Steven Seagal had a turbulent life. Always traveling and living abroad, the famous actor took a risky shot at Hollywood.

Once a major action star, Seagal has faded into oblivion after appearing in high-grossing films. What happened? How does he look now?

Here’s everything about Steven Seagal!

Steven Seagal suddenly became an adult, leaving his home nation before 18. The 6’4″ actor, musician, and cop has since become a martial arts master and cinematic star.

Though Seagal’s life seems perfect, he has had some tough times. He may look unfamiliar today.

What you need to know about Steven Seagal and why he’s disappeared.

Steven Seagal was born in Lansing, Michigan, on April 10, 1952. His mother Patricia was a medical technician and his father Samuel taught high school math.

Childhood of Steven Seagal
Music fascinated Seagal as a child. Blues music shaped him throughout his life.

He said, “I got my first guitar when I was 12. The blues infused my blood. I attempted to emulate and learn from them.”

Seagal was interested in music and martial arts, and a lie led him to karate.

He was 5 when his family relocated to Fullerton. Steven Seagal was asthmatic and fragile as a child.

“He was a tiny kid. However, he thrived following the transfer, his mother told People about his boyhood.

Seagal allegedly lied about his age to become a restaurant dishwasher. The cook, a karate expert, taught Seagal because he was fast.

After high school, Seagal left the US aged 17. He moved to Japan in 1968 to teach English and learn martial arts.

Seagal dedicated himself to martial arts training daily. He spent 15 years in Japan and became well-respected in the field.

Steve Seagal—martial arts
Seagal appeared in several martial arts magazines and became a celebrity. He was the sole Westerner in Japan to run a dojo, a “school for training in various arts of self-defense”.

Seagal perfected karate, judo, kendo, and aikido and obtained black belts.

As a Westerner learning martial arts in Japan, Seagal struggled at first. Many Westerners felt you could pay someone to learn a few moves and then teach them in America, Seagal said.

It wasn’t easy.

You must realize that deprivation leads to enlightenment. They make you feel unappreciated for your work,” Seagal told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. “You’re not getting any sleep or love or attention, you’re getting your butt kicked and you’re up before anyone fixing meals and cleaning.”

They push you to your limit, and when you’re so deprived and hungry for everything, a little window opens in your mind that when they give you something, you’ll get it, understand it, appreciate it, and understand some of the mystical deeper meaning that becomes available to you.”

Entering showbusiness
He said, “The martial arts have to be an endeavor in which you’re trying to develop the physical man and perfect the spiritual self at the same time.” “If your work lacks spirituality, it’s street fighting.”

After 15 years in Japan, Seagal returned to the US in 1984. He and stuntman Craig Dunn founded a dojo there.

He was surprised that US martial arts professors taught a “fast-food approach” at first. Due to his martial arts expertise, he critiqued Chuck Norris’ movie.

To fix it, Seagal began teaching martial arts himself. Eventually, he left New Mexico for Los Angeles to become an actor.

Seagal opened a West Hollywood Aikido dojo with Japanese senior student Haruo Matsouka. He also coordinated martial arts.

The martial artist appeared in Scott Glenn’s 1982 film The Challenge and Sean Connery’s 1983 James Bond blockbuster Never Say Never Again.

Connery’s last Bond film was Never Say Never Again. Working with Steven Seagal on the film was terrible.

Broke Sean Connery wrist
Connery was a purported karate black belt. Seagal said it wasn’t OK when the Bond actor got “a little cocky” with his gestures.

“We were going to do a film called Never Say Never Again and there was a possibility I was going to do Aikido and what have you,” Connery said Jay Leno on The Tonight Show in 1996.

I found Steven and we had training at my apartment building, and he was great. I was confident because I thought I knew what I was doing because the pyramid is its defense, so I became flashy.”

“I did that—and he broke my wrist,” Connery replied, bringing his palm to his face. He said he didn’t notice his wrist was fractured for years.

At the time, Seagal worked on films but never appeared in them. He became celebrity bodyguards instead. Among them was Kelly LeBrock, his future wife.