(Video courtesy of YouTube/QTV)
And the Steven Seagal stories just keep coming. Not sure how we missed this gem from a couple weeks ago, but apparently “The Glimmer Man” took exception to John Leguizamo not respecting his alpha male status on the set of Executive Decision back in 1996 so he attacked the 5′ 8″ 160 lb actor to prove who was in charge.
Leguizamo recalled the story during a recent appearance on QTV.
“We were in rehearsals for Executive Decision. I’m playing his Master Sargeant and we come in for rehearsals and he says, ‘I’m in command. Everything I say is law. Anybody doesn’t agree?’ I was like, ‘Bwahahaha.’ I started cracking up because he sounded like a retard and he came up and he Taekwondo’ed my ass against the brick and he [hit me with his elbow],” Leguizamo recalled. “He’s six-foot-five and he caught me off guard and knocked all of the air out of me and I was like, ‘Why?! Why?!’ I really wanted to say how big and fat he was and that he runs like a girl, but I didn’t because all I could say was, ‘Why?!’ Why’d he slam me against the wall? We were rehearsing. What’s the bid deal? Why can’t I call him names? If I can’t let it out it’s going to build like a cancer.”
Aparently Seagal isn’t taking to kindly to the fact that Leguizamo has spoken about the incident in his stand-up routine and during recent media appearances and now the “Hard to Kill” actor has him “Marked for Death.”
“His publicist told my publicist that he wants to punch me out, but he can’t because he’s going to be in jail soon, so I’ll be fine. He is [going to jail] isn’t he? That’s what I heard. I better stop talking about him. I thought he was getting put away for a while.”
This isn’t the first time that Seagal, a notorious bully, has tried to assert his dominance over co-stars and stuntmen. Stephen Quadros recalled a bizarre run-in he had with the “Lawman” star on the set of “Exit Wounds” in 2001 while working as a stunt and fight coordinator on the film.
“I had heard all the horror stories about how he would hurt actors and stunt performers, dislocated shoulders, kick guys in the nuts to see if they were wearing cups, etc. I had heard about Gene LeBell. So 2 weeks before we started shooting I was training DMX on the soundstage one and Seagal showed up and was throwing a few guys around on some mats on the other side of the stage. So I waited till he was finished and walked over and introduced myself. I figured why wait, he’s going to see me around anyway. But I wasn’t wearing a cup. I had left it in L.A.!!! So I stood kind of sideways just in case he decided to suddenly kick me in the family jewels. During the conversation he moved to where he was standing square with me. So while I was chatting with him I slowly moved back to where I was semi sideways again. He moved again to square up with me. I’m thinking, “This is not happening.” So I switch to where my right foot was forward, turning sideways again the other direction. I was doing this very subtly. He had that ‘look’ in his eyes as he squared up with me again. I smiled, folded my hands in front of my groin and said I had to get going and walked away. It was VERY weird.
Another time I told him I worked as commentator for the Pride Fighting Championships in Japan. I was wearing the Grupo Chute Boxe t-shirt that Vanderlei Silva had given to me after he defeated Bob Schreiber in the January 2000 Pride. Seagal told me he didn’t think the fighters in Pride were very good and that he couldn’t understand why Kazushi Sakuraba kept winning because he thought he was not very good either. I obviously didn’t agree but felt it was not the time or place to get into it with Seagal. So I said, “But at least they test themselves on a regular basis.” Then I told him I had heard that he had a student who he thought could defeat Sakuraba. He said he did. I said if he needed help putting the match together I may be able to help him but his guy might be asked to get some experience before going to Japan. We never spoke on the subject after that. I asked him if he would like for me to conduct an interview with him for Black Belt magazine. He declined.
I kind of steered clear of him for the most part. But one time he came on the set and started walking right towards me. I thought, “Shit, I don’t have my cup on!” So he walks close to me and my radar was up. Then he grabbed my wrist. I am not an Aikido guy and I’m not saying I am better than Seagal at wrist locks but my first instructor was Korean and had taught us Hapkido which included many techniques that were similar to Aikido. So I reversed his grab to were my hand was on his wrist. He grabbed the same wrist with his other hand. I reversed him again. This little game went on for about a minute. I was really trying not to upstage the guy because on a movie set it’s a no win situation to do that to the star, especially him. But I for sure was not going to let him get me into a compromising position physically. I know guys he has hurt to the point of having to have surgery. He suddenly stopped and pointed at me and said, “You’re good.” I didn’t know what to say so I just smiled. He walked away.”
Leguizamo better watch himself or Seagal might slap him with a cease and desist letter like he fired off to “Judo” Gene LeBell after he choked out 7th Dan in Aikido. Apparently he didn’t want news getting out that he shit his pants and threatened to sue LeBell if he spoke about the incident. Your secret is safe with us, sensei.
Ariel Helwani and Karyn Bryant need to ask him about the incident the next time they interview the delusional old coot.