Steven Seagal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Born April 10, 1951 (age 56)
Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
Other name(s) Chungdrag Dorje, Takeshigemichi
Official site
www.stevenseagal.com
Steven Seagal (born April 10, 1951), is an American action movie actor, producer, writer, director, singer-songwriter, and activist. A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an aikido instructor in Japan, before moving to the Los Angeles, California area where, after being noticed by entertainment executives, he made his film debut in 1988. Since then, Seagal has become a well recognized action star, with his movies earning more than $600 million worldwide.[1]
Seagal has used his fame as an action star to cross over to other industries, as he is also a recording artist and the founder of Steven Seagal Enterprises. In addition to his professional achievements, he is also known as an environmentalist, aikido master (Takeshigemichi), an animal rights activist, and claims to be a reincarnated Tulku (Chungdrag Dorje).[2]
Early years
Youth
Steven Seagal was born in Lansing, Michigan, where he lived until he was 5 years old. The family then relocated to Fullerton, California, where Seagal attended the Buena Park High School in Buena Park, California. Following his graduation Seagal held one of his first jobs at the local Burger King.
It was at the age of 7 that Seagal first began studying the martial arts under the direction of renowned Shito-ryu karate master Fumio Demura and Aikido under Rod Kobayashi, the President of the Western States Aikido Federation. He earned himself black belts in aikido, karate, judo, and kendo and in his late teens, Seagal became part of Demura's Karate Demonstration Team and performed daily demonstrations in the former Japanese Village and Deer Park, in Southern California. In 1974, he was promoted by Kobayashi-sensei to shodan in Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido.
Japan
After finishing college, Seagal moved to Japan with then-girlfriend Miyako Fujitani, native of Japan whom he later married, and lived with her parents, who owned an aikido school. During this time in Japan, Seagal changed affiliation from Koichi Tohei's Ki Society and Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido to the Aikikai. Under the title Master Take Shigemichi, Seagal was reputedly the first foreigner ever to own and operate an aikido dojo in Japan: the Aikido Tenshin Dojo in the city of Osaka.
Return to the US
Seagal initially returned to Taos, New Mexico with senior student and later stuntman Craig Dunn. There, they opened a dojo, but Seagal spent much of his time pursuing a film career and other ventures. Dunn stayed in New Mexico and is there to this day, still running the dojo. After another period spent in Japan, Seagal returned to the U.S. with senior student Haruo Matsuoka in 1983. The two opened an aikido dojo, initially located in Burbank, California, but later moved to the city of West Hollywood. Seagal left Matsuoka in charge of the dojo, which he ran until the two parted ways in 1997. It was during this period that Seagal first found himself in contact with Hollywood. Initially he worked as martial arts coordinator on the films The Challenge (1982) starring Toshirô Mifune and Never Say Never Again (1983) starring Sean Connery. Seagal then became a bodyguard to celebrities such as future wife Kelly Le Brock and Hollywood agent Michael Ovitz. It was Ovitz who, impressed with Seagal's martial arts abilities, personally financed a screen test in front of Warner Bros. executives. They too were impressed and Seagal was signed for his first film.
Hollywood career
1990s: the action hero years
In 1988 Seagal began work on his first film, Above the Law (also known as Nico in Europe), with director Andrew Davis. They transformed an average police thriller adding both exhilerating action scenes and sharp characterisation. Following its success, Seagal made three more pictures (Hard to Kill, Marked for Death, and Out for Justice) that were decent box office hits, marking him as an action hero. Seagal found wider mainstream success in 1992 with the release of Under Siege. The film reunited Seagal with the director Andrew Davis and was a blockbuster in America and abroad, grossing $156.4 million worldwide.[3]
After the success of Under Siege, Seagal made his directorial debut with On Deadly Ground (1994) in which he also starred, alongside Michael Caine. The movie was a failure with both audiences and critics, and made a financial loss, costing an estimated $50 million to make and grossing less than $39 million in the United States.[4]
To try to recoup popularity, Seagal filmed a sequel to his most successful film Under Siege titled Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995) and a cop drama (The Glimmer Man) (1996). In 1996, Seagal also had his first supporting role, in the Kurt Russell film Executive Decision, in which Seagal was billed as having a starring role to keep his character's fate secret. He then tried again to make an environmentally-conscious film. In Fire Down Below (1997), Seagal played an EPA agent fighting industrialists dumping toxic waste in the Kentucky hills region, but the movie was not a commercial success. This film marked the end of Seagal's original multi-picture deal with Warner Bros. and due to its failure at the box office, his contract was not renewed.
Retreat to video
The next year, Seagal made The Patriot, another environmental thriller which was his first direct-to-video release in the United States (though it was released theatrically in most of the world). Seagal produced this film with his own money, and the film was shot on-location on and near his farm in Montana.
After taking a couple years to produce Prince of Central Park, Seagal returned to cinema screens with the release of Exit Wounds in March 2001. The film had fewer martial arts scenes than Seagal's previous films, but it was a commercial success, taking almost $80 million woldwide. However, he was unable to capitalise on this success and his next two projects were both critical and commercial failures. Ticker co-starring Tom Sizemore and Dennis Hopper, and filmed in San Francisco before Exit Wounds, went straight to DVD while Half Past Dead, starring rap star Ja Rule, made less than $20 million worldwide.
As of April 2007, all 13 films Seagal has made since 2003 have been released direct-to-video in North America, with only limited theatrical releases in the rest of the world. These films are characterised by a severe drop in their overall quality compared with Seagal's films from the 1990s. Steven Seagal is currently working on a comeback for 2007 with action films Once Upon A Time In The Hood and Prince of Pistols which he will direct.
Steven Seagal, the filmmaker
Seagal intends to have his films remembered; "I am hoping that I can be known as a great writer and actor some day, rather than a sex symbol."[5] Seagal has clarified the purpose of his films: "Above the Law was a politically conscientious movie. On Deadly Ground was environmentally conscientious so I want to keep making movies like that which are more geared with a certain entertainment value but also bring people forward into contemplation."[6]
Seagal has produced many of the movies that he stars in, and has also participated in writing and directing. Seagal's roles do not fit the standard action hero archetype; instead, Seagal's characters are usually "born perfect", displaying no limitations, character flaws, or character development (as is typically included in the story arc for most action heroes). His characters are often associated with attributes given to action movie antagonists or villains, such as clandestine government associations (Under Siege), great wealth and high-level corporate ties (On Deadly Ground), high-level biochemical research skill (The Patriot). Seagal's characters are normally nigh-on invincible and are unable to be beaten or even slowed down. Reports state that Seagal insists on such roles, even allegedly becoming hysterical when his character was scripted to die a heroic death in the movie Executive Decision, when director Stuart Baird insisted he must do it as scripted. Seagal held up filming for a few days, and finally acted the death scene as scripted after threat of contractual breach.
While his acting performance in Above The Law gained praise from the likes of Roger Ebert,[7] Seagal has repeatedly faced criticism from both actors and fans who accuse him of playing the same character in many of his movies, as well as displaying a lack of emotional range.
Others have surmised that Seagal's unorthodox approach to film is actually an elaborate joke.[8] This is supported by Seagal's statement regarding humor: "I'm a very funny guy, if you'll forgive me for saying so. When I did The Glimmer Man with Keenan Ivory Wayans, he and I were talking about who was funniest, and...I kicked his ass every day."[9] In addition, some of Seagal's own self-parody supports this view. In at least two commercials (for Orange SA[10] and Mountain Dew[citation needed]) Seagal pokes fun at his action star archetype.
Stuntman abuse controversy
Seagal has reportedly been rough on stuntmen. During the filming of Exit Wounds, he injured a number of stuntmen, as well as his co-star, DMX. According to Steven Quadros, a fight trainer, Seagal has been known to "kick guys in the nuts to see if they were wearing cups."[11] Seagal has also been the target of rumours involving an alleged incident in which stuntman and judo master Gene Lebell reportedly put Seagal into a Shime-Waza hold, then choked him unconscious.[12]
Other career areas
Music
In addition to acting and aikido, Seagal also plays the guitar, and his songs have been featured in several of his movies (such as Fire Down Below and Ticker). In 2005, he released his first album, Songs from the Crystal Cave, which has a mix of pop, world, and blues music. It features duets with Tony Rebel, Lt. Stichie, Lady Saw, and Stevie Wonder. The soundtrack to Seagal's 2005 film Into the Sun features several songs from the album. One of his album tracks, "Girl It's Alright", was also released as a single in parts of the world alongside an accompanying music video created for it.
Seagal's second album, titled Mojo Priest, was released in April 2006. Subsequently, he spent summer 2006 touring the United States and Europe with his band, Thunderbox, in support of the album. Having received good support from UK audiences, the tour continues through early 2007.
Seagal uses a blend of Blues, Country, and World Music in his unique compositions, reflecting the eclectic mosaic style of his martial arts and film work, both of which combine different styles (aikido/gunfire and action/lecture are respective examples). Seagal is also known for his live cover versions including seminal works like Don Macleans' 'American Pie' and Hot Gossips' 'I Fell In Love With a Starship Trooper'.
Business ventures
Steven Seagal Enterprises markets an energy drink known as Steven Seagal's Lightning Bolt, as well as an herbal oil product line.[13] Seagal personally endorses this drink, "I have traveled the world creating this drink; there is none better that I know."[14]
In 2006, Steven Seagal became The Celebrity Spokesperson for Shurfine Grocery Products, and became involved with the Thriftway Wrestling Alliance.
On March 3, 2007, Seagal was named as a blue coat for the Tahoka Chamber of Commerce in Tahoka, TX.
Steven Seagal also has his own imprint of Kershaw Knives. The "Steven Seagal Edition" knives feature 4" blades with his signature etched in, and no auto-assisted opening mechanism.
Personal life
Steven Seagal was born to a Jewish father Stephen (a high school math teacher), and Irish Catholic mother Patricia (an emergency room technician). An only son, he has three sisters, one older and two younger. He now keeps a ranch in Colorado and a home in the Mandeville Canyon section of Brentwood, a wealthy suburb of Los Angeles. He has adopted many animals from shelters, including the cats "Sylvester" and "Gap", and the dogs "Gruff", "Cole", "Tyson", "Hamlet", and "Chaos".[15]
Marriages
Miyako Fujitani (1975-1986) (divorced) 2 children
Adrienne La Russa (1984-1987) (annulled)
Kelly LeBrock (1987-1996) (divorced) 3 children
Seagal has gained some notoriety for being a bigamist. When he left his first wife Miyako Fujitani to go back to America (reportedly, Steven's last words to her were, "You are crazy; I want a divorce"),[16][17] he married former Days of Our Lives actress Adrienne La Russa, despite his divorce to Fujitani not yet being finalized. During his marriage to La Russa he met actress/model Kelly LeBrock, with whom he began a relationship and who eventually became pregnant with his child. When news of this emerged, Seagal's marriage to La Russa was annulled and he then married LeBrock on 5th September 1987. In 1994, LeBrock filed divorce papers citing "irreconciable differences". During this time it emerged that Seagal was having an affair with Arrissa Wolf, who was hired to be a nanny to Seagal and Lebrock's children.[18]
Children
Seagal has six known children from three relationships in which he has been involved. With Fujitani, he had a son, model and actor Kentaro Seagal (b. October 3, 1975), and a daughter, writer and actress, Ayako Fujitani (b. December 5, 1979). His three children with LeBrock are daughters Annaliza (b. 1987) and Arissa (b. 1993), and son Dominic (b. 1990). Seagal and Wolf have one daughter, Savannah (b. 1996).
In addition to his biological children, Seagal's Tibetan Buddhist beliefs have also placed him in the role of guardian to a Tibetan child, Yabshi Pan Rinzinwangmo. Rinzinwangmo, or "Renji", is the only child of the 10th Panchen Lama of Tibet. Renji studied in the United States at American University, and Seagal was her guardian and bodyguard.[19]
Views and activism
Steven Seagal has long-standing peer relationships with animals. Source:
http://gucky.guck.net
Animal rights work
Seagal has been an outspoken opponent of animal cruelty which can be seen in a scene in the movie Out for Justice. This is consistent with his views on spirituality, as well as his environmentalist views (as showcased in On Deadly Ground). Seagal is also a vegetarian. Seagal believes in reincarnation: "When I walk into a room some people see a dog, some people see a cow. I am all of what they see. It is their perception."[20]
Steven has described his activism method as "shaming companies into changing," a theme that is visible in such films as On Deadly Ground and Fire Down Below. He has worked with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to discourage the fur trade, and has written to the Prime Minister of India to seek increased legal protection for cows. Seagal worked effectively towards saving dogs destined to drown in Taiwan; he pressured the Premier of Taiwan to sign legislation limiting animal cruelty.[21]
Baby elephants
This activism has not diminished in recent years. Seagal prevented the export of baby elephants from South Africa to Japan.[citation needed] For these and other efforts, Seagal was awarded a PETA Humanitarian Award in 1999.[22]
In 2003, Seagal wrote an open letter to the leadership of Thailand, urging them to enact law to prevent the torture of baby elephants.[23]
Mystical dog incident
While being interviewed by PETA, Seagal was asked to provide an example of a special interaction with an animal. To lend context and meaning to his animal rights work, Seagal offered the story about a dog which approached him during his early aikido years in Japan. Seagal described feeling as if he had known this white dog forever. After keeping the dog for a few days, the dog (by barking) warned Seagal that his dojo was on fire. Seagal quickly summoned help to put out the conflagration. Seagal never saw the dog again.[24]
Solar power
Seagal is an advocate for solar power, consistent with his views on oil, as showcased in 1994's On Deadly Ground. Upon spotting another caucasian in Thailand in 2004, Seagal was pleased to find this man was a manufacturer of solar powered bicycles. Seagal promptly purchased a number of solar electric utility and transport vehicles to bring feed to his animal partners at his ranch in California.[25] A future Under Siege sequel may feature terror aboard a solar powered ship.
Native American issues
Seagal is a concerned advocate for the rights and interests of Native Americans. In his film On Deadly Ground, Seagal depicted himself as The Chosen One, sent to save the Inuit people from the evils of "Big Oil".[citation needed]
Outside of his film work, Seagal has volunteered, lending his powerful voice as a narrator for an activist film project, Medicine Lake Video, which seeks to protect sacred tribal ground near his ranch in Siskiyou County.[26]
Parody portrayals
Seagal has become the target of internet-based criticism. However, the line between Seagal's own work and a parody portrayal of Seagal is becoming increasingly blurry. The abovementioned commercials for Orange SA and Mountain Dew poke fun at his action aikido style. Seagal is sometimes considered to be in on the joke.[27]
In the TV show, madTV, Seagal was portrayed by Will Sasso. In various skits involving the actor, Seagal was portrayed to be an unintelligent, disrespectful and egotistical actor for comedic effect. The trademark slapstick humor ranges from attempting to do stunts but failing miserably, to random attacks on other characters in the scene (most notably, random chops, or snapping necks.)
A scene in an episode of Family Guy portrays Seagal in the arctic fighting a group of seals for killing a village's fish.
