Steven Seagal

Steven Frederic Seagal (/sɨˈgɑːl/; Lansing, April 10, 1952) is an American actor, director, producer, screenwriter, choreographer, trainer, martial arts expert and musician.

Steven Seagal obtained the rank of black belt master, seventh dan in the traditional Japanese martial art of aikido, and was also the first Westerner in history to found, open and direct his own school or dōjō of said specialty in his own country. Japan; the Tenshin Dojo, which is now directed by his ex-wife, also an aikido master, Miyako Fujitani. In addition, he has extensive knowledge of kenjutsu and kendo (classical Japanese fencing styles), and the disciplines of karate and judo. Seagal He is known in cinema for having a characteristic way of fighting, far from the usual spectacularity in this genre; His is a form based on sharp blows, punches and linear kicks from traditional Karate in combination with the immobilizations and throws typical of Aikido. Regarding his training in other martial arts, throughout his film career he has included jiu-jitsu movements, particularly for his film Maximum Alert 2 in 1995, and later Filipino eskrima movements, as well as movements and techniques from Chinese martial styles such as Tai Chi Chuan and Wing Chun, and other disciplines in order to give greater spectacularity to their choreographies.

Along with all this, Seagal is also a musician, singer, guitarist, composer and producer, he ventured into blues music: he has edited and published two albums and worked helping and collaborating with the sheriff in Jefferson Parish County in the state of Louisiana, in the southern United States.

Steven Seagal is also known for his friendship with the current president of Russia Vladimir Putin (also a martial artist), and for supporting him in his foreign policy. Seagal was granted Russian nationality on November 25, 2016 by President Putin, who granted him his official passport.

Biography

Beginnings

Steven Frederic Seagal was born on April 10, 1952 in Lansing, Michigan. His father, Samuel Steven, was a mathematics professor, the Jewish son of Russian immigrants; and his mother, Patricia, was a nurse of Irish descent.In his youth, Seagal moved to Fullerton, California, where he worked as a dishwasher at a restaurant called Wagon Wheel. Around that time, he began martial arts, starting with Shorin Ryu style karate-Do, under sensei Sakamoto, a master from Okinawa, who worked in the same place. Later, Master Sakamoto introduced him to Japanese karate-Do master Fumio Demura of the Shito Ryu style, with whom Seagal associated, forming part of Master Demura's karate exhibition team, holding daily exhibitions at the Japanese Deer Park, a park of Japanese-themed attractions in Southern California. Some time later, Seagal met Aikido master Harry Kiyoshi Ishisaka, who was the founder of the Aikikai style headquarters in Orange County, California, thus beginning his training in this martial art.

When he was seventeen, Seagal moved to Japan, as his father was a contractor for the US military based there. Once in Asia, he continued his study of martial arts in the late '60s, as an uchi-deshi or "internal student." inside the Aikikai institute. He later met Aikido master Hiroshi Isoyama, who would become his mentor, and even took him to the farm of Aikido founder Master Morihei Ueshiba in the Iwama region, whom he met briefly a few years before. his death.

During his stay in Japan, Seagal dedicated himself to different jobs to pay for his studies in the martial art of Aikido, and also dabbled in various styles of kenjutsu (classical Japanese fencing).

1985 - 1995: Worldwide success

In 1985, back in the United States, Seagal worked as a choreographer for action scenes in several films. In 1987, he began working on his first film, Above the Law (also known as Nico), with director Andrew Davis. Talent agent Michael Ovitz was impressed with him after having been his student for several years and introduced him to producer Andrew Davis, who noted that Seagal had the makings to become a movie star.

In 1990, he starred in the action film Marked for Death, directed by Dwight H. Little, in the role of John Hatcher, a drug enforcement agent, who after returning to his hometown He is pursued by a gang of vicious Jamaican drug dealers, led by Screwface (Basil Wallace). The fight scenes in the film are some of Seagal's most successful, as they integrate various elements of aikido and kenjutsu (traditional Japanese fencing), making use of a wide range of blows, throws and locks, as well as saber handling. Some time later, in 1995, he made the sequel to his biggest hit, High Alert 2.

1996 - present: Decline and direct-to-video tapes

In 1996 he released the police drama Glimmer Man, which had moderate success at the box office. She got her first supporting role in Kurt Russell's film Executive Decision (1996). He later made another environmentally conscious film, Fire Down Below, where he plays an EPA agent fighting against the dumping of industrial toxic waste in the hills of Kentucky, caused by a business owner. of the town played by Kris Kristofferson.

The following year, Seagal starred in The Patriot, another environmentalist film, which marked his first direct-to-video release in the United States. Seagal produced the film with his own money, and it was filmed near his farm in Montana.

Seagal returned to movie screens with the release of Exit Wounds in 2001. The film had fewer martial arts scenes than the previous ones and was a commercial success, grossing around $80 million. dollars worldwide. However, Seagal was unable to capitalize on this success in subsequent productions. Later, he starred in Ticker, co-starring Tom Sizemore and Dennis Hopper, a film filmed in San Francisco before Exit Wounds, although this was released directly to DVD. He later starred in Half Past Dead, along with rap star Ja Rule, with which he managed to gross less than $20 million worldwide. After that film all have been released direct to video and DVD worldwide, with only limited theatrical releases in the rest of the world.

His last appearance on the big screen was in 2010 with Machete, directed by Robert Rodríguez and starring Danny Trejo, Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Alba and Robert De Niro, where he plays the antagonistic drug dealer. Danny Trejo.

I work as a police officer

Seagal currently works as Deputy Chief of the Volunteer Division of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, Louisiana. Seagal has a home in Louisiana, and spends several months a year there. Seagal graduated from the California State Police Academy and has a certificate certifying him as a police officer. In his reality show Steven Seagal: Lawman, it is said that he has been an honorary police officer for almost 20 years. However, according to the Los Angeles Times, there is no record of this. In November 2008, A&E Network announced that they had begun filming Steven Seagal: Lawman, a series that followed his work at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. The series premiered successfully on A&E on December 2, 2009. In the series, Seagal shows his abilities as a master in the martial art of aikido by adapting some of his techniques to be used by the police to subdue criminals., in addition to showing his skills as an expert marksman.

Religion and activism

Seagal is a vegetarian and activist practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, although he was initiated into Japanese Zen Buddhism. Likewise, he collects katanas and firearms.

In 1994, at the height of his career, he filmed the film On Deadly Ground, in which he transmitted clear environmental messages and defense of Native American culture, as well as a notable final speech. Such discourse is a denunciation of the corporate elites who have made great fortunes at the expense of environmental damage.

Career as a musician

In addition to being an actor and martial artist, he stands out as a guitarist for the blues music band Steven Seagal and the Thunderbox. Seagal started playing guitar at age 12. He released his first album, Songs from The Crystal Cave, in 2004. In 2006 he released another album, Mojo Priest. On his tape Fire Down Below i>, from 1997, appears in a scene playing guitar accompanying a local country group. Likewise, Seagal collaborated musically with the singer Gizelle D'Cole on the song 'Revancha de Amor', where he, in addition to playing the guitar, acts in the video clip for this song.

Deterioration of your physical appearance

Over the years and despite being a vegetarian and not abusing alcohol and drugs, Seagal has presented an obvious physical change, the most notable being the problem of his overweight.

During the 1980s, he showed developing baldness. In her film Hard to Kill (1991), her hair looked fuller, thanks to cosmetic products. During the development of the 1990s, her hair became even thicker and unnatural looking, resulting from the implants.

In recent years, he has chosen to sport a "goatee" which contrasts with her classic appearance. On the other hand, her overweight has progressively progressed. In the early stage of his career, Seagal looked lean and athletic. In the mid-1990s, his overweight became noticeable and in films such as Glimmer Man (1996) he chose to wear baggy clothes and coats that disguised his overweight. Currently, unlike action actors specializing in martial arts such as Jackie Chan, Chuck Norris or Jean-Claude Van Damme, Seagal is significantly overweight.

Personal life

Seagal has been married three times. His first marriage, from 1975 to 1986, was to aikido master Miyako Fujitani. Two children were born from that relationship: Kentaro Seagal and Ayako Fujitani, who is a film actress in Japan. In 1986 he married Adrienne La Russa, a marriage that broke up after a year, in 1987. Later, he married actress Kelly LeBrock, known for the film The Woman in Red ; The union lasted from 1987 to 1996 and as a result three children were born: Annaliza, Dominick and Arissa.

Seagal is currently married, since 2009, to Erdenetuya Batsukh (in Mongolian language: Эрдэнэтуяа Батсүх), known in the artistic world as "Elle", and with whom he has a son named Kunzang. Elle is a native of Mongolia, and was trained as a dancer since her childhood at the Children's Palace in the capital of her country, Ulaanbaatar. After finishing high school and also graduating from the royal palace dance troupe, she pursued a career as a professional dancer, won many championships and became considered the number one dancer in Mongolia. She especially excelled in ballroom dancing. Erdenetuya met Seagal while she was working as an interpreter during Seagal's visit to Mongolia in 2001.

In addition to his own biological children, Seagal is the legal guardian of a Tibetan girl, known as Renji, who is the only biological daughter of the Panchen lama of Tibet. Renji completed her university studies in the United States: Seagal was not only her guardian, but also her bodyguard.

Seagal has three sisters, one older and two younger. In addition to her seven children, she has two grandchildren from his oldest son, Kentaro Seagal, who were born in 2006 and 2007.

Altercations

• The veteran actor and exalumno of Seagal, Sean Connery, known for being the first James Bond in the 1960s, declared having suffered a fracture in the wrist after a Seagal training in the early 1980s when they performed action scenes. At that time, Seagal was a choreographer of fighting scenes and was also a bodyguard at Connery.^{[chuckles]required]}
• It came to light that in 1997, during a private party in the mansion of the actor Sylvester Stallone, Seagal repeated on several occasions that he could easily "patter his ass" to the popular movie actor, karateka and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme; when he heard it, Van Damme challenged him to prove it in the mansion garden, but Seagal had already withdrawn from the party. According to Stallone, Van Damme enraged followed him to a nightclub and proposed the fight again. Seagal once again preferred to decline the fight.
• It was also known of an incident that the actor had with the famous judo teacher Gene LeBell during the shooting of the film Out for Justice in 1991. Seagal could not leave a cross-breathing manoeuvre, propitiated by LeBell, and was unconscious after fighting with this. The fact was ratified by Seagal himself in 2012, stating that "every man must accept his limitations."^{[chuckles]required]}
• The actor John Leguizamo points out that he was assaulted by Seagal while participating in filming the film Executive Decision. As he has declared, as part of his preparation the group went to Fort Bragg to train to characterize a command team, and at a time Seagal, who had a small role in the film, said in challenging tone to be in command, which made Leguizamo laugh believing that he was joking, however this caused Seagal to hit him in the chest and whip him against a wall. Leguizamo has also pointed out that originally the character of Seagal would die appetizingly and bloody for decompression, but this bothered him because he assured that "It was innoble for Steven Seagal to die that way", after which he locked himself in his trailer and refused to work; in order to continue the filming, he had to rewrite the scene to his taste, where the character sacrificed saving the rest of the team.

Allegations and trials

Early 1990s

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. In exchange for remaining Quietly, Malone and another woman were awarded about fifty thousand dollars, each in an out-of-court settlement. Around the same time, at least four actresses alleged that Seagal had committed sexual harassment, usually during "casting sessions" 3. 4; nocturnal.

In another incident, Jenny McCarthy claimed that Seagal asked her to strip naked during an audition for High Alert 2.

1995 lawsuit

In 1995, Seagal was accused of employment discrimination, sexual harassment, and breach of contract. Cheryl Shuman filed a case against Seagal, accusing him of threatening and beating her during the filming of On Deadly Ground.

2010 lawsuit

On April 12, 2010, Kayden Nguyen, 23, filed a lawsuit against Seagal in Los Angeles County Superior Court, seeking more than $1 million in damages. In his lawsuit, Nguyen alleged that Seagal engaged in sexual harassment, illegal sex trafficking of women, failure to prevent sexual harassment and wrongful termination. Seagal denied the allegations, but his reality show Steven Seagal: Lawman was suspended while his attorneys resolved the case. On July 14, 2010, three months after Nguyen filed his lawsuit, the case was closed due to a possible out-of-court settlement.

2011 lawsuit

On August 30, 2011, Jesús Sánchez Llovera filed a lawsuit against Seagal for his involvement in a Maricopa County police raid with heavy weapons (including an army surplus tank) of Llovera's residence for suspected fights. roosters The incident was recorded for the 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 his family pet. Llovera claimed that his eleven-month-old puppy was shot and killed during the raid. Llovera failed to file court-ordered paperwork after his attorney withdrew from the case and the lawsuit was dismissed in January 2013.

2017 accusations

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, Seagal told him "how important it was to have off-screen chemistry" before unbuttoning her pants. On November 9, 2017, Dutch model Faviola Dadis posted a statement on her Instagram account claiming that she had also been sexually assaulted by Seagal years before.

Complaints and investigation in 2018

On January 15, 2018, actress Rachel Grant publicly accused Seagal of sexually assaulting her in 2002, during pre-production of her direct-to-video film Out for a Kill (2003), stating that she lost her job on the film after the incident. In February 2018, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office acknowledged that it was reviewing a possible sexual assault case involving Seagal. In March 2018, Regina Simons publicly claimed that in 1993, when she was eighteen, Seagal raped her at his home when she arrived at a supposed farewell party for the film On Deadly Ground.

2020 Federal Securities Violation Settlement

On February 27, 2020, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission announced settled charges against Seagal for failing to disclose payments he received for promoting an investment in an initial coin offering (ICO) conducted by Bitcoiin2Gen (B2G).. Seagal was promised $250,000 in cash and $750,000 in B2G tokens in exchange for his social media promotions and a press release in which he "wholeheartedly" the ICO, which violated the anti-promotion provisions of the federal securities laws. Without admitting or denying the SEC's findings, Seagal agreed to pay $157,000 in disgorgement, representing the actual payments he received for his promotions, plus prejudgment interest and a $157,000 fine. Seagal also agreed not to promote any securities, digital or otherwise, for three years.

Victim of extortion

Steven 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. However, their relationship became strained and their partnership ended in 2000. Believing that Seagal owed him $3 million in compensation for backing out of a four-picture deal, Nasso recruited members of the Gambino crime family to threaten Seagal in a attempt to recover the money that Nasso allegedly lost. Gambino family captain Anthony Ciccone first visited Seagal in Toronto during the filming of Exit Wounds in October 2000. In January 2001, Seagal was picked up by Primo Cassarino and other gangsters. by car to take him to a meeting with Ciccone at a restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. At the meeting, Ciccone bluntly told Seagal that he had the option of making four promised films with Nasso or paying Nasso a fine of $150,000 per film. If Seagal refused, Ciccone would kill him. Seagal, who later claimed he brought a gun to the meeting, was able to detain Ciccone and escape the meeting unharmed. Ciccone and Cassarino visited Seagal again at his Los Angeles home on following month. In the spring of 2001, Seagal sought out another mobster, Genovese family captain Angelo Prisco, to act as a "peacemaker." He visited Prisco in prison in Rahway, New Jersey, and paid Prisco's lawyer ten thousand dollars.

On March 17, 2003, Cassarino, Ciccone and others were convicted of labor racketeering, racketeering and 63 other charges under the Corrupt Organizations Act. Seagal testified for the prosecution about attempted racketeering by mobsters. Nasso He pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy in August 2003 and, in February 2004, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, fined $75,000, and ordered to receive mental health counseling upon release. jail. In January 2008, Nasso agreed to drop a $60 million lawsuit against Seagal for alleged breach of contract when the two settled out of court.

Conflicts with specialists

Seagal has been criticized by former stunt artists who worked with him, including Kane Hodder, Stephen Quadros and Gene LeBell, for intentionally hitting stuntmen during scenes.

In addition, while serving as stunt coordinator for Out for Justice, Gene LeBell allegedly became involved in an on-set altercation with Seagal over his mistreatment of some of the film's stuntmen. After the actor claimed that due to aikido training he was "immune" After being drowned unconscious, LeBell offered Seagal the chance to prove it. LeBell is said to have placed his arms around Seagal's neck, and once Seagal said "go ahead," he proceeded to strangle him unconscious, and Seagal lost control of his bowels.

LeBell was asked to publicly confirm the on-set incident in an interview with Ariel Helwani in 2012, but avoided answering the question, although hinting that it was true. He was quoted as saying: "When we had a little altercation or difference of opinion, there were thirty stuntmen and cameramen who were watching. Sometimes Steven tends to make fun of the wrong people, and you can get hurt doing so."

On the other hand, when Seagal was asked about the incident, he directly denied the allegations, calling LeBell a "sick, pathological liar,", and offered the name of a witness who could prove that Lebell had fabricated the entire story. The claim drew a heated response from LeBell's trainee, Ronda Rousey, who claimed that Seagal was the one lying and stated: "If [Seagal] says something bad about Gene to my face, would make him shit his pants for the second time.

Authentic or not, reports of this incident led to LeBell being counted in 1992 as an additional member of the "Dirty Dozen" of Robert Wall, a group of martial artists willing to respond to a public challenge made by Seagal. However, LeBell refused to participate, revealing that the feud with Seagal was hurting him professionally. However, he criticized Seagal for his treatment of stuntmen and left open the possibility of a professional fight if Seagal wanted to do it.

Accusations of mistreatment of stunt performers have continued throughout Seagal's subsequent career, with both stuntman Peter Harris Kent (Arnold Schwarzenegger's double) and Mike Leeder publicly criticizing his "antics" on set.

Filmography

Film and television

• Above the Law (1988)
• Hard to Kill (1990)
• Marked for Death (1990)
• Out for Justice (1991)
• Maximum alert (Under Siege) (1992)
• On Deadly Ground (1994)
• Maximum alert 2 (Under Siege 2: Dark Territory) (1995)
• Executive Decision (1996)
• Glimmer Man (1996)
• Fire Down Below (1997)
• The Last Patriot (1998)
• Not Even the Trees (1998)
• Open wound (Exit Wounds. "Corruption Network") (2001)
• Ticker (2001)
• The Path Beyond Thought (2001)
• Half Past Dead (2002)
• The Foreigner (2003)
• Blind Revenge (Out for a Kill) (2003)
• The bowels of the beast (Belly of the Beast) (2003)
• Clementine (2004)
• Rescue to the limit (Out of Reach) (2004)
• Yakuza: The rising sun empire (Into the Sun) (2005)
• Submerged: Total Alert (Submerged) (2005)
• Avenger (Today You Die) (2005)
• Sunrise strike (Black Dawn) (2005)
• Mercenary for Justice (2006)
• Shadow Man (2006)
• Attack equipment (2006)
• The flight of wrath (2007)
• Urban Justice (2007)
• Pistol Whipped (2008)
• The Onion Movie (2008)
• Kill Switch (2008)
• Against the Dark (Blood Hunters) (2009)
• Driven to Kill (Ruslan: Revenge of a Killer) (2009)
• The Keeper (The Protector) (2009)
• Corruption Network (2009)
• A Dangerous Man (a dangerous man) (2010)
• Machete (2010)
• Born to Raise Hell (Born to Kill) (2010)
• Steven Seagal Lawman (documentary series) (2010)
• Deadly Crossing (TV) (2011)
• Lethal Justice (2011)
• True Justice (Series) (2011-2012)
• Maximum Conviction (2012)
• Force of Execution (2013)
• Dirty game in Las Vegas (2014)
• A Good Man (2014)
• Absolution (2015)
• The Perfect Navy (The Perfect Weapon) (2015)
• Code of Honour (2016)
• End of a Gun (2016)
• Cartels (2017)
• China Salesman (2017)
• Attrition (2018)
• General Commander (2019)
• Beyond The Law (2019)

Discography

• Songs from the Crystal Cave (2004)
• Mojo Priest (2006)