Steven Frederic Seagal
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Steven Seagal debuted at age 36 in Above the Law 1988 after a career as an aikido instructor. He became a major action star in the 1990s with hits like Under Siege 1992 and Executive Decision 1996. Seagal later turned to direct-to-video films and acquired Serbian and Russian citizenship in 2016.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Steven Seagal — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Steven Seagal by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Steven Seagal — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Patricia Anne, a medical technician, and Samuel Seagal, a high school math teacher, raised Steven in Lansing, Michigan. He began martial arts training at age seven under Fumio Demura and moved to Japan in the 1970s to study aikido. By 1974 he earned his first dan and eventually achieved a 7th dan in aikido while instructing clients in Los Angeles, where agent Michael Ovitz discovered him.
Above the Law 1988, Seagal’s debut film, was a critical and commercial success. He followed with Hard to Kill 1990, Marked for Death 1990, and Out for Justice 1991. The biggest hit came with Under Siege 1992, co-starring Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey. He also directed On Deadly Ground 1994 and starred in Executive Decision 1996. Later films included Exit Wounds 2001 and Machete 2010.
His fighting style used aikido’s principle of using an opponent’s inertia, setting him apart from other martial arts stars. Seagal infused his films with environmental themes, as in On Deadly Ground 1994 and Fire Down Below 1997.
Seagal has been married four times: to Miyako Fujitani 1974–1987, Adrienne Larussa 1984–1987, annulled, Kelly LeBrock 1987–1996, and Erdenetuya Batsukh 2009–present. He has seven children, including Ayako Fujitani, Kentaro Seagal, and Arissa LeBrock. In 1997, Penor Rinpoche declared him a tulku in Tibetan Buddhism. He acquired Serbian citizenship in January 2016 and Russian citizenship in November 2016.
Seagal influenced action cinema through aikido-based choreography and environmental advocacy in his films. His work inspired a generation of martial arts actors, and he remains a cult figure. On-set controversies and criticism of his acting range also shaped his reputation. He received the Order of Friendship from Russia in 2016. He is best remembered for Under Siege 1992.
Browse the complete filmography of Steven Seagal — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
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Every award, honor, and recognition received by Steven Seagal — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
Steven Seagal's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.
A wall of memorable lines from Steven Seagal — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
I Am Hoping That I Can Be Known as a Great Writer and Actor Some Day, Rather Than a Sex Symbol.
The Secret Is Not to Act, but to Be.
Action Films Are Great, but an Action Film That Has Characters That Are Compelling and a Story That People Can Care About Is Something Even Better. We Love to See Action Heroes That Are Vulnerable, That Are Sensitive, That Are Family People, That Are Accessible.
False FBI Accusations Fueled Thousands of Articles Saying That I Terrorize Journalists and Associate with the Mafia . . . These Kinds of Inflammatory Allegations Scare Studio Heads and Independent Producers and Kill Careers.
There Are Millions and Millions of People in America Who Have Dual and Multiple Citizenship. What Makes It Controversial Is All of the Propaganda Flying About Russia Itself
We Have These Democrats That Have This Whole Other Agenda to Kind Of, When I Say Democrats It’s Not Just the Democrats, but There Are This Whole Group of Leftover Obama Ites and People That Feel They Should Overthrow Trump, and Any Decisions He Makes, Anything He Tries to Do, He Gets Blocked so Often from the Enemies Within, so It’s Very Difficult for Him to Do Anything
For Anyone to Think That Vladimir Putin Had Anything to Do with Fixing the Elections, or Even That the Russians Have That Kind of Technology, Is Stupid. This Kind of Propaganda Is Really a Diversion
Little-known facts about Steven Seagal — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Seagal broke Sean Connery’s wrist while teaching him martial arts for the film Never Say Never Again 1983.
At age 36, Seagal made his acting debut in Above the Law 1988.
For over 25 years, Seagal has visited children’s hospitals, continuing this practice as of his interview in 2013.
Seagal speaks Japanese fluently.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Seagal gained a reputation for not pulling punches in fight scenes, leading stunt coordinators like Kane Hodder to criticize and refuse work with him. Actors William Forsythe and John Leguizamo have recounted incidents of physical assault on set for Out for Justice 1991 and Executive Decision 1996 respectively.
By most accounts, Seagal is notoriously difficult to work with, known for arguments and brawls when he perceives insults. He openly criticizes cast and crew and often demands script rewrites on the spot.
Seagal has three children with Kelly LeBrock: Annaliza Seagal, Dominick Seagal, and Arissa Le Brock.
He agreed to star in Under Siege 2: Dark Territory 1995 if Warner Bros. allowed him to direct On Deadly Ground 1994.
Seven of Seagal’s films produced between 2003 and 2009 were released direct to video, along with The Patriot 1998 and Ticker 2001. This ended with Robert Rodriguez’s Machete 2010.
Seagal owns a very large collection of guitars and samurai swords.
For almost twenty years, Seagal has worked as a fully commissioned deputy with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana.
Seagal is the first foreigner ever to own and operate an Aikido dojo in Japan. Known as Master Take Shigemichi, he was the chief instructor at the Aikido Tenshin Dojo in Osaka.
Seagal has worked as a bodyguard.
As of 2006, his movies have earned $600 million worldwide.
Seagal holds a 7th degree Master rank in Aikido, as well as black belts in Judo, Kendo, Shito-Ryu karate under Fumio Demura, and trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kali.
In an interview on Reelz Channel aired January 4, 2013, he stated he has worked with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for over 25 years.
While his acting in Above the Law 1988 gained praise from Roger Ebert, Seagal has faced criticism for playing the same character and lacking emotional range, a phenomenon sometimes called Seagalism.
Seagal and Jackie Chan are friends; Chan offered him the role of the villain in Rush Hour 3 2007, but Seagal turned it down.
His favorite actors include James Mason, John Gielgud, Clint Eastwood, Gary Cooper, Spencer Tracy, and Robert Redford.
His love of guitar and rasta music led him to study with a teacher in Jamaica, where he owns a vacation home.
All of Seagal’s main leading role movies have been rated R except Half Past Dead 2002, which was PG-13.
Seagal was asked to play a cameo in The Expendables 2010 but turned it down due to fallout with producer Avi Lerner. He instead joined Machete 2010.
Seagal has another child with Arissa the nanny during his marriage to Kelly LeBrock, for which their third child was named after.
The February 17, 1989 draft of the screenplay for Hard to Kill 1990 credits Steven Pressfield, Ronald Shusett, and Steven Seagal as writers, though only Seagal received an acting credit.
Seagal typically spends only three hours a day on set.
Seagal acquired Serbian citizenship on January 10, 2016 from Aleksandar Vucic.
Seagal has played a villain only once, in Machete 2010. It is also one of only two films in which he is defeated in a fight scene, the other being China Salesman 2017.
His first seven films were all starring roles, ending with Executive Decision 1996.
His Santa Inez CA home includes 200 acres planted with cabernet grapes, which are sold to wineries.
Seagal is a producer or executive producer on nearly all projects he’s acted in, essentially funding much of his career himself.
Seagal is known as one of the propagandists of Vladimir Putin’s fascism.
Discovered by then-head of Creative Artists Agency CAA, Michael Ovitz, who was one of Seagal’s martial arts students.
Married second wife Adrienne Larussa before his divorce from first wife Miyako Fujitani was finalized; the marriage to Larussa was later annulled when he began dating Kelly LeBrock.
Seagal has a sister named Brenda who lives in Toronto, Canada.
His mother Patricia Anne Fisher was born in Michigan, his father Samuel in Rhode Island. Paternal grandparents were Russian Jewish immigrants; maternal grandparents were from families living in the US for generations.
Seagal acquired Russian citizenship on November 3, 2016 from Vladimir Putin.
Seagal is a singer and guitarist.
Claimed in 1993 that his daily exercise comprised a two-hour workout of cardiovascular exercise and weightlifting, followed by private martial art instruction.
Involved with an energy drink line, Lightning Bolt, available at Wal-Mart.
Attended Buena Park High School in Orange County, CA, where students knew him as Steve Seagull.
According to ex-wife Kelly LeBrock, Seagal’s childhood was beset by severe bullying due to being frail and ill, corroborated by his mother who revealed he was extremely frail and asthmatic.
Father of Kentaro Seagal and Ayako Fujitani.
Owns new production company Streamroller Productions with Bing Dang and Joe Halpin.
In 2014, Seagal announced he was considering running for governor of Arizona.
Used to own a production company with Julius R. Nasso called Seagal/Nasso Productions from 1994-2000.
He was among the actors considered for the title role in Batman 1989.
Father of Savannah Seagal with Arissa Wolf.
Seagal is a known supporter of politicians Vladimir Putin, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Victor Yanukovich, Ramzan Kadyrov, Denis Pushilin, Ilham Aliyev, Nicolás Maduro, and Aleksandar Vucic.
Offered his fellow Sheriff’s Deputies free tickets to a concert benefiting New Orleans Children’s Hospital.
Had his own group Steven Seagal Thunderbox.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Steven Seagal.
Celebrities similar to Steven Seagal — same craft, ranked by reach.
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