Steven Seagal | |
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![]() Seagal in 2024 | |
Born | Steven Frederic Seagal April 10, 1952 Lansing, Michigan, U.S. |
Citizenship |
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Alma mater | Fullerton College |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1982–present |
Style | Aikido |
Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[1] |
Spouses |
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Children | 7, including Ayako Fujitani |
Website | stevenseagal |
Steven Frederic Seagal (/sɪˈɡɑːl/ sig-AHL; 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[2] where he became the first American to teach in an aikido dojo.[3] He later moved to Los Angeles where he continued teaching aikido. There he also made several movies, first functioning as a martial arts instructor, choreographer, and stunt co-ordinator, before making his acting debut in 1988 with the action film Above the Law, which is regarded as the first American film to feature aikido in fight sequences.[4] He has appeared in over 50 films.
In 1992, he played Navy SEAL counter-terrorist expert Casey Ryback in Under Siege, 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,[5] animal rights activist, and supporter of 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso.[6][7]
Seagal is a supporter of Vladimir Putin, to whom he once referred as "one of the great living world leaders".[8] He was granted both Russian[9] and Serbian citizenship in 2016. In 2018, he was appointed Russia's special envoy to the U.S.[10] Since 1991, multiple women have accused Seagal of sexual harassment or assault.[11][12]
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