Defamer
Steven Seagal, star of such three-word-titled, aikido-enhanced blockbuster entertainments as Above the Law, Hard to Kill, and Out for Justice, thinks that the FBI's overzealousness in drawing him into the Anthony Pellicano Wiretapping Trial of the Century (you may or may not remember the claims that he had something to do with the intimidation of a reporter who was working on some stories the actor may not have thoroughly enjoyed) is to blame for his career never reaching the stratospheric heights achieved by early 1990s peer Jean-Claude Van Damme. Seagal reaches out to the LAT with his hopes for an apology from the feds:
"False FBI accusations fueled thousands of articles saying that I terrorize journalists and associate with the Mafia," Seagal, 56, said recently in his first public comments on the case. "These kinds of inflammatory allegations scare studio heads and independent producers — and kill careers."
Laura Eimiller, an FBI spokeswoman, said she could not comment on Seagal's demand for an apology or on questions about the case. They "relate to an ongoing investigation which we are not at liberty to discuss," she said.Seagal was past his prime earning years even before the Pellicano scandal broke in 2002. His career peaked in the 1990s with such blockbusters as "Under Siege." His last hit, "Exit Wounds," was released in 2001. Since then, he has made a dozen films that generated an estimated $25 million in total DVD sales, a fraction of what his movies used to take in.
"This controversy made the studios very nervous," said longtime Hollywood publicist Howard Bragman. "Let's be honest: Steven Seagal was no Harrison Ford when this happened. But these accusations certainly hastened his decline."
While Seagal might think wistfully of the huge piles of money potentially unearned during that "decline," he shouldn't discount what he's been able to accomplish in his mainstream Hollywood downtime—not only have his straight-to-video adventures allowed him the opportunity to travel the world in search of the most budget-friendly shoot locations former Soviet Bloc nations have to offer, he's also had the the chance to indulge his entrepreneurial and musical ambitions. Given the great success he's achieved in these other endeavors, he should think of his movie career as a noble martyr instead of a undignified FBI murder victim.
Comments
I'm sure the death of his career has nothing to do with his inflated body and ego. Or his total lack of talent. A douche to the 10th power.
Maybe Happy Dean Stanton can put in a good word with the director of his next film--a small but meaty indie role has worked for others in the past
He and his ex Kelly LeBrock's comeback vehicle will be Fatter Than Hell.
Career killed by overeating:
[gawker.com]
@scroll_lock: HIS, dumbass.
Pass the Remote.
@scroll_lock: Hey, don't hate them because they're beautiful.
@DorothyMantooth: only hate the game, not the playas.
Accusations of Pellicano-related antics hurt his career? Really?
Dudes, John McTiernan got ARRESTED AND PUT IN JAIL for the same scandal and he's still got 4 movies in pre-production.
Seagal's going to have to come up with something a hell of a lot better. Maybe he can hop on the Chinese toy company lawsuit train and claim that every casting agent in Hollywood was too distracted by their kids' poisonous action figures to put his name on the "Consider" list for anything, ever.
@DorothyMantooth: I don't. I hate him because he's a talentless douchebag who fails to recognize the concept of being passe. She was last in memory in Weird Science, which was infinitely better than anything he ever did, so she can have a pass.
Oh, the delusion!
This.Is.So.Sad.
Under Seige Marked for Death
Above the Law Hard to Kill Out for Justice
Today You Die Shadow Man Belly of the Beast
Exit Wounds Half Past Dead Glimmer Man
Executive Decision Out of Reach
Into the Sun Half Past Dead
Submerged
@gwendemarco: is Rosie blogging about Seagal?
I liked his early fu stuff, but I cashed in my fan chips when he was saving eskimos from implausible explosions.
And hear-hear on Kelly LeWho! Flash in the pan teen fantasy. Done in a minute and a half...pass the kleenex.
@Shumina: @GreatZardoz: Hellooo? No one remembers Celebrity Fit Club? That DOES count as still having a career, right?
It's past time for a Stevie Seagal resurgence.
The plankton is dying. Al Gore's enviro-fu is not strong enough. Climate change needs a more ass-kicking spokesman.
@GreatZardoz: Actually, she was last in this this Pantene commercial...
Pulled from my Spy magazine (slightly faulty) memory file:
Kelly LeBrock and Steven Seagal overheard while dining in a restaurant in LA:
Kelly to Steven, pointing at food left on his plate as meal is winding up: "There's your dinner tomorrow night."
Remembering it still makes me giggle.
What "hastened his decline" is that he's a shitty actor. And Seagal's not even a campy bad actor, he just a really crapola one..
@HellsWaitingRoom: Well, I don't think it's done much for Tina Yothers, but fair enough. Pantene commercials though? Seriously, it hasn't made that twit from Access Hollywood more palatable. But Weird Science gets props, for Bill Paxton if not Kelly Le-hoosie.
The FBI owes us an apology for dragging his name back from obscurity.
As long as we're talking about apologies here, will he apologize for the absolute stench that has filled every theater or video bin in which his products have been displayed? It's been so bad that sometimes I've had to run out of a Blockbuster holding my nose. Worse than a nine-month old's diapers after a first serving of beans.
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