Former action star Steven Seagal has come out of retirement to take on a very ambitious role, but you won't be seeing him up on the silver screen.
The Russian Foreign Ministry appointed Seagal to be a special representative for Russian and U.S. humanitarian ties on Saturday. His newly appointed position is meant to bridge the cultural divide between the two countries through the youth and the arts.
The announcement comes as no surprise, as the American-born actor has a solid relationship with the Kremlin.
In 2016, President Vladimir Putin presented Seagal with a Russian passport to symbolize improved relations between the U.S. and Russia at the time.
Reuters said that the actor occasionally makes appearances on Russian television to share his views on career and politics.
The Kremlin-backed TV station RT cited the martial artist's passion for bringing the countries closer together in a speech he gave in a previous appearance.
I've always had a very strong desire to do all I can to help improve Russian-American relations. I have worked tirelessly in this direction for many years unofficially and I am now very grateful for the opportunity to do the same thing officially.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry's Facebook page, Seagal's new unpaid position is "socio-political" in nature that is comparable to that of a U.N. goodwill ambassador.
Seagal is a regular visitor to Russia, where his action films like Under Siege and Sniper: Special Ops are very popular with the local audiences.
People commented on the interesting announcement that seems stranger than fiction.
When asked about his opinion on the ongoing Russian probe, Seagal, who is known to be good friends with Putin and referred to him as "one of the great living world leaders," told Piers Morgan in a 2017 interview:
For anyone to think Vladimir Putin had anything to do with fixing the elections, or even that the Russians have that kind of technology, is stupid.
As much he is celebrated for his contribution to cinema, Seagal is also notorious for multiple incidences of sexual misconduct.
According to Newsweek, Inside Edition correspondent Lisa Guerrero talked about being an actress early in her career. Guerrero's manager at the time, Lorraine Berglund, called her about the prospect of starring opposite of Seagal as the romantic lead in an upcoming film.
Berglund told her:
They want you to read for the female lead in a Steven Seagal film, but the audition is going to be held at his house in Beverly Hills.
But because his reputation already preceded him, Geurrero asked for a casting agent associate to accompany her in her audition at the actor's home.
This was potentially a huge break for me, but there was no way I was going there by myself.
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