Actor, writer, musician, producer. Born April 10, 1951 in Lansing, Michigan. The son of a nurse and a teacher, Seagal attended Orange Coast College and Fullerton College in California. He traveled to Japan at the age of 17 where he taught English, studied Zen and perfected his martial arts, eventually earning black belts in aikido, karate, judo, and kendo.
Seagal spent 15 years in Asia, studying Eastern philosophy and occasionally choreographing martial arts fight scenes in movies. When he returned to the U.S., he opened a martial arts academy and became a bodyguard for such celebrities as Kelly LeBrock and Hollywood agent Michael Ovitz. The former eventually became Seagal's wife and the latter helped him make films for Warner Bros.
His first film, 1988's Above the Law was well received among action buffs, leading to 1989's Hard to Kill and 1992's Under Siege, his most popular film to date. In 1994, his directorial debut, On Deadly Ground, had disappointing results. He followed with two more action vehicles, 1996's Executive Decision and 1998's The Patriot.
Seagal's mysterious past has recently come under media scrutiny. Though he remains guarded, he has occasionally hinted about involvement with the CIA. Further speculation has surrounded the work he did on behalf of Tibetan freedom fighters, and it was not until 1997 that he mentioned the large amounts of money he claimed to have donated to various religious organizations. Seagal has presented himself as a serious student of Buddhism who spends many hours meditating, studying, and practicing to become a healer.
Seagal was married Miyako Fujitani from 1975 to 1987. They have two children, actor/model Kentaro (Justice) and Ayako. He and Dior model Kelly LeBrock have two daughters, Annaliza and Arissa, and a son, Dominic. They divorced in 1995. He also has a daughter, Savannah, by Arissa Wolf, his children's former nanny.
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