Steven Seagal: podcast appearances and interviews

Steven Frederic Seagal is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, martial artist, and musician born on April 10, 1952. He holds a seventh-dan black belt and is a shihan in Aikikai aikido. Seagal began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan, becoming the first non-Japanese and American to operate an aikido dojo. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he continued teaching aikido. In 1988, he made his acting debut in the film Above the Law, notable for its fight sequences featuring aikido. By 1991, he had starred in three successful films and gained further fame with Under Siege in 1992, where he portrayed Navy SEAL counter-terrorist Casey Ryback, a role he reprised in 1995's Under Siege 2: Dark Territory. He also directed On Deadly Ground in 1994. Throughout the 1990s, Seagal appeared in additional feature films and a direct-to-video film titled The Patriot. Over time, his career shifted mainly toward direct-to-video productions, though he continued acting in films and reality shows such as Machete in 2010 and Steven Seagal: Lawman, which showcased him performing duties as a reserve deputy sheriff. Aside from his acting career, Seagal is a guitarist with two studio albums, Songs from the Crystal Cave and Mojo Priest, and has worked with artists like Stevie Wonder and Tony Rebel. He has promoted therapeutic oil products and energy drinks and is known for his environmental and animal rights activism. Seagal was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame in 2004. His career has also been marked by controversy, including allegations of sexual harassment or assault and his political support for Vladimir Putin, including Russian and Serbian citizenship.