Steven Frederick Seagal is a top Hollywood star. In his heyday, he was Hollywood’s biggest martial artist.
In the 80s, people wanted action movies where international criminals and drug dealers were kicked, shot at, and punched. And Seagal was one of the movie stars that gave viewers what they wanted.
For many years, he dominated the U.S. box office with must-watch movies like “Hard to Kill, Under Siege, and Above the Law.
In the films, Steven Seagal played the role of military personnel. He played his role so well that many were convinced he was in the U.S. Navy.
Many believed he was in the naval seal.
Now, here’s the big question.
Was Steven Seagal a navy seal?
No, Steven Seagal has never joined the U.S. Navy. The reason people believed he was in the Navy Seals was because of the military roles in movies like “Under Siege” and “Hard To Kill.”
In reality, Seagal has never joined the Navy Seals, and therefore, he doesn’t have any military background. He’s just an actor doing his job to put food on the table.
In fact, in Seagal’s biography, you won’t find any reference to his service in the military. So, claiming he is a veteran is mere speculation. His military roles in movies convinced people that he was a Navy Seals.
Keep reading for more details on Steven Seagal.
Where Was Steven Seagal Born?
Steven Fredrick Seagal was born in Lansing, Michigan, on April 10, 1952. He is a Seventh-Dan black belt holder in Aikido. And what’s more, he started his adult life in Japan as a martial art instructor.
Seagal was the first foreigner to run an aikido dojo in Japan. His mother, Patricia Anne (Fisher), was a medical technician, while his father, Samuel Seagal, was a high school math teacher.
Sadly, Steven Seagal’s father passed away in 1991, while his mother died in 2003.
How Steven Seagal Started His Acting Career
Steven Seagal’s training in martial arts helped to propel his acting career to success. His fighting skills and on-screen traits endeared him to movie-lovers.
He was one of the must-watch movie stars in the 80s, though no longer a favorite for many movie-lovers in this current dispensation.
Now, how did Steven Seagal become famous? For over 15 years, Seagal lived in Japan. He got married there, studied martial arts, instructed, and spoke the Japanese language fluently.
Seagal only left Japan in 1983 and decided it was time to kick-start his acting career by joining Hollywood.
Seagal’s skills and knowledge in martial arts distinguished him from other actors. They also propelled his career to greater heights.
Seagal’s acting debut was in the 1988 movie “Above the Law.” And by 1991, the fast-rising actor had already featured in four movies.
In 1992, he featured as a Navy Seal in the movie “Under Siege.” But before then, he had already featured in several top movies such as Hard to Kill, Marked for Death, and Out for Justice.
In total, Steven Seagal has featured in over 60 films.
What Steven Seagal Is Doing Now
Steven Seagal has been entertaining the movie community for over two decades. But the aikido king has been under the radar for many years. But surprisingly, he made the headlines in May 2021. What happened? He attended a Russian pro-Kremlin party.
Today, Steven Seagal is no longer making movies. He lives in Russia, plus he’s a close friend of Vladimir Putin and other prominent individuals across the globe.
Russia granted him citizenship in November 2016. The “Hard to Kill” star also got an unpaid job from the Russian Foreign Ministry. The job is for him to serve as a representative of the Russia-United States humanitarian ties.
Steven Seagal has claimed that he’s an ardent Putin supporter. He even supported Russia’s annexation of Crimea, a move that angered many Americans.
So, Seagal is no longer as active as he used to be in Hollywood. And even if it was, chances are his relationship with Moscow, and political position would hamper chances of his movies being a massive success.
What Comeback Opportunity Has Steven Seagal Ditched?
Seagal has missed several opportunities to crawl his way back into Hollywood and fans’ hearts. One of the missed opportunities was the chance to feature in Jackie Chan’s movie “Rush Hour 3,” released in 2007.
Steven Seagal and fellow martial arts cum movie star, Jackie Chan, are close friends. Their relationship is so strong that Chan suggests he played the villain in Rush Hour 3.
Unfortunately, Seagal didn’t show interest for reasons best known to him and Chan. Nevertheless, the project progressed. The producers had to rewrite the script for Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada to play the villain role.
Rush Hour 3 wasn’t the only big comeback opportunity Seagal has ditched. He also turned down an opportunity to feature in Sylvester Stallone’s hit movie, “The Expendables,” released in 2010.
There was a need for 80s-style action movie stars, and we saw several familiar faces in the movie. The cast of the Expendables are Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Mickey Rourke, Jean-Claud Van Damme, and Sylvester Stallone himself.
Why was Steven Seagal absent, despite the obvious impact he would have had in the movie? Shockingly, Stallone did offer him a chance to join the ensemble. Unfortunately, Seagal turned down the offer.
Seagal’s refusal to feature in the movie was surprising, and Stallone couldn’t do anything to convince him to change his mind. It was reported that Seagal turned down the offer because of Avri Lerner, one of the movie’s producers whom he hates so much.
Is Steven Seagal Legally Married?
Yes, Steven Seagal is legally married to his Mongolian sweetheart, Erdenetuya Batsukh. They tied the knot in 2009, after many years of friendship.
How did Steven Seagal meet his current wife, Batsukh? He met her when he went to Mongolia to raise money for a movie to honor Genghis Khan, founder of the “Mongol Empire.”
Seagal couldn’t communicate with the people because he couldn’t speak the Mongolian language. And Erdenetuya Batsukh came to his rescue. She became his interpreter and worked as his assistant for 5 years before they tied the knot.
Seagal and Batsukh are happily married, and they have a son, Kunzang Seagal.
However, Erdenetuya Batsukh isn’t Seagal’s first wife, but we hope she will be his last. The “Under Siege” actor has been married to three women in the past.
He got married to Miyako Fujitani in 1974, but the marriage ended in 1987. He then married Adrianne La Russa from 1984 to 1984, and his third marriage was to supermodel Kelly LeBrock from 1987 to 1996.
Conclusion
Was Steven Seagal a Navy Seal? He isn’t. Seagal has never enlisted in the U.S. Navy or shown interest. He’s a Seventh-Dan black belt holder but doesn’t have any major military training.
Seagal’s life is filled with controversies. But then, no one can deny that he was a joy to watch back in the 80s. His martial fighting skills endeared him to many movie-lovers.
Today, Seagal, though a U.S. Citizen, is living in Russia. He was given citizenship in 2016. He’s also a staunch Putin supporter and close friend.
