Dolph Lundgren is releasing his memoir “Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle” on September 22, 2026, through Harper Horizon, the action star announced in May. The book marks the first time the Swedish-born actor has written a comprehensive account of his life both on and off screen.
The memoir details Lundgren’s decades-long career in action cinema, including his iconic roles as Ivan Drago in 1985’s “Rocky IV” and Gunner Jensen in the “Expendables” franchise. But it goes far beyond Hollywood accolades, exploring the “emotional and physical toll” he endured while navigating fame and the pressures of the entertainment industry.
Lundgren’s life story includes a path few in Hollywood share. Before becoming an action star, he was a chemical engineering student, a Fulbright scholar, and a martial arts champion who earned a black belt in Kyokushin karate and captained the Swedish karate team. That background of discipline and resilience would define how he approached his greatest personal challenge.
The memoir confronts Lundgren’s battle with kidney cancer, his most difficult struggle. He was first diagnosed in 2015, but the disease returned and spread years later. In 2020, doctors told him he had only two to three years to live. Rather than accept that prognosis, Lundgren sought a second opinion, which led to a different treatment path and dramatic tumor shrinkage. He announced in 2024 that he was cancer-free after nearly a decade of fighting the disease.
“Strength isn’t what most people think,” Lundgren explained to People magazine. “For me, it started as survival.” The memoir merges his personal journey with broader life lessons about emotional and physical well-being, reflecting the years of introspection that went into writing it. “I’m excited to share my whole story,” he said. “And the fights… that were actually worth fighting.”
The book will be available for preorder wherever books are sold. Lundgren is also the author of 2020’s “Extreme Fitness: How to Train Like an Action Hero,” a fitness guide drawn from his lifetime of discipline and training.
Sources
- People.com — Exclusive cover reveal and memoir details, including Lundgren’s quotes about sharing his story and the cancer battle
- Morningstar (via Business Wire) — Official announcement of the September 22, 2026 release date with Harper Horizon publisher
- Las Vegas Sun — Confirmation of memoir title, subtitle, publisher, and release date
- The Conversation — Context on Lundgren’s cancer diagnosis timeline (2015) and terminal prognosis (2-3 years)
- ABC News — Details on tumor shrinkage (approximately 90% by 2022) and cancer-free announcement in 2024
