Steven Seagal
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Steven Frederic Seagal (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell; born April 10, 1952) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, martial artist, and musician. A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, he began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> where he became the first American to teach in an aikido dojo.<ref name="British Aikido History">Template:Cite web</ref> He later moved to Los Angeles where he continued teaching aikido. In 1988, Seagal made his acting debut in Above the Law, which is regarded as the first American film to feature aikido in fight sequences.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He has appeared in over 50 films.
By 1991, he had starred in three commercially successful films, and would go on to achieve greater fame in Under Siege (1992), where he played Navy SEALs counter-terrorist expert Casey Ryback, a role he reprised in the sequel Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995). In 1994, he starred in his directorial debut film On Deadly Ground. During the latter half of the 1990s, Seagal starred in three more feature films and the direct-to-video film The Patriot. Subsequently, his career shifted to mostly direct-to-video productions. He has since appeared in films and reality shows, most notably as the main villain in Robert Rodriguez's Machete (2010), and Steven Seagal: Lawman, which depicted Seagal performing duties as a reserve deputy sheriff.
Seagal is a guitarist and has released two studio albums, Songs from the Crystal Cave and Mojo Priest, and performed on the scores of several of his films. He has worked with Stevie Wonder and Tony Rebel, who both performed on his debut album. He has been involved in a line of "therapeutic oil" products and energy drinks. Seagal is an environmentalist,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> animal rights activist, and supporter of 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2004, he was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Seagal has been the subject of controversy during his career. Since 1991, multiple women have accused Seagal of sexual harassment or assault.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A supporter of Vladimir Putin, he backed the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.<ref name=MT140327/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was granted both Russian<ref name=Reuters2016/> and Serbian citizenship in 2016. In 2018, he was appointed Russia's special envoy to the U.S.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Early life
[edit]Seagal was born on April 10, 1952, in Lansing, Michigan,<ref name="Official Website Biography">Template:Cite web</ref> the son of Patricia Anne Fisher, a medical technician, and Samuel Seagal, a mathematics teacher. His mother was of Irish descent, while his father was Jewish.<ref name="jewish">Template:Cite web</ref> His paternal grandparents were Russian Jewish immigrants.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During an interview for the Russian talk show Let Them Talk, Seagal stated that he has paternal ancestors from the Siberian city of Vladivostok, as well as Belarus and Saint Petersburg. He claims that genetic testing determined that he has Yakut and Buryat ancestry as well.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> When he was 5, Seagal moved with his parents to Fullerton, California. His mother later told People magazine that prior to the move Seagal was frail and suffered from asthma: "He was a puny kid back then. But he really thrived after the move [from Michigan]."<ref name=People/>
Seagal attended Buena Park High School in Buena Park, California, and Fullerton College between 1970 and 1971. Seagal has been described as a “pathological liar”<ref name=Liar>Template:Cite news</ref> due to his propensity of making greatly exaggerated or outright fabricated statements about his personal life and achievements.<ref name="LLC1993"/> For instance, Seagal has claimed that he was a student of the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba; despite the fact that Ueshiba died in 1969 when Seagal was 17 and five years before Seagal moved to Japan at age 22 — when he moved there to allegedly avoid the draft for the Vietnam War by marrying a Japanese national.<ref name=People>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="LLC1993"/>
Martial arts and Japan
[edit]According to Seagal's first wife, Miyako Fujitani: "I met Steven in California in the fall of 1974. He followed me back to Japan in October. We got married in December 1974."<ref name="LLC1993"/> Fujitani was a second-degree black belt and daughter of an Osaka aikido master who had come to Los Angeles to teach aikido. After they married, they had a son, Kentaro, and a daughter, Ayako. Seagal taught at the school owned by Miyako's family and earned his aikido black belt in 1978.<ref name=People/> Interviewed in 1993, Fujitani stated that: "The only reason Steven was awarded the black belt was because the judge, who was famous for his laziness, fell asleep during Steven's presentation. The judge just gave him the black belt."<ref name="LLC1993"/>
Seagal has claimed that he helped train CIA agents in Japan: "They saw my abilities, both with martial arts and with the language. You could say that I became an advisor to several CIA agents in the field, and through my friends in the CIA, I met many powerful people and did special works and favors."<ref name=People/> Fujitani has refuted these allegations and has also dismissed Seagal's claims that he had combatted yakuza. There is no evidence that Seagal has ever worked with the Central Intelligence Agency.<ref name="LLC1993"/> In the early-1980s, Seagal had aspirations to return to America and become a movie star.<ref name="LLC1993"/> Fujitani then "scrimped and saved for years, even denying herself and her children necessities, to help pay his way home."<ref name="LLC1993"/> According to Fujitani, "he then availed himself of her savings and hied off."<ref name="LLC1993"/>
Seagal returned to Taos, New Mexico, with his student (and later film stuntman) Craig Dunn, where they opened a dojo, although Seagal spent much of his time pursuing other ventures. After another period in Japan, Seagal returned to the United States in 1983 with senior student Haruo Matsuoka. They opened an aikido dojo, initially in North Hollywood, but later moved it to the city of West Hollywood. Seagal left Matsuoka in charge of the dojo, which the latter ran until the two parted ways in 1997.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In the early 1980s, Seagal had his first experiences in the film industry by working as a fight coordinator on The Challenge (1982) which was shot in Japan,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Never Say Never Again (1983).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Later in his career, Seagal helped train Brazilian mixed martial artist Lyoto Machida, who credited Seagal for helping him perfect the front kick that he used to knock out Randy Couture at UFC 129 in May 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Career
[edit]1987–2002: Hollywood action star
[edit]In 1987, Seagal began work on his first film as an actor, Above the Law (titled Nico in Europe), with director Andrew Davis. Seagal was asked to make the film by agent Michael Ovitz, who reportedly became convinced that Seagal had movie star potential after taking aikido classes with him.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ovitz financed Seagal's successful screen test, which led Seagal to be offered a contract by Warner Bros.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ovitz' role in starting Seagal's acting career led to a long-standing, unfounded rumor that the agent had made a bet that he could turn anyone into a movie star and decided to bank on his martial arts teacher to win his wager.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Above the Law was a success, grossing $18,869,631 in the U.S.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times stated "It contains 50 percent more plot than it needs, but that allows it room to grow in areas not ordinarily covered in action thrillers."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following its success, Seagal's subsequent movies were Hard to Kill, Marked for Death, and Out for Justice; all were box office hits and made Seagal an action hero. Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote, "Mr. Seagal is effective for both his novelty value and his ability to be both literally and figuratively disarming."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Seagal achieved mainstream success in 1992 with the release of Under Siege, which reunited him with director Andrew Davis for what critics described as "Die Hard on a battleship". Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 79% based on reviews from 28 critics. The site's consensus states: "A well-directed action thriller that makes the most of its confined setting, Under Siege marks a high point for early '90s action—and its star's spotty filmography."<ref>Template:Rotten Tomatoes</ref> Reviewers praised Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey's performances as the film's villains,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and it is often considered Seagal's best film to date.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On April 20, 1991, Seagal hosted Season 16, Episode 18 of Saturday Night Live. The series' long-time executive producer Lorne Michaels and cast-members David Spade and Tim Meadows called Seagal the show's "worst host ever". Spade and Meadows cited Seagal's humorlessness, his ill-treatment of the cast and writers, and his refusal to do a "Hans and Franz" sketch because the skit's title characters had previously said that they could "beat up Steven Seagal". Seagal has never been invited back to the show.<ref>Venable, Nick (October 29, 2015). "The Worst Saturday Night Live Host Ever, According To David Spade". CinemaBlend.</ref><ref name=LiveFromNewYork>Miller, James Andrew; Shales, Tom (October 6, 2015). Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests. Back Bay Books. p. 386. Archived at Google Books. Retrieved October 29, 2015.</ref> Meadows commented, "He didn't realize that you can't tell somebody they're stupid on Wednesday and expect them to continue writing for you on Saturday."<ref name=LiveFromNewYork/>
SNL cast member Julia Sweeney later recalled that Seagal "had this idea that he's a therapist and he wanted Victoria Jackson to be his patient who's just been raped. And the therapist says, 'You're going to have to come to me twice a week for like three years," because, he said, 'That's how therapists freaking are. They're just trying to get your money.' And then he says that the psychiatrist tries to have sex with her."<ref name=LiveFromNewYork/> The cast and crew's difficulties with Seagal were later echoed on-air by Michaels during guest host Nicolas Cage's monologue in the September 26, 1992, Season 18 premiere. When Cage worried that he would do so poorly that the audience would regard him as "the biggest jerk who's ever been on the show", Michaels replied: "No, no. That would be Steven Seagal."<ref>"Season 18: Episode 1". Saturday Night Live Transcripts. Retrieved October 29, 2015.</ref>
Seagal directed and starred in On Deadly Ground (1994), featuring Michael Caine, R. Lee Ermey, and Billy Bob Thornton in minor supporting roles. The film emphasized environmental and spiritual themes, signaling a break with his previous persona as a genre-ready inner-city cop. On Deadly Ground was poorly received by critics,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> especially denouncing Seagal's long environmental speech in the film. Regardless, Seagal considers it one of the most important and relevant moments in his career. Seagal followed this with a sequel to one of his most successful films, Under Siege, titled Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> According to co-star Morris Chestnut, Seagal rewrote many of the scenes he was in. "The only time they really stuck to the script or had ad libs was the stuff when he really wasn't there. It was a lot of stuff, because at that time I think he was flying a helicopter, he was doing something... He would come to set, "Okay, you're gonna say this. I'm gonna say this and this is gonna happen and then you do that." That's how we did a lot of that movie."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1996, Seagal had a role in the Kurt Russell film Executive Decision, portraying a special ops soldier who appears in only the film's first 45 minutes. Former Warner Bros Vice President Bill Daly later stated Seagal agreed to the role in exchange for the studio forgiving him losing his director's salary due to going over-budget with On Deadly Ground.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The same year, he filmed a police drama The Glimmer Man (1996). In another environmentally conscious and commercially unsuccessful film, Fire Down Below (1997), he played an EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance agent fighting industrialists dumping toxic waste in the Kentucky hills.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 1998, Seagal made The Patriot, another environmental thriller which was his first direct-to-video release in the United States (though it was released theatrically in most of the world). Seagal produced this film with his own money, and the film was shot on-location on and near his farm in Montana. After producing Prince of Central Park, Seagal returned to cinema screens with the release of Exit Wounds in March 2001. The film had fewer martial arts scenes than Seagal's previous films, but it was a commercial success, taking almost $80 million worldwide. It was considered at the time to be a "comeback" for Seagal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, Seagal was unable to capitalize on this success and his next two projects were both critical and commercial failures. The movie Ticker, co-starring Tom Sizemore and Dennis Hopper, was filmed in San Francisco before Exit Wounds, and went straight to DVD. Half Past Dead, starring hip hop star Ja Rule, made less than $20 million worldwide. It was ranked in a Rotten Tomatoes editorial on the 100 worst movies of all time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Seagal was also nominated for Worst Actor at the 2002 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards and the 23rd Golden Raspberry Awards.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2003–present: Direct-to-video films and television
[edit]Other than his role as a villain in Robert Rodriguez's Machete (2010), almost all the films Seagal has made since the latter half of 2001 have been released direct-to-video (DTV) in North America, with some theatrical releases to other countries around the world. Seagal is credited as a producer and sometimes a writer on many of these DTV movies, which include Black Dawn, Belly of the Beast, Out of Reach, Submerged, Kill Switch, Urban Justice, Pistol Whipped, Against the Dark, Driven to Kill, A Dangerous Man, Born to Raise Hell, and The Keeper. Beyond the Law (2019) is one of Seagal's few movies to have had a theatrical release in North America since Machete.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2009, A&E Network premiered the reality television series Steven Seagal: Lawman, focusing on Seagal as a deputy in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. In the 2010s, Seagal's direct-to-video films increasingly started to become ensemble pieces, with Seagal playing minor or supporting roles, despite the fact that he often received top billing. Maximum Conviction, Force of Execution, Gutshot Straight, Code of Honor, Sniper Special Ops, The Asian Connection, The Perfect Weapon, Cartels, and China Salesman all exemplify this trend. This has led some commentators to criticize Seagal for his low-effort participation in movies which heavily promote his involvement.<ref name=LAtimes>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2011, Seagal produced and starred in an American television action series entitled True Justice. The series first aired on Nitro, a TV station in Spain, on May 12, 2011.<ref name=Nitroannounce>Template:Cite web</ref> It premiered in the UK on 5 USA, with the first episode broadcast July 20, 2011.<ref name=5USAlist>Template:Cite web</ref> The series was renewed for a second season airing on ReelzChannel.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the UK, True Justice was repackaged as a series of DVD movies, with each disc editing together two episodes.
Influence and artistry
[edit]At the height of his career, Seagal was one of the biggest action movie stars in the world, and one of the most successful martial arts actors of the 1980s and 1990s, alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Credited with popularising aikido in film, Seagal is considered an important figure in the development and popularization of East Asian martial arts in the West.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Many of Seagal's films share unique elements which have become characteristic of his body of work. His characters often have an elite past affiliation with the CIA, Special Forces, or Black Ops (for example, Casey Ryback in Under Siege, a former Navy SEAL, Jack Cole in The Glimmer Man, an ex-CIA police detective, or Jonathan Cold in The Foreigner and Black Dawn, an ex-CIA Black Ops freelancer). His characters differ from those of other action movie icons by virtue of their near-invulnerability; they rarely face any significant physical threat, easily overpowering any opposition and seldom facing bodily harm or even temporary defeat.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Two notable exceptions are Executive Decision (1996), in which Seagal's character is introduced as a false protagonist only to be killed halfway through<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Machete (2010), which features Seagal in a rare villainous role.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Seagal's films also frequently reflect aspects of his personal life. His music appears in several of his films (for example, Into the Sun and Ticker, where he appears as part of a bar band), as does his fluency in other languages (he speaks Japanese in Into the Sun) and religion (Buddhism features prominently in The Glimmer Man and Belly of the Beast). His past as an aikido teacher is also incorporated into several films, for example Above the Law (which opens with a montage of real-life photos from Seagal's own past) or Shadow Man, where he is seen giving an aikido demonstration. Several of his films also feature prominent political messages, most notably the environmentalism evident in On Deadly Ground.<ref>Archived at GhostarchiveTemplate:Cbignore and the Wayback MachineTemplate:Cbignore: Template:Cite AV mediaTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
While Seagal's acting in Above the Law gained praise from the likes of Roger Ebert, Seagal has repeatedly faced criticism from both critics and fans who accuse him of playing the same character in many of his movies, as well as displaying a lack of emotional range. In fact, his typecasting has been informally referred to as "Seagalism" and has become the subject of much parody. In 2008, author and critic Vern published Seagalogy, a work which examines Seagal's filmography using the framework of auteur theory. Vern describes themes of government corruption (particularly involving the CIA), environmentalism, and adoption of foreign cultures as being examples of recurrent motifs in Seagal's films, among a variety of others. The first edition breaks Seagal's career into four chronological "eras", marked by specific differences in style and content. The 2012 updated edition adds a fifth era.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
These chronological "eras" describe different phases of Seagal's career, and include the "Golden Era" (1988–1991), the period of Seagal's first successes, the "Silver Era" (1992–1997), during which Seagal saw the peak of his fame and made high-profile blockbusters, a "Transitional Period" (1998–2002) during which he made lower-profile or ensemble films, a lengthy "direct-to-video" period (his most prolific to date, 2003–2008) and, in the 2012 updated addition, a "Chief Seagal" period (2009–present) during which Seagal moved into television and began reflecting elements of his Steven Seagal: Lawman persona in his films.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Other ventures
[edit]Music
[edit]
Seagal plays the guitar and among his extensive collection are guitars previously owned by "the Kings"; Albert, BB, and Freddie, as well as Bo Diddley, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Jimi Hendrix.<ref name=SSeagColl>Marshall, Wolf. "Albert King's Flying Vs", Vintage Guitar, published June 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2016.</ref> In 2004, he released his first album, Songs from the Crystal Cave, which has a mix of pop, world, country, and blues music. It features duets with Tony Rebel, Lt. Stichie, Lady Saw, and Stevie Wonder. The soundtrack to Seagal's 2005 film Into the Sun features several songs from the album. One of his album tracks, "Girl It's Alright", was also released as a single in several countries alongside an accompanying music video. Seagal's second album, titled Mojo Priest, was released in April 2006 and spawned a concert tour.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Thom Jurek of AllMusic panned the album, rating it 1.5 stars out of 5 and stating that Seagal's guitar playing "rarely rises above bar band pedigree" and that "all of this music takes itself so seriously that it borders on delusional excess."<ref name="AM">Template:Cite web</ref>
Law enforcement work
[edit]Seagal has been a Reserve Deputy Chief in the Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff's Office. In the late 1980s, after teaching the deputies martial arts, unarmed combat, and marksmanship, then-sheriff Harry Lee (1932–2007) asked Seagal to join the force. Seagal's rank in Louisiana was ceremonial.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Steven Seagal: Lawman, a series which follows his work in the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, premiered on A&E on December 2, 2009. Seagal stated that "I've decided to work with A&E on this series now because I believe it's important to show the nation all the positive work being accomplished here in Louisiana—to see the passion and commitment that comes from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in this post-Katrina environment." The series premiere drew 3.6 million viewers, ranking as best season opener for any original A&E series ever.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On April 14, 2010, the series was suspended by Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand due to a sexual trafficking lawsuit filed against Seagal. The suit was later dropped.<ref name="tmz.com">Template:Cite news</ref> A&E resumed the show for the second season, which began on October 6, 2010. Production on Season 3 started in February 2011, with a change of location from Louisiana to Maricopa County, Arizona.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Two episodes were scheduled to be aired, beginning on January 4, 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Shortly before the episodes were to be aired, Season 3 was suspended, with no explanations given. Season 3 premiered on January 2, 2014, but the show was not renewed for a fourth season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In October 2011, Seagal was sworn in as the Sheriff department's deputy sheriff of Hudspeth County, Texas, a law department responsible for patrolling a 98-mile stretch of the Texas-Mexico border.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Business ventures
[edit]In 1997, Seagal was to be featured in an action video game for the Nintendo 64 and the original PlayStation called Deadly Honor, but it was cancelled for undisclosed reasons in its beta phase of development.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2005, Seagal Enterprises began to market an energy drink known as "Steven Seagal's Lightning Bolt", but it has since been discontinued. Seagal has also marketed an aftershave called "Scent of Action", and a range of knives and weapons.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013, Seagal joined newly formed Russian firearms manufacturer ORSIS, representing the company in both a promotional capacity<ref name="seagal1">Template:Cite press release</ref> as well as lobbying for the easement of US import restrictions on Russian sporting firearms.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Personal life
[edit]Seagal has an extensive sword collection, and at one time had a custom gun made for him once a month.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Seagal owns a home in the Mandeville Canyon section of Los Angeles,<ref name="Sunday Express 2013-11-18">Template:Cite news</ref> and a home in Louisiana.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He formerly lived on Staten Island in New York.<ref name="court brawl">Seagal’s court brawl wraps Chuck Philips, Los Angeles Times (January 7, 2008) Template:Webarchive</ref> Seagal is a Buddhist and in February 1997, Lama Penor Rinpoche from Palyul monastery announced that Seagal was a tulku, and specifically the reincarnation of Chungdrag Dorje, a 17th-century terton (treasure revealer) of the Nyingma, the oldest sect of Tibetan Buddhism.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Seagal holds citizenships in three countries: the United States, Serbia, and Russia.<ref name="argos">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="USAtoday">Template:Cite web</ref> Born in the United States, he possesses jus soli U.S. citizenship. He was granted Serbian citizenship on January 11, 2016, following several visits to the country, and has been asked to teach aikido to the Serbian Special Forces.<ref name="independent">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="guardian-citizenship">Template:Cite web</ref>
Seagal was granted Russian citizenship on November 3, 2016; according to government spokesman Dmitry Peskov, "He was asking quite insistently and over a lengthy period to be granted citizenship."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Reuters2016>Template:Cite web</ref> Various media outlets have cited Seagal and President Vladimir Putin as friends and Seagal stated that he "would like to consider [Putin] as a brother".<ref name=MT140327/> Putin bestowed the Russian award of Order of Friendship medal upon Seagal in 2023;<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> Peskov has said of Putin: "he's definitely seen some of his movies."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
While in Japan, Seagal married his first wife, Miyako Fujitani, the daughter of an aikido instructor. With Fujitani, he had a son, actor and model Kentaro Seagal, and a daughter, writer and actress Ayako Fujitani. Seagal left Miyako to move back to the United States.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During this time, he met actress and model Kelly LeBrock, with whom he began an affair that led to Fujitani granting him a divorce.<ref name=People/> Seagal was briefly married to actress Adrienne La Russa in 1984, but that marriage was annulled the same year over concerns that his divorce had not yet been finalized.<ref name=lebrockdivorce>Template:Cite news</ref> LeBrock gave birth to Seagal's daughter Annaliza in early 1987. Seagal and LeBrock married in September 1987 and their son Dominic was born in June 1990.<ref name=People/> Their daughter Arissa was born in 1993.<ref name=nytimeslebrockdivorce>Template:Cite news</ref> The following year, LeBrock filed for divorce citing "irreconcilable differences".<ref name=lebrockdivorce/><ref name=nytimeslebrockdivorce />
Seagal is married to Mongolian Erdenetuya Batsukh (Template:Langx), better known as "Elle".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They have one son together, Kunzang.<ref name="pstar">Template:Cite web</ref> From an early age, Elle trained as a dancer at the Children's Palace in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. After her graduation from high school and the Children's Palace, she pursued a career as a professional dancer. She won a number of dancing contests and was considered the top female dancer in Mongolia, excelling at ballroom dancing in particular. Elle first met Seagal in 2001, when she worked as his interpreter during his visit to Mongolia. Seagal has seven children from four relationships, two grandchildren by his eldest son, Kentaro<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and one granddaughter by his daughter Ayako Fujitani.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition to his biological offspring, Seagal is the guardian of Yabshi Pan Rinzinwangmo,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the only child of the 10th Panchen Lama of Tibet. When she studied in the United States, Seagal was her minder and bodyguard.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Political views and activism
[edit]Seagal lent his voice as a narrator for an activist film project, Medicine Lake Video. The project seeks to protect sacred tribal ground near Seagal's ranch in Siskiyou County.<ref name="Medicine Lake Video">Template:Cite web</ref> He also wrote an open letter to the leadership of Thailand in 2003, urging them to enact a law to prevent the torture of baby elephants.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1999, Seagal was awarded a PETA Humanitarian Award.<ref name="GlobalPost 2013-06-07">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="TV.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="E! Online 2011-09-01">Template:Cite web</ref>
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In a March 2014 interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Seagal described Vladimir Putin as "one of the great living world leaders". He expressed support for the annexation of Crimea by Russia.<ref name=MT140327>Template:Cite news</ref> In July 2014, following calls for a boycott, Seagal was dropped from the lineup of the August Blues Festival in Haapsalu, Estonia.<ref name=TG140720>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=BC140717>Template:Cite news</ref> The Estonian musician Tõnis Mägi, the minister of Foreign Affairs, Urmas Paet, and Parliament's Foreign Affairs chairman Marko Mihkelson had all condemned inviting Seagal into the country,<ref name=BC140717/> with Paet saying, "Steven Seagal has tried to actively participate in politics during the past few months and has done it in a way which is unacceptable to the majority of the world that respects democracy and the rule of law."<ref name=AFP140729>Template:Cite news</ref>
In August 2014, Seagal appeared at a Night Wolves-organized show in Sevastopol, Crimea, supporting the Crimean annexation and depicting Ukraine as a country controlled by fascists.<ref name=RFE140811>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=BF140811>Template:Cite news</ref> On November 3, Seagal was granted Russian citizenship by Putin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His views on Ukraine and Russian citizenship caused Ukraine to ban him from entering the country because he "committed socially dangerous actions".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Seagal visited the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2015 and met with the country's long-time president, Ilham Aliyev.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Seagal has expressed support for Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and dispute with neighboring Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Seagal spoke out against the protests during the United States national anthem by professional athletes, stating, "I believe in free speech, I believe that everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but I don't agree that they should hold the United States of America or the world hostage by taking a venue where people are tuning in to watch a football game and imposing their political views." He also expressed skepticism of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Not long after this, former two time World boxing heavyweight champion George Foreman publicly challenged Seagal to an official ten-round MMA match in Las Vegas, which Seagal promptly declined.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2017, Seagal collaborated with a former chair of the Arizona Republican Party, Tom Morrissey, in writing a self-published conspiracy thriller novel, The Way of the Shadow Wolves: The Deep State And The Hijacking Of America, which featured a Tohono Shadow Wolf tracker working for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to foil a plot by Mexican drug cartels and the "deep state" to smuggle in Islamist terrorists to the United States through the U.S.–Mexico border.<ref name=Phoenix>Endorsed by Arpaio: The 9 Most Insane Parts of Steven Seagal's Novel, by Joseph Flaherty, in the Phoenix New Times; published January 3, 2018; retrieved March 28, 2021</ref>
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In October 2017, Seagal met with Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte while scouting locations in Manila for a possible film. During the visit, Seagal flashed Duterte's signature fist.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2021, Seagal gave a katana to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as Russia's Foreign Affairs Ministry special envoy while visiting Canaima National Park.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> Maduro referred to Seagal as "my brother."<ref name=":0" /> On May 30, 2021, the pro-Kremlin systemic opposition party A Just Russia — Patriots — For Truth announced that Seagal had received an official membership card to the party.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In March 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Seagal visited Moscow where he organized his birthday party, attended by many people connected to Vladimir Putin, including some affected by international sanctions. This has been criticized as a dissenting action that came amidst the growing international boycott of Russia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In August 2022, he visited Olenivka in Donetsk Oblast, the site of the Olenivka prison massacre, with Donetsk People's Republic leader Denis Pushilin, who claimed that Seagal was filming a documentary about the war in Donbas. Seagal also met with Leonid Slutsky.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On February 27, 2023, he received the Russian Order of Friendship from Vladimir Putin for his "major contribution to the development of international cultural and humanitarian cooperation".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Controversies
[edit]Allegations and lawsuits
[edit]In May 1991 (during the filming of Out for Justice), Warner Bros. employees Raenne Malone, Nicole Selinger, and Christine Keeve accused Seagal of sexual harassment.<ref name="LLC1993">Template:Cite journal</ref> In return for remaining silent, Malone and another woman received around $50,000 each in an out-of-court settlement.<ref name="LLC1993"/><ref name="MagazineBooks2000">Template:Cite book</ref> Around the same time, at least four actresses said that Seagal had made sexual advances, typically during late-night "casting sessions".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In another incident, Jenny McCarthy said that Seagal asked her to undress during an audition for Under Siege 2: Dark Territory.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1995, Seagal was charged with employment discrimination, sexual harassment, and breach of contract.<ref name="Inc.1995">Template:Cite journal</ref> Cheryl Shuman filed a case against Seagal, accusing him of threatening and beating her during the filming of On Deadly Ground.<ref name="Inc.1995"/> In August 1995, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Hiroshi Fujisaki dismissed the case, calling the claims "repetitive and unintelligible".<ref name="Inc.1995"/>
On April 12, 2010, 23-year-old Kayden Nguyen filed a lawsuit against Seagal in a Los Angeles County Superior Court, requesting more than one million dollars in damages.<ref name="CBS" /><ref name="BBC" /><ref name="Fox">Template:Cite news</ref> In her suit, Nguyen alleged Seagal engaged in sexual harassment, the illegal trafficking of females for sex, failure to prevent sexual harassment, and wrongful termination.<ref name="CBS">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="BBC">Template:Cite news</ref> Seagal denied the allegations, but his reality show Steven Seagal: Lawman was suspended while his attorneys resolved the case.<ref name="BBC" /> On July 14, 2010, three months after Nguyen filed her suit, she withdrew her claim without explanation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On August 30, 2011, Jesus Sanchez Llovera filed a lawsuit against Seagal over his part in a Maricopa county police raid with heavy weapons (notably including an army surplus tank) of Llovera's residence for suspicion of cockfighting. The incident was taped for Seagal's A&E reality show Steven Seagal: Lawman. Llovera was seeking $100,000 for damages caused during the raid and a letter of apology from Seagal to Llovera's children for the death of their family pet. Llovera claimed that his 11-month-old puppy was shot and killed during the raid.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Llovera failed to file court-ordered paperwork after his attorney withdrew from the case and the lawsuit was dismissed in January 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2017, actress Portia de Rossi accused Seagal of sexually harassing her during a movie audition. De Rossi alleged that during an audition in Seagal's office, he told her "how important it was to have chemistry off-screen" before unzipping his pants.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On an April 18 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Katherine Heigl alleged on the final day of shooting for Under Siege 2 that Seagal told her that he had girlfriends the same age as the 16-year-old Heigl. Kimmel responded by displaying a photo from the film's promotional tour showing Seagal's hand on Heigl's chest while they posed for a photo.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On November 9, 2017, Dutch model Faviola Dadis posted a statement on her Instagram account stating that she also had been sexually assaulted by Seagal years earlier.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On January 15, 2018, actress Rachel Grant publicly accused Seagal of sexually assaulting her in 2002, during pre-production on his direct-to-video film, Out for a Kill (2003), stating that she lost her job on the film after the incident.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In February 2018, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office acknowledged that it was reviewing a potential sex-abuse case involving Seagal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In March 2018, Regina Simons publicly claimed that in 1993, when she was 18, Seagal raped her at his home when she arrived for what she thought was a wrap party for the movie On Deadly Ground.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In September 2018, Los Angeles prosecutors refused to charge the actor based on Regina Simons accusations, due to California's statute of limitations. Two months later, the case involving the actress Rachel Grant was dismissed for the same reasons.<ref>Dobuzinskis, Alex (December 22, 2018). "Prosecutors close Steven Seagal sex assault inquiry without charges". Reuters.</ref>
Victim of attempted extortion
[edit]Seagal became embroiled in a legal case involving film producer Julius R. Nasso after Nasso attempted to extort Seagal. Nasso produced seven of Seagal's films beginning with Marked for Death in 1990. The two "became best friends", according to Seagal, and formed Seagal/Nasso Productions together. Their relationship became strained, however, and their partnership ended in 2000. Believing that Seagal owed him $3 million in compensation for backing out of a four-film deal, Nasso enlisted members of the Gambino crime family to threaten Seagal in an attempt to recoup money Nasso allegedly lost.<ref name="latimes.com">Template:Cite web</ref>
Gambino family captain Anthony Ciccone first visited Seagal in Toronto during the filming of Exit Wounds in October 2000.<ref name="latimes.com"/> In January 2001, Primo Cassarino and other gangsters picked up Seagal by car to bring him to a meeting with Ciccone at a Brooklyn restaurant. At the meeting, Ciccone reportedly told Seagal that he had a choice of making four promised movies with Nasso or paying Nasso a penalty of $150,000 per movie, and that if Seagal refused, Ciccone would kill him.<ref name="seagal mob">Template:Cite news</ref>
Seagal, who later claimed that he brought a handgun to the meeting, was able to stall Ciccone and escape the meeting unharmed.<ref name="under siege">Template:Cite news</ref> In the spring of 2001, Seagal sought out another mobster, Genovese crime family captain Angelo Prisco, to act as a "peacemaker". He visited Prisco in prison at Rahway, New Jersey and paid Prisco's lawyer $10,000.<ref>Seagal Stars in N.Y. Trial Of Mafia Michael Powell, The Washington Post (February 12, 2003)</ref>
On March 17, 2003, Cassarino, Ciccone and others were convicted of labor racketeering, extortion, and 63 other counts under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.<ref>"STEVEN SEAGAL AND THE MOB" Template:Webarchive TruTV Crime Library</ref> Seagal testified for the prosecution about the mobsters' extortion attempt.<ref name="teflon gone">Template:Cite news</ref> Nasso pleaded guilty to the charge of extortion conspiracy in August 2003. In February 2004, he was sentenced to a year and a day in prison, fined $75,000 and ordered to take mental health counselling on release from jail.<ref>Seagal mob saga comes to an end The Guardian (February 18, 2004)</ref> In January 2008, Nasso agreed to drop a $60 million lawsuit against Seagal for an alleged breach of contract when the two settled out of court.<ref>Staten Island film producer, action movie star, settle out of court on $60M suit Staten Island Advance (January 7, 2008)</ref>
Conflicts with stuntmen
[edit]Seagal has been accused by former stunt performers who have worked with him, including Kane Hodder, Stephen Quadros, and Gene LeBell, of intentionally hitting stuntmen during scenes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Additionally, while serving as stunt coordinator for Out for Justice, LeBell allegedly got into an on-set altercation with Seagal over his mistreatment of some of the film's stunt performers. After the actor claimed that, due to his aikido training, he was "immune" to being choked unconscious, LeBell supposedly offered Seagal the opportunity to prove it. With Seagal's permission, LeBell then successfully choked him unconscious, with Seagal losing bowel control. Although LeBell has not directly confirmed the rumor, he implied that it was true in a 2012 interview.<ref name="sing">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Seagal's bodyguard and stuntman Steven Lambert stated that a confrontation did happen, during which Seagal elbowed LeBell before he could lock the hold, after which LeBell flipped Seagal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Seagal has directly denied that a confrontation took place, calling LeBell a "sick, pathological scumbag liar".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Robart Wall included LeBell in his "Dirty Dozen", a list of martial artists willing to answer to a public challenge made by Seagal.<ref name="Nils">Thomas Nilsson, A Conversation with "The Toughest Man Alive": "Judo" Gene LeBell Has Seen and Done It All in a 50-Year Martial Arts Career, Black Belt magazine, February 1999</ref> LeBell however declined to participate, as the feud with Seagal was hurting him professionally. He did however criticize Seagal for his treatment of stuntmen, and left open the possibility of a professional fight if Seagal wanted.<ref>David W. Clary, Wall Challenges Seagal to Face "Dirty Dozen", Black Belt magazine, March 1992</ref>
Allegations of mistreatment towards stuntmen have continued throughout Seagal's later career, with both stuntman Peter Harris Kent (Arnold Schwarzenegger's stunt double) and Mike Leeder publicly criticizing his on-set antics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Actor John Leguizamo also claimed that during rehearsals on Executive Decision, in retaliation for laughing at him, Seagal caught him off guard and knocked him into a brick wall.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Michael Jai White, who acted with him in a number of movies, stated that he routinely hit stunt men, and that he was known for it. He said they just accepted it. However, he stated that Seagal never hit him.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
Filmography
[edit]Films
[edit]Television
[edit]| Year | Film | Functioned as | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writer | Executive producer | Actor | Role | |||
| 1991 | Saturday Night Live | Template:No | Template:No | Template:Yes | Host | Seagal hosted the episode "Steven Seagal/Michael Bolton". |
| 2009–2014 | Steven Seagal: Lawman | Template:No | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | Himself | Also creator |
| 2011–2012 | True Justice | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | Elijah Kane | Also creator |
| 2017 | Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father | Template:No | Template:No | Template:Yes | Himself | Impromptu segment in Season 1, Episode 3 |
Stunts
[edit]| Year | Film | Functioned as | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martial arts instructor | Choreographer | Stunt coordinator | |||
| 1982 | The Challenge | Template:No | Template:No | Template:Yes | Credited as "Steve Seagal". |
| 1983 | Never Say Never Again | Template:Yes | Template:No | Template:No | Uncredited Seagal accidentally broke Sean Connery's wrist during production.<ref name=SeanWrist>Frost, Caroline (August 25, 2015). "Sean Connery Turns 85 Today... 85 Things You Probably Didn't Know About 'The First And Best(?) James Bond'". HuffPost. Retrieved September 1, 2015.</ref> |
| 1985 | A View to a Kill | Template:No | Template:Yes | Template:No | |
| 1988 | Above the Law | Template:No | Template:No | Template:Yes | |
| 1990 | Hard to Kill | Template:No | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | |
| 1990 | Marked for Death | Template:No | Template:No | Template:Yes | |
| 2013 | Force of Execution | Template:No | Template:Yes | Template:No | |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | On Deadly Ground | Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Actor | Template:Nom |
| Worst Picture (shared with Julius R. Nasso and A. Kitman Ho) | Template:Nom | |||
| Worst Director | Template:Won | |||
| 1997 | Executive Decision | Worst Supporting Actor | Template:Nom | |
| 1998 | Fire Down Below | Worst Actor | Template:Nom | |
| Worst Picture (shared with Julius R. Nasso) | Template:Nom | |||
| Worst Screen Couple (shared with "his guitar") | Template:Nom | |||
| Worst Original Song (shared with Mark Collie for the song "Fire Down Below") | Template:Nom | |||
| 2003 | Half Past Dead | Worst Actor | Template:Nom |
Discography
[edit]- Songs from the Crystal Cave (2004)
- Mojo Priest (2006)
References
[edit]External links
[edit]- Pages with broken file links
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