Steven Seagal

Steven Seagal: biography

Steven Seagal is considered one of the most popular actors in Hollywood. Also, he acted as the screenwriter, the film producer, the director, the musician in different years. Besides, Seagal is a master of martial arts.

Today, an extensive list of activities of the Hollywood star was replenished. In the summer of 2018, he began his duties as special representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry for humanitarian relations of Russia and the United States.

Childhood and youth

Steven Seagal was born on April 10, 1952, in the U.S. state of Michigan, in Lansing. According to some information, Seagal's father was a mathematics teacher, was Jewish and his mother was Irish. Seagal's grandparents moved to the USA from St. Petersburg and shortened to Seagal.

As a child, Steven was told that his grandfather was a "Mongol" but in fact, he could be just as well Kalmyk or Buryat.

The family of Seagal had four children – Steven, his older sister and two younger sisters. In 1957, the family of the future actor moved to Fullerton. From his early childhood, the boy was given to karate. He was the most typical teenager, who was involved in every fight in the city at the age of 15.

Fortunately, Seagal met a master of Aikido, who was then the chief instructor at the Aikikai school near Los Angeles at this time. Seagal came to the school to Isesaki and soon achieved success.

At the age of 17, Seagal decided to go to Japan to improve his athletic performance. In 1974, the young karate became the owner of the 1st Dan. He became the first American of his kind, who opened a dojo school in Japan a year later. His philosophy of teaching oriental martial arts was simple. He taught what would be useful in a fight on the street.

Movies

In 1982, Seagal took part in the film for the first time in Japan. Steven was invited by the master kendo to shoot in the movie The Challenge as a master of Japanese fencing. He raised many scenes of battle with swords katana there. In 1983, the master moved the school to Los Angeles. Seagal called the personal aide from Japan. Thus, Steven began to popularize the school of martial arts in America, which still works.

In 1986, Steven Seagal coached Michael Ovitz, head of the agency "Talented Artists." Michael was one of the most influential people in Hollywood at that time. He invited the young director Andrew Davis to write a script specifically for Seagal, which was presented personally by Ovitz, the manager of the film company Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

In 1987, Steven Seagal showed fighting skills in the studio for 10 minutes. This "show" was so bright that the leadership of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. decided to shoot Seagal in the movie Above the Law. Producers were impressed by the appearance of the combat masters. His Eastern facial features were in harmony with the figure of a giant (the height of the actor is 6,3 feet (193 cm), his weight is 224 lbs (102 kg)).

The film with a small budget ($ 7 million) was successful. The hero of Steven Nico Toscani goes to Japan to learn the basics of martial arts. He was recruited by the CIA there and sent to war in Laos. After his return to America, Nico gets a family and begins a peaceful life. The future Hollywood star Sharon Stone played his young wife.

The popularity of the movie was also because the script contained facts from the life of Seagal. After the first film, there were a lot of offers from other film companies and producers. The actor starred in the militants Under Siege, Marked For Death, Hard to kill. In 1994, the man tried to change his role and became the director of the film On Deadly Ground.

In 1995, Steven Seagal left a footprint on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. He decided to depart from the image of a superman, who kills the bad guys in the movie The Patriot and Fire Down Below. There is the environmental theme in these films and the hero fights for the environment.

In 1998, a celebrity joined Buddhism. However, Steven had to stop acting in films where there are death and violence to continue spiritual practices. The actor did so, breaking the contracts. He dropped out of the media life for three years but he returned to the cinema in 2000.

In 2001, there was a scandal. Julius R. Nasso, who acted as a partner of Steven in the film business previously, sued the actor for $ 60 million for the failure of contracts. Seagal filed a counterclaim, indicating that a certain criminal structure extorts him for $ 150 thousand for each film. It turned out to be true and 17 members of the mafia clan were arrested in June 2002.

The litigation battered the actor's wallet severely, so he had to return to show business. In 2001, with it came from 2 films Exit Wounds and Ticker.

Steven Seagal starred in films that did not appear on screens for the next eight years and remained in the video store. The actor tried to regain his former glory but his time seemed to pass.

In 2010, Seagal played an unexpected role in the film Machete of the famous director Robert Rodriguez. Jessica Alba, Lindsay Lohan, Robert De Niro appeared on the screen together with Steven.

It is curious that Steven Seagal was nominated for the anti-award Golden Raspberry as the «Worst Director,» the «Worst Actor,» the «Worst supporting actor,» as well as for the «Worst Film» and the «Worst song» 9 times during his cinematic biography from 1995 to 2003. However, he received this ambiguous prize only once, becoming the "Worst Director" of the film On Deadly Ground.

Seagal starred and produced films but also acted as a consultant to other celebrities. Seagal was invited to give a few lessons of aikido Sean Connery especially for the filming of the movie about James Bond.

Music

Steven Seagal has a talent not only for martial arts. Seagal is fond of music. He became interested in blues in his youth and this hobby remained with him for life. And the man considers himself primarily a musician and the movie for him is only a hobby.

The artist's first album was released in 2005 and was called Songs from the Crystal Cave. There was a second album Mojo Priest a year later, which received recognition from fans of blues. According to the journalists of Big City Blues, Seagal is an "exceptional" guitarist, as well as an "original and talented musician."

Seagal admitted that the game of cinema has always been for him in the background in one interview in the status of a citizen of the Russian Federation. He dreams that his children and pupils were proud of him, first of all, as a musician and a master of martial arts. If we talk about the movie, Seagal wants to star in a film about the Renaissance, as well as play Genghis Khan.

Seagal is a well-known weapons collector. According to some reports, his collection has more than 1,000 units, among which the constant attribute of each of his films semi-automatic Colt M1911A1. The actor collects cars and watches.

It is also known that a man sells his grown silkworms at auction in his spare time. Besides, Steven is the owner of the company that produces energy drinks.

Personal life

In the 70s in Japan, Seagal met a girl named Miyako Fujitani. She became the first wife of the actor and gave birth to his daughter and son ( Ayako and Kentaro). Their family life lasted until 1987. In 1984, the actor married once again. His chosen one was the actress and model Adrienne La Russa. A court decision later annulled their marriage.

The scandal could not affect Seagal's relationship with his first wife, with whom he also separated. However, he was not the bachelors for a long time. Seagal was able to establish his personal life in Japan. He met with his third wife Kelly LeBrock, who gave birth to three children. The woman could not continue the family life because Steven believed that the wife in the house should only cook, give birth to children and be silent.

The scandal could not but affect Seagal's relationship with his first wife, with whom he also separated. However, the bachelors went long. Seagal was able to establish his personal life in Japan. He met there with his third wife Kelly Lebrock, who gave birth to three children. The woman could not continue the family life, because Steven believed that the wife in the house should only cook, give birth to children and be silent.

In 1994, the couple divorced because the actor fell in love with the nanny of their children Arissa Wolf, who was 16 years old at that time. Arissa bore him a daughter, Savannah. And in 2006, the famous actor became a grandfather. A boy appeared in the family of his son.

Steven Seagal suddenly presented to the public a new wife and a young son on one American TV show, only a few people knew about them. The actor was married to Erdenetuya Batsukh for three years at the time and their son was a year and two months. Steven met his current wife during his trip to Mongolia.

The couple Seagal called him Kunzang. The actor is happy to place a photo of children on his personal "Instagram" but does not forget to show his subscribers the footage from his favorite movies.

The story of the relocation of the actor's ancestors from Russia ended in 2016. Steven Seagal confessed his love for Russia repeatedly, stating that he has Russian roots. He frequently met with the President, and Vladimir Putin personally signed a decree granting Seagal Russian citizenship in 2016.

Seagal immediately became a media person. The actor visited the program of Andrey Malakhov, where he revealed some secrets of his life. A touching moment was the meeting of Seagal with the star of the show of children's talents, a 6-year-old karate Polina, who already become a three-time world champion in her age.

In 2016 and 2017, Steven starred in advertising mobile network "MegaFon." He came face to face with the company "punks" under the leadership of a double of the famous star of Russian cinema and advertising of "MTS" Dmitry Nagiev.

The partner of the Hollywood superstar was Igor Ogurtsov in another video, dedicated to the actual problem for Muscovites standing in traffic jams.

After receiving citizenship, Seagal leads to more active activities. At the end of 2016, the actor became a co-founder of the company, which is engaged in retail trade of food, beverages and tobacco products. But the artist came out of this business in early 2017 because of his high employment. He also advises Russian MMA fighters, helping this type of martial arts to reach a different level of popularity.

The actor has Belarusian roots. According to him, he has long wanted to visit the Republic of Belarus and meet personally with President Alexander Lukashenko. His dream came true in 2016. Seagal visited Lukashenko in his residence and tasted vegetables from the personal garden of the head of state.

Steven Seagal now

After obtaining Russian citizenship, Steven Seagal spends a lot of time in Russia. In the summer of 2018, the Hollywood actor received a position in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was appointed as a special representative of the Russian Foreign minister for humanitarian relations of Russia and the USA. During his attending the first Pacific Meridian International Film Festival, which is held annually in Vladivostok, Steven Seagal expressed his desire to lead the Primorsky Krai as a governor. Steven Frederic Seagal has an estimated net worth of $16 million.

The actor made this statement after the cancellation of the election results in the region, which took place in early autumn. But the Russian legislation did not allow Seagal to run for such a responsible post as the owner of dual citizenship.

The actor intends to expand his own business in Russia. The man said he wanted to open a winery in the South of Russia at a meeting with the governor of Krasnodar region Benjamin Kondratiev. Seagal is the head of the company "Steven Seagal Groups," which deals with the regulation of activities of concert halls, theatres, music halls, develops its network of ticket offices.

Steven Seagal does not leave aside the acting profession and does not stop to replenish his filmography. The artist began to work on the continuation of the film Above the Law, which became his trademark at the time. He also starred in a series of European production.

Filmography

• 1988 – Above the Law
• 1994 – On Deadly Ground
• 1996 – Executive Decision
• 2001 – Ticker
• 2003 – The Foreigner
• 2005 – Submerged
• 2007 – Urban Justice
• 2009 – Against the Dark
• 2010 – Machete
• 2010 – Born to Raise Hell
• 2014 – Gutshot Straight
• 2016 – Sniper: Special Ops
• 2017 – China Salesman