when I was in my teens and moved here. I was an American resident for a while. Then I got married and I moved to Spain for various reasons.
"I lived there and my kids grew up in Spain, my two daughters. But I always wanted to come back. I moved back here about 15 years ago, and then I got my residency back. And then I decided I wanted to become a citizen."
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"This country has been my life," said Lundgren. "Everything good in my life has come from America. I love Sweden, but like I said, I’m very close to this country. And standing there, swearing the oath, [seeing] the flag, it was very emotional. And it’s big. It’s not easy to become a citizen. It’s difficult to become an American citizen, and I think it should be."
"I’m proud that I made it," he added.
Lundgren said that whenever he was in Europe, America was on his mind. But he put aside his dreams of staying in the country to be closer to his daughters, who are now 28 and 23 years old.
"I felt like it was the one thing missing," said Lundgren. "… I had been pulled back to Europe by my ex-wife for various reasons. And it was maybe not such a smart move, but I did it for the family. … But I … always felt bad giving up my green card at that time. I always felt I wanted to get it back. I felt becoming an American … it just feels so right."
It was in America where Lundgren found himself suddenly skyrocketing to fame. Drago was introduced in "Rocky IV," which premiered on Nov. 27, 1985, nearly 40 years ago.
"I went in there as a kid," said Lundgren about attending the premiere. "… My girlfriend was a famous singer at the time, Grace Jones. People tried to get me out of the way to take pictures of her. And then I went [inside the theater]. The lights went down, and these two boxing gloves came up, a Soviet glove and an American glove. The movie starts, and I’m sitting there frozen for 90 minutes."
"The lights came up, and suddenly everybody was looking at me," Lundgren continued. "I was a bit – I didn’t know what to do. I felt really sick to my stomach but excited. We went out and people are taking pictures of me now. It took me a couple of years to get over it."
Lundgren admitted that fame was difficult for him to navigate. His relationship with Jones, now 76, eventually came to an end. But over the years, he found himself busy appearing in blockbuster franchises, including "The Expendables," "Creed" and "Aquaman," among others.
He’s still good friends with Stallone, 78, who now resides in Palm Beach, Florida. Their daughters have also formed a friendship.
"It’s quite unusual to be close to somebody for 40 years in this business and be in the ring, punching each other," said Lundgren.
"Throwing each other around, that creates a certain friendship. We’ve done six films together now. And he’s a very smart, talented guy. Sometimes you play characters that are simplistic and physical, people assume you’re not intelligent. But he’s a very talented artist. And he’s very funny as well. I loved getting to know him over the years. I can’t wait to make him a cocktail the next time I see him."
"Rocky," Lundgren said, will always hold a special place for the star.
'ROCKY' STAR DOLPH LUNDGREN AND WIFE 'PROUD' TO BECOME AMERICAN CITIZENS MONTHS AFTER WEDDING
"The experience of being part of that kind of iconic film … It was a wonderful experience for a young Swedish kid who just came over here to study engineering," he said.