In a past life, Steven Seagal was an action star, kicking ass in critically acclaimed films such as Above the Law, Under Siege, and, perhaps most importantly, Exit Wounds alongside the classically trained actor DMX. But in a strange twist of fate, Seagal has somehow transformed into a villain from one of his own movies in recent years, donning black martial arts robes and hanging out with burly, authoritarian leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin and Chechnya’s Ramzan Kadyrov.
In the most recent episode of Seagal’s real-life action saga, the Aikido-trained, 7th-dan black belt could be seen hanging out with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a man who Condoleezza Rice once called the head of the "last remaining true dictatorship in the heart of Europe."
And while one might expect the two tough guys to use their martial arts skills and political connections to take down a gang of drug dealers (wait, no, that’s the plot to Exit Wounds again…), Seagal and Lukashenko really just kicked it at the president’s home-garden. The climax of the afternoon came when Lukashenko peeled a carrot for Seagal, and the action hero eagerly chomped down on it.
Later, Seagal would gingerly tap on one of Lukashenko’s watermelons to test the firmness of the fruit.
By all accounts, the two men enjoyed a pleasant day together.
“From my point of view, this is the best time of the year,” Lukashenko, whose government has been accused of intimidating human rights activists and journalists, noted thoughtfully. “I don't love heat. I'm a winter guy. This kind of cold weather is the best."
Let’s just hope Putin doesn’t get jealous.
[via Washington Post]