Grew up in Scandanavia and Germany

Began training in the martial arts at age 14 (date approximate)

Received a second-degree black belt in karate

Represented Sweden in heavyweight martial arts championships as captain of national karate team

Won the European Heavyweight Full-Contact Karate Championship two years in a row

Won the Australian heavyweight division title

Completed basic training with the Swedish Marine Corps as an instructor in hand-to-hand combat and anti-chemical warfare

Moved to US to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Fulbright Scholar

In NYC, met acting coach Warren Robertson who encouraged him to act

Worked the door, alongside Chazz Palminteri, at a NYC nightclub

Did some modeling with little success; deemed "too big"

Met pop singer Grace Jones backstage while doing security at one of her concerts; began dating her and making public appearances together

Feature debut, a walk-on as a KGB agent in "A View to a Kill" (in which Jones played a villain)

Breakthrough feature role, played Drago in "Rocky IV"

TV debut, guested on "Bob Hope's Royal Command Performance From Sweden" on NBC

First starring role in a film, played He-Man in "Masters of the Universe"

Released an exercise video entitled "Maximum Potential" based on his own daily workout

Formed production company, Thor Pictures

Met and befriended leading US modern pentathletes Mike Gostigian and Rob Stull while training for role in "Pentathlon"

Feature producing debut, executive produced "Pentathlon" (also acted)

Moved to NYC; became involved with the Ensemble Studio Theater

Started a theater company called Group of Eight

Served as unofficial TV network lobbiest and official team leader for the US modern pentathlon squad at the Atlanta Olympic Games

TV-movie debut, "Silent Trigger", an HBO thriller