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Action Icon Dolph Lundgren Announces US Book Tour for New Memoir Fights Worth Fighting

In his candid new memoir, Dolph Lundgren opens up about resilience, reinvention, and the real fights behind the fame.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Harper Horizon, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus, is proud to announce a multi-city US book tour celebrating actor and filmmaker Dolph Lundgren and his new memoir, Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle, publishing September 22, 2026. The tour opens in Venice, California on September 15, 2026 and travels across the country through late September, giving audiences an intimate evening with one of action cinema's most enduring icons as he shares the story behind his most personal work yet.

Fights Worth Fighting is a powerful and unflinchingly honest memoir that reaches far beyond the screen. Best known for his role as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, Lundgren skyrocketed to fame in the 1980s and has since built a remarkable career spanning more than one hundred films, along with credits as a producer, writer, and director. In this deeply personal account, he opens up about his upbringing in Sweden, his rise from a chemical engineering student to a martial arts champion, and his eventual transformation into an international movie star.

As highlighted in the brand-new trailer for the book, Fights Worth Fighting reveals a more personal and vulnerable side of Lundgren’s story, centered on endurance, reflection, and the strength it takes to keep moving forward. More than a Hollywood memoir, the book is a guide to resilience, blending life lessons with personal storytelling and offering practical insights on discipline, reinvention, and the importance of mental and emotional strength.

The book has drawn praise from some of Lundgren's most celebrated peers. "He's a genius. Chemical engineer, MIT, Fulbright scholar. I hated him," said actor, screenwriter, and director Sylvester Stallone. Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor, bodybuilder, and former governor of California, added, "That's an extraordinary career. That's an extraordinary immigrant story." Actor and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme noted, "He has bravely and quietly gone through a ruthless battle to show the world how strong he is."

The tour features a mix of book signings, talks, and special events, including a series of exclusive appearances at Gold's Gym locations across the country, reflecting Lundgren's lifelong commitment to fitness, discipline, and physical excellence. Confirmed dates and venues include:

  • Venice, CA — September 15, 2026 — Gold's Gym (360 Hampton Dr) — Book signing (tickets)
  • Pasadena, CA — September 17, 2026 — Pasadena Presbyterian Church (585 E Colorado Blvd), with Vroman's Bookstore — Book talk and signing (tickets)
  • Philadelphia, PA — September 19, 2026 — Temple Performing Arts Center (1837 N Broad St), with First Edition Live — Book talk and photo line (tickets)
  • Long Island, NY — September 21, 2026 — Gold's Gym (1 Larkfield Rd) — Book signing (tickets)
  • Huntington, NY — September 21, 2026 — The Cinema Arts Centre (423 Park Ave) — Film screening, Q&A, and book signing (tickets)
  • Northvale, NJ — September 23, 2026 — Books & Greetings (271 Livingston St) — Book signing (tickets)
  • Carteret, NJ — September 24, 2026 — Carteret Performing Arts and Events Center (46 Washington St) — Book talk and signing (tickets)
  • Austin, TX — September 26, 2026 — Gold's Gym (7301 Burnet Road Ste 300A) — Book signing (tickets)
  • Austin, TX — September 27, 2026 — The State Theatre (719 N Congress Ave), with First Edition Live — Book talk and photo line (tickets)

The book will be available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook with Lundgren narrating. Signed copies are also available through TalkShopLive, featuring a live event on August 21, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. ET, and through Premiere Collectibles.

You can pre-order today at: fightsworthfighting.com.

About Dolph Lundgren:

Dolph Lundgren began his career earning a master’s degree in chemical engineering and becoming a Fulbright scholar, military officer, and international black belt karate champion before switching tracks and entering the world of Hollywood as an action hero. His breakthrough came in Rocky IV (1985) when he played the formidable Soviet boxer Ivan Drago opposite Sylvester Stallone, with whom he reunited onscreen in the blockbuster franchise The Expendables.

About Harper Horizon:

Harper Horizon is a Nashville-based imprint of HarperCollins Focus focused on the stories, values and diverse voices of Americana and beyond, publishing authors such as Penn & Kim Holderness, Willie Nelson, Luke Russert, Shea Mcgee, Robert Edsel, Nia Sioux, Leland Vittert and more. For more information, please visit www.harpercollinsfocus.com/Harper-Horizon.

Contacts

Kevin Smith
Senior Publicity Director, Harper Horizon
kevin.smith@harpercollins.com

Jaclyn Mallon
2pm Sharp
jmallon@2pmsharp.com

Jeff Raymond
2pm Sharp
jraymond@2pmsharp.com

Harper Horizon


Release Versions

Contacts

Kevin Smith
Senior Publicity Director, Harper Horizon
kevin.smith@harpercollins.com

Jaclyn Mallon
2pm Sharp
jmallon@2pmsharp.com

Jeff Raymond
2pm Sharp
jraymond@2pmsharp.com

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