Steven Seagal, 72, Is Unrecognizable in New Photos After Leaving Hollywood
Steven Seagal looked practically unrecognizable in new images published earlier this week.
The American actor, who has publicly supported Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the resulting war between the two countries, appeared in a new Russian TV documentary, images from which The Daily Mail previewed on Thursday, Oct. 31.
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Photos from the project, which a state media outlet released earlier this month under the title In the Name of Justice, showed the 72-year-old former Hollywood star exploring war-torn areas of Russian-occupied Ukraine. In the snapshots, Seagal appeared to have gained weight since he was last spotted out in public.
A description of the short film published by IMDb claimed that Seagal “personally spoke with the victims of Ukrainian nationalists and saw with his own eyes what is happening” in Ukraine’s Donbas region.
The Hard to Kill star made a name for himself in the late 1980s and early 1990s as an actor who brought his background in martial arts to the silver screen. Years after making his splash in Hollywood, Seagal sought to obtain Russian citizenship, which Russian President Vladimir Putin granted in 2016.
Two years after securing that citizenship, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs named Seagal a Special Representative for Russia-US Cultural Links, Cultural and Historical Heritage, a voluntary position for which Seagal was tasked with “strengthening direct contacts, mutual understanding and trust” between people in Russia and the U.S.
Seagal has since been awarded the Order of Friendship, a special medal he received directly from Putin during a ceremony held at the Kremlin earlier this year. Seagal was recognized for his "big contribution to development of international cultural and humanitarian cooperation,” according to TASS, a Russian state news agency.
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