Contrary to popular anecdote, career Steven Seagal was not based solely on Michael Ovitz's confidence, although his role was crucial. As Vern, author of “Seagology: A Study of the Ass-Kicking Films of Steven Seagal,” notes, the biggest action stars started out in small roles, while Seagal made his debut as a leading man in one of his best films, which he co-produced and adapted to his skills.
In the film “Nico – Above the Law” a character was formed that Steven Seagal will play many times. Nico Toscani, a brave policeman, is not afraid to cross boundaries in the fight against criminals. He cannot be bribed, keeps his cool in times of crisis and always finds a solution in the most difficult situations. He is a veteran, has cooperated with government agencies, and has been training martial arts since his youth. Women desire him, men admire him. In Nico, Seagal takes a few hits, but no one will be able to hurt him in future films. These motifs will be repeated in subsequent productions, regardless of whether he plays a cook on a warship, a government scientist, a policeman or a mafia boss – he always plays a similar character.
Initially, the owners of Warner Bros. they were not delighted with the film “Nico” and considered withdrawing it from the premiere calendar. Michael Ovitz came to the rescue again and organized a demonstration of Seagal's skills. In front of their eyes, the future star showed his fighting skills, defending himself against the attacks of several of his students and ultimately defeating the entire group. The producers were very impressed and decided to give Seagal a chance. They did not know that they were witnessing a carefully choreographed spectacle. The aikido master received a contract for further films, and the average reviews and moderate box office success of “Above the Law” (less than $19 million in the US) did not influence their decision.
The anecdote about the show for producers is significant for the later career of Steven Seagal, who often committed lies and understatements. Already during the promotion, “Nico” claimed that he trained CIA agents and worked for the agency himself. As the years passed, more incredible stories emerged. He claimed, for example, that aikido was taught to him by Morihei Ueshiba, the creator of this martial art, although he died in 1969 and Seagal moved to Japan only between 1971 and 1973. In 1975, he moved to Osaka, where he married Miyako Fujitani, the daughter of a local aikido master, and together they founded a dojo. Seagal later claimed that he had dealt with criminals, although his ex-wife only remembered an incident with drunk people.
Over time, Seagal's ego also grew, and after the success of his first films, he considered himself an outstanding actor. “I think I'm as good as Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, all those guys,” he told Michael Ovitz, who represented him. The relationship with Ovitz did not last long as Seagal fired the producer, who in his autobiography “Who is Michael Ovitz?” he wrote that Seagal “fell victim to the belief that if you can do one thing, you can do anything.”
The sense of superiority and lack of distance quickly made Seagal the hero of numerous anecdotes circulating in Hollywood. Mark Harmon, star of “NCIS”, recalls his first meeting with Seagal before the premiere of “Nico”. Director Andrew Davis invited Harmon to a screening of the completed film to convince him to collaborate. After the screening, Harmon met Seagal, congratulated him on his debut and predicted a bright film career, but drew attention to the actor's strange behavior, which later became the subject of many jokes. When Harmon returned from a nearby coffee shop, Seagal was still standing in the same spot, glaring at him with fury.
The height of Seagal's bluster was his visit to “Saturday Night Live” on April 20, 1991. Cast members, writers and the show's originator, Lorne Michaels, remember him as the worst host in the show's history. The problems began when Seagal presented sketch ideas, which he rejected if he didn't understand them. The actor also refused to allow the song “Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas to be played during his opening monologue. “He was too focused on his image. Stallone… Whoever… He would show up and make fun of himself. The audience then sees the human being in you,” said cast member David Spade.
Bob Odenkirk, SNL writer and now “Better Call Saul” star, recalls that Seagal belittled the show early on, claiming he had never watched it and didn't care what it was about. In one of the sketches, Seagal was supposed to play a psychiatrist who behaves inappropriately towards his patient. This idea aroused outrage among the screenwriters. Al Franken asked the actor, “So you want us to create the worst sketch in the history of television?” Seagal replied offended, “You never like my ideas.”
Another Seagal skit was eventually recorded in which he appeared as a hero fighting a group of suit-wearing villains. The audience was confused, and Seagal himself seemed pleased with the result. Tim Meadows recalls: “He wasn't funny, and he was too critical of the cast and crew. He didn't understand that you can't insult someone on Wednesday and expect them to still be writing for you on Saturday.”
A few weeks after Seagal's appearance, during an episode with Nicolas Cage, Michaels consoled the actor by saying, “The audience probably thinks I'm the biggest idiot in the history of the show!” To which Michaels replied, “No, that's Steven Seagal.” Al Franken recalled this situation on Jay Leno's show, where Seagal also appeared. The actor asked Franken why Michaels talked about him like that. Jay Leno quickly responded that Michaels was trying to play up the joke, which calmed Seagal down. Franken later concluded: “He's the most horrible.” The Seagal episode was never repeated.
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