Dolph Lundgren has spoken about the shock he felt after being catapulted to fame following the success of Rocky IV in 1985. As a Swedish actor who got his big break playing the villainous Soviet fighter Ivan Drago, Lundgren was one of the most iconic antagonists in the entire Rocky franchise and remains among the fiercest foes Sylvester Stallone's underdog hero has ever faced off against. Rocky’s fight against Drago was about far more than just professional boxing and acted as a microcosm for the entire Cold War, with Rocky representing the United States and Drago as the Soviet Union.

Even four decades after Rocky IV first premiered, Lundgren can still remember the stresses and responsibilities of his newfound fame, as he revealed at Fan Expo Philadelphia, attended by Screen Rant, that it took him “about five years to recover.” Lundgren’s role was immediately one of the most...