Steven Seagal - Action Movie Hero, Martial Arts Master and Blues Singer

Steven Frederic Seagal was born on April 10, 1952 in Michigan and as a little boy, he was fascinated by martial arts and blues. At the age of seven, he began practising Shito-ryu karate and then aikido. After ten years of training, Seagal travelled to Japan to learn from the best masters. In addition to martial arts, however, he also taught English. It didn’t take long before Seagal’s diligence began to produce success – he gradually collected black belts (e.g. in karate, judo or kendo). He also became the first American instructor of the Aikido Tenshin Dojo in Osaka, Japan. He can proudly say that he was one of the most skilled people in aikido in the 1990s.

From martial arts coordination to starring in movies

Seagal first came to the film industry as a martial arts coordinator in a film called The Challenge, which was released in 1982, in his 30s. From the same job position, he also participated in the Bond film Never Say Never Again. He even managed to break Sean Connery’s wrist during the rehearsal. He first appeared as an actor in the film Nico: Above the Law, where he immediately got the lead role. He played Nico Toscani, a police officer and martial arts expert. In a few years, he appeared, for example, in the film Hard to Kill, Out for Justice, and Marked for Death. Just like that, Seagal became a movie action star in the 1990s. However, the peak of his acting career is often considered to be his performance in the action film Under Siege, where he appeared alongside Tommy Lee Jones.

Steven Seagal’s unsuccessful film director career

However, acting and martial arts coordination are not the only things Seagal has become famous for in connection with films. For example, in the film On Deadly Ground, in addition to acting, he also introduced himself as a film director. However, the film was not considered a success, as evidenced by the fact that he won Golden Raspberry “Award” for Worst Film Director. So, he decided to pursue his acting career instead. The last time viewers were able to see him was in Final Mission, General Commander and Beyond the Law.

However, Seagal’s fans definitely don’t have to say goodbye to him yet. Due to his great condition, it is quite possible that we will still see him again on the big screen. However, the question is how many more actors would like to cooperate on a movie with Seagal. He is known for being quite hard to deal with. He openly criticizes others on stage, belittles cast and crew members, and even gets involved in arguments and fights offstage. It is known that even during filming, he often requires rewriting the scripts to his own imagination. And what does Seagal himself say about these speculations?

“I think if I’m with professional people, I’m easy to work with. But it’s really hard for me if I have to work with somebody who doesn’t know what they’re doing. Because my name and my reputation are on the line.”

Seagal was also famous for his love for music

What’s definitely also worth mentioning is Seagal’s music career; he was just a child, when he received his first guitar at the age of 12. He never tried to hide his love for blues, and when he got his hands on the instrument, he could fully devote himself to the genre. In 2005, he released his debut album, Songs from the Crystal Cave, which partly reflects his esoteric and spiritualistic approach to life. However, he continued to devote himself to music, so his discography grew even more. On top of that, he also owns a collection of guitars.

Steven Seagal and allegations of sexual harassment

Steven Seagal’s personal life is also quite interesting. This is also evidenced by the fact that he has seven children, which come from several different marriages and one love affair with a nanny. However, he has now been married for 12 years to a Mongolian actress named Erdenetuya Batsukh. What Seagal is definitely not proud of are the several allegations of sexual abuse made by, for example, actresses Portia de Rossi and Jenny McCarthy. He considers them false claims and denies any guilt.

Supports the environment, animals and Vladimir Putin

We must also mention Seagal’s interest in the environment. He often tried to include this topic, as well as his conservative political opinions, into his action movies, which, however, fans often struggled to accept. He is one of the activists who defend animal rights. He even adopted several of them himself. He also devotes his time and money to the protection of the environment. And you may be surprised that Seagal believes in reincarnation.

He is also known for having several citizenships – specifically American, Serbian and Russian. In 2018, he became Russian Ambassador to the United States. He openly supports Vladimir Putin, considers him to be his friend, and even defends his way of governing.

We can only guess which way Seagal’s career is going to go now – martial arts, acting, music or politics. However, no one can deny his popularity, especially in the 1990s. How do you see Steven Seagal’s future? What do you admire him for, and which part of his career does not sit well with you? Tell us about your opinions in the comment section and if you liked the article, be sure to share it with your friends. Maybe they also grew up loving films with Steven Seagal and would like to learn something new about him.