Steven Seagal facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the actor and martial artist. For the animator/professor, see Steve Segal. For the comic book writer, see Steven T. Seagle.

Quick facts for kids Steven Seagal
Seagal in 2024
Born	Steven Frederic Seagal (1952-04-10) April 10, 1952 (age 73) Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
Citizenship	American Serbian Russian
Alma mater	Fullerton College
Occupation	Actor writer producer martial artist musician
Years active	1982–present
Style	Aikido
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Spouse(s)	Miyako Fujitani (m. 1975; div. 1986) Adrienne La Russa (m. 1984; annulled 1984) Kelly LeBrock (m. 1987; div. 1996) Erdenetuya Batsukh (m. 2009)
Children	7

Steven Frederic Seagal (/sɪˈɡɑːl/ SIG-ahl; born April 10, 1952) is an American actor, producer, writer, martial artist, and musician. He holds a 7th-degree black belt in aikido. Seagal began his career teaching martial arts in Japan, becoming the first American to teach in an aikido dojo.

In 1988, Seagal started acting in Above the Law. This movie was special because it was the first American film to show aikido in its fight scenes. He became famous for playing tough characters, often with a background in special forces. His most well-known role is Casey Ryback in Under Siege (1992) and its sequel Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995).

Later in his career, many of Seagal's films were released directly to video. He also appeared in the reality show Steven Seagal: Lawman, where he worked as a reserve deputy sheriff. Besides acting, Seagal is a guitarist and has released two music albums. He is also known for his support of environmental causes and animal rights. Seagal has also gained citizenship in both Russia and Serbia.

Early Life and Martial Arts

Growing Up in California

Steven Frederic Seagal was born in Lansing, Michigan, on April 10, 1952. His mother was a medical technician, and his father was a math teacher. When he was five, his family moved to Fullerton, California. His mother said that before the move, Steven was often sick with asthma. But he became much healthier after they moved to California.

Seagal went to Buena Park High School and later to Fullerton College. As a teenager, he spent a lot of time listening to rock music in his garage. An old Japanese man he worked with at a dojo (a martial arts training hall) in Garden Grove encouraged him to visit Japan.

Training in Japan

Seagal moved to Japan in 1974. There, he married Miyako Fujitani, whose father was a famous aikido master in Osaka. Seagal taught at Miyako's family dojo and earned his aikido black belt in 1978.

After some time in Japan, Seagal returned to the United States in the early 1980s. He opened aikido dojos in places like Taos, New Mexico, and West Hollywood, California. He even helped train famous mixed martial artist Lyoto Machida.

Film Career

Becoming an Action Star

In 1987, Steven Seagal started working on his first movie, Above the Law. His former aikido student, Michael Ovitz, who was a talent agent, helped him get the role. The movie was a success.

After this, Seagal starred in several more hit films, including Hard to Kill, Marked for Death, and Out for Justice. These movies made him a popular action hero. Critics noted his unique style and ability to disarm opponents.

Peak Success with Under Siege

Seagal achieved huge success in 1992 with Under Siege. In this film, he played Casey Ryback, a former Navy SEAL. The movie was very popular and was even compared to Die Hard on a battleship. Under Siege is one of Seagal's most highly-rated films by critics. He played Casey Ryback again in the 1995 sequel, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory.

In 1994, Seagal directed and starred in On Deadly Ground. This movie focused on environmental themes. While critics didn't like it much, Seagal considers it a very important film in his career.

Later Films and TV Shows

After the mid-1990s, many of Seagal's films were released directly to video. However, he did have a supporting role in the 1996 film Executive Decision and a main villain role in Robert Rodriguez's Machete (2010), which was released in theaters.

In 2009, the A&E Network launched a reality TV series called Steven Seagal: Lawman. The show followed Seagal as he worked as a reserve deputy in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. He also starred in an action TV series called True Justice from 2011 to 2012.

Artistry and Film Style

Steven Seagal's films often have common themes. His characters usually have a secret past with groups like the CIA or Special Forces. Unlike many action heroes, his characters are almost always super strong and rarely get hurt.

His movies also often include parts of his own life. For example, his music appears in some films, and he speaks Japanese in others. His background as an aikido teacher is also often shown. Many of his films carry strong messages, especially about protecting the environment.

Some critics have said that Seagal often plays similar characters and doesn't show a lot of different emotions in his acting. However, a book called Seagalogy looks at his films more deeply. It suggests that themes like government corruption and environmentalism are often found in his movies. The book divides his career into different "eras," from his early successes to his later direct-to-video films and TV work.

Other Ventures

Music Career

Seagal performing in 2007

Steven Seagal is a guitarist and owns many guitars, including some that belonged to famous musicians like B. B. King and Jimi Hendrix. In 2004, he released his first album, Songs from the Crystal Cave. This album featured different styles of music, including pop, world music, country, and blues. It also included songs with famous artists like Stevie Wonder. His second album, Mojo Priest, came out in 2006.

Law Enforcement Work

Seagal has worked as a Reserve Deputy Chief for the Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff's Office. He started teaching martial arts and marksmanship to deputies in the late 1980s. His reality show, Steven Seagal: Lawman, showed his work with the Sheriff's Office. The show was very popular when it first aired. In 2011, Seagal also became a deputy sheriff in Hudspeth County, Texas, near the Texas-Mexico border.

Business Ventures

Seagal has also been involved in various businesses. In 2005, he launched an energy drink called "Steven Seagal's Lightning Bolt," though it is no longer sold. He has also marketed an aftershave and a line of knives. In 2013, he started working with a Russian firearms company called ORSIS.

Personal Life and Views

Steven Seagal has a large collection of swords and guns. He owns homes in Los Angeles and Louisiana. Seagal is a Buddhist. In 1997, a Buddhist leader named Penor Rinpoche announced that Seagal was a tulku, which means he is believed to be the reincarnation of an important Buddhist figure.

Seagal signing his Russian passport in November 2016

Seagal holds citizenship in three countries: the United States, Serbia, and Russia. He was born in the U.S. He received Serbian citizenship in 2016 and has been asked to teach aikido to Serbian Special Forces. He was granted Russian citizenship on November 3, 2016. Seagal has said that he considers Russian President Vladimir Putin a "brother" and has called him "one of the great living world leaders." In 2023, Putin gave Seagal the Russian Order of Friendship medal.

Seagal has been married four times and has seven children. His first wife was Miyako Fujitani, with whom he had two children. He later married actress Kelly LeBrock, and they had three children. He is currently married to Erdenetuya Batsukh, a Mongolian dancer, and they have one son. Seagal is also the legal guardian of Yabshi Pan Rinzinwangmo, the only child of the 10th Panchen Lama of Tibet.

Political Views and Activism

Seagal is known for his activism. He narrated a film project called Medicine Lake Video, which aims to protect sacred tribal land near his ranch. In 2003, he wrote an open letter to the leaders of Thailand, asking them to pass a law to prevent the torture of baby elephants. In 1999, he received an award from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) for his humanitarian work.

Seagal and Vladimir Putin attending a Russian martial arts championship, August 2012

Seagal and Putin meeting at the aquarium on Russkiy Island, September 2015

Seagal has openly supported Vladimir Putin and certain actions by Russia. In 2014, he supported Russia's actions regarding Crimea. Because of his political views, he was removed from the lineup of a music festival in Estonia in 2014.

In 2015, Seagal visited Azerbaijan and met with its president, Ilham Aliyev. He has also spoken out against protests by professional athletes during the United States national anthem, saying that sports events are not the place for political views. In 2021, he joined a pro-Kremlin political party in Russia.

Filmography

Films

Year	Film	Functioned as					Notes
Year	Film	Director	Producer	Writer	Actor	Role	Notes
1988	Above the Law	No	Yes	Story	Yes	Nico Toscani
1990	Hard to Kill	No	No	No	Yes	Mason Storm
1990	Marked for Death	No	Yes	No	Yes	John Hatcher
1991	Out for Justice	No	Yes	No	Yes	Det. Gino Felino
1992	Under Siege	No	Yes	No	Yes	Casey Ryback
1994	On Deadly Ground	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Forrest Taft	Only feature film directorial credit.
1995	Under Siege 2: Dark Territory	No	Yes	No	Yes	Casey Ryback	Sequel to Under Siege.
1996	Executive Decision	No	No	No	Yes	Lt. Colonel Austin Travis	Supporting role
1996	The Glimmer Man	No	Yes	No	Yes	Lt. Jack Cole
1997	Fire Down Below	No	Yes	No	Yes	Jack Taggart
1998	My Giant	No	No	No	Yes	Himself	Cameo
	The Patriot	No	Yes	No	Yes	Dr. Wesley McClaren	Direct-to-video
	Not Even the Trees	No	Yes	No	No		Direct-to-video
2000	Prince of Central Park	No	Yes	No	No		Direct-to-video
2001	The Path Beyond Thought	No	Executive	No	Yes	Himself/narrator	Documentary
	Exit Wounds	No	No	No	Yes	Orin Boyd
	Ticker	No	No	No	Yes	Frank Glass	Limited release
2002	Half Past Dead	No	Yes	No	Yes	Sasha Petrosevitch
2003	The Foreigner	No	Yes	No	Yes	Jonathan Cold	Direct-to-video
	Out for a Kill	No	Yes	No	Yes	Prof. Robert Burns	Direct-to-video
	Belly of the Beast	No	Yes	Story by	Yes	Jake Hopper	Direct-to-video
2004	Out of Reach	No	No	No	Yes	William Lansing	Direct-to-video
2004	Clementine	No	No	No	Yes	Jack Miller	Limited release
2005	Into the Sun	No	No	Yes	Yes	Travis Hunter	Direct-to-video Also received "story by" credit.
	Submerged	No	No	No	Yes	Chris Cody	Direct-to-video
	Today You Die	No	Yes	No	Yes	Harlan Banks	Direct-to-video
	Dragon Squad	No	Yes	No	No		Limited release
	Black Dawn	No	Yes	No	Yes	Jonathan Cold	Direct-to-video Sequel to The Foreigner.
2006	Mercenary for Justice	No	No	No	Yes	John Seeger	Direct-to-video
	Shadow Man	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Jack Foster	Direct-to-video
	Attack Force	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Cmdr. Marshall Lawson	Direct-to-video
2007	Flight of Fury	No	No	Yes	Yes	John Sands	Direct-to-video
2007	Urban Justice	No	Yes	No	Yes	Simon Ballister	Direct-to-video
2008	Pistol Whipped	No	Yes	No	Yes	Matt Conlin	Direct-to-video
	The Onion Movie	No	No	No	Yes	Cock Puncher	Direct-to-video Supporting role
	Kill Switch	No	Executive	Yes	Yes	Jacob King	Direct-to-video
2009	Against the Dark	No	No	No	Yes	Tao	Direct-to-video
	Driven to Kill	No	No	No	Yes	Ruslan Drachev	Direct-to-video
	The Keeper	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Roland Sallinger	Direct-to-video
	A Dangerous Man	No	No	No	Yes	Shane Daniels	Direct-to-video
2010	Machete	No	No	No	Yes	Rogelio Torrez	Seagal's first wide release since 2002.
	Sheep Impact	No	No	No	Yes	Paul Weland	Short film
	Born to Raise Hell	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Robert "Bobby" Samuels	Direct-to-video
2012	Maximum Conviction	No	No	No	Yes	Cross	Direct-to-video
2013	Force of Execution	No	Yes	No	Yes	John Alexander	Direct-to-video
2014	A Good Man	No	Yes	No	Yes	John Alexander	Direct-to-video Prequel to Force of Execution.
2014	Gutshot Straight	No	No	No	Yes	Paulie Trunks	Direct-to-video Supporting role
2015	Absolution	No	Yes	No	Yes	John Alexander	Direct-to-video Sequel to A Good Man.
2016	Code of Honor	No	Yes	No	Yes	Robert Sikes	Direct-to-video
	Sniper Special Ops	No	Yes	No	Yes	Jake	Direct-to-video
	The Asian Connection	No	Yes	No	Yes	Gan Sirankiri	Direct-to-video
	End of a Gun	No	Yes	No	Yes	Decker	Direct-to-video
	Contract to Kill	No	Yes	No	Yes	John Harmon	Direct-to-video
	The Perfect Weapon	No	Yes	No	Yes	The Director	Direct-to-video
2017	Cartels	No	Yes	No	Yes	John Harrison	Direct-to-video
2017	China Salesman	No	No	No	Yes	Lauder
2018	Attrition	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Axe	Direct-to-video
2019	General Commander	No	No	No	Yes	Jake Alexander	Direct-to-video
2019	Beyond the Law	No	No	No	Yes	Augustino ‘Finn’ Adair	Direct-to-video

Television

Year	Film	Functioned as				Notes
Year	Film	Writer	Executive producer	Actor	Role	Notes
1991	Saturday Night Live	No	No	Yes	Host	Seagal hosted the episode "Steven Seagal/Michael Bolton".
2009–2014	Steven Seagal: Lawman	No	Yes	Yes	Himself	Also creator
2011–2012	True Justice	Yes	Yes	Yes	Elijah Kane	Also creator
2017	Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father	No	No	Yes	Himself	Impromptu segment in Season 1, Episode 3

Stunts

Year	Film	Functioned as			Notes
Year	Film	Martial arts instructor	Choreographer	Stunt coordinator	Notes
1982	The Challenge	No	No	Yes	Credited as "Steve Seagal".
1983	Never Say Never Again	Yes	No	No	Uncredited Seagal accidentally broke Sean Connery's wrist during production.
1985	A View to a Kill	No	Yes	No
1988	Above the Law	No	No	Yes
1990	Hard to Kill	No	Yes	Yes
1990	Marked for Death	No	No	Yes
2013	Force of Execution	No	Yes	No

Awards and Nominations

Year	Nominated work	Award	Category	Results
1995	On Deadly Ground	Golden Raspberry Awards	Worst Actor	Nominated
			Worst Picture (shared with Julius R. Nasso and A. Kitman Ho)	Nominated
			Worst Director	Won
1997	Executive Decision		Worst Supporting Actor	Nominated
1998	Fire Down Below		Worst Actor	Nominated
			Worst Picture (shared with Julius R. Nasso)	Nominated
			Worst Screen Couple (shared with "his guitar")	Nominated
			Worst Original Song (shared with Mark Collie for the song "Fire Down Below")	Nominated
2003	Half Past Dead		Worst Actor	Nominated

Discography

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

Images for kids

Seagal speaking at the Astana International Action Film Festival in July 2011
Seagal with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on October 12, 2017