Steven Seagal

Steven Frederic Seagal (pronounced /sɨˈɡɑːl/; born April 10, 1952) is an American action film actor, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and a reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an aikido instructor in Japan. He became the first foreigner to operate an aikido dojo in Japan. He later moved to the Los Angeles, California, area where he made his film debut in 1988 in Above the Law. He became a major action star due to his blockbuster films of the 1990s, such as Under Siege (1992) and Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995), where he played Navy SEALs counter-terrorist expert Casey Ryback, but since then starred mainly in direct-to-video action films. Seagal is also a recording artist and guitarist and the founder of Steven Seagal Enterprises. In addition to his professional achievements, he is also known as an environmentalist, an animal rights activist and a supporter of the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, and the Tibetan independence movement. Seagal was born in Lansing, Michigan, where he lived until he was five years old. His mother, Patricia (1930–2003), was a medical technician, and his father, Samuel Steven Seagal (1928–1991), was a high school math teacher. His mother was Irish American and his father was Jewish.The family relocated to Fullerton, California, where Seagal attended Buena Park High School in Buena Park.