Steven Frederic Seagal (/sɪˈɡɑːl/; born April 10, 1952) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, director, martial artist, and musician who holds American, Russian, and Serbian citizenship.
A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, Seagal began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan; becoming the first foreigner to operate an aikido dojo in the country. He later moved to Los Angeles, California, where he worked as a martial arts instructor. In 1988, Seagal made his acting debut in Above the Law. By 1991, he had starred in four successful films. In 1992, he played Navy SEALs counter-terrorist expert Casey Ryback in Under Siege. During the latter half of the 1990s, Seagal starred in three more theatrical films and the direct-to-video film The Patriot. Since then, his career has shifted almost entirely to direct-to-video productions. He has since appeared in films and reality shows, including Steven Seagal: Lawman, which depicted Seagal performing his duties as a reserve deputy sheriff.