Key Takeaways:
– Steven Seagal was an acclaimed martial arts instructor before he gained stardom as an action movie star.
– During a training session, Seagal accidentally broke Sean Connery’s wrist while preparing the actor for a James Bond film.
– The incident took place while Seagal was training Connery for his role in “Never Say Never Again.”
– Despite the severity of the injury, Connery always recounted the incident as an accident.
Before the bright lights of Hollywood called, Steven Seagal was recognized for his prowess in martial arts as a revered instructor and choreographer. He even trained some of the biggest names in the film industry, such as super agent Michael Ovitz and legendary actor Sean Connery.
Seagal’s Hollywood Break: From Martial Arts Instructor To Movie Star
Seagal was private martial arts teacher for Michael Ovitz, who was infamous for his bold claim of turning anyone into a movie star. Ovitz proved his claim by acquiring for Seagal a movie deal with Warner Bros. This opened doors for Seagal’s action-packed career with his first movie, “Above the Law,” maneuvering him to his historic rise in Hollywood.
Aikido Training Session Turns Sour for Sean Connery
Seagal’s prowess in martial arts wasn’t limited to being showcased in movies. He also trained actors for their action sequences in films. One such training was with Sean Connery, who was preparing for his role in the unofficial James Bond movie, “Never Say Never Again.”
At fifty-two, Connery had a couple of fight sequences in the film and so called upon Seagal’s expertise to help him prepare. Unfortunately, an accident left Connery with a broken wrist during a sparring session. There are urban legends that suggest Seagal intentionally caused the injury due to some disagreement, but Connery himself always narrated the incident as an accidental occurrence.
Unfortunate Accidents and Unforgettable Stories
Connery, in an interview with Jay Leno, laughingly told the story of his injury. As he explained, he became overconfident during his Aikido training, deviated from the defensive stance, and ended up with a broken wrist courtesy of Seagal’s expertise. Even over a decade later, Connery maintained that the injury still gave him trouble.
Despite the severe consequence of the accident, Connery bore no ill will towards Seagal. He recognized it as a result of an accident born from a sparring session. Seagal’s ego didn’t seem unfettered at that time, leading us to believe it was indeed an unfortunate accident.
Seagal’s spiraling Career: Hits and Misses
Seagal later went on to star in some remarkable movies including “Hard to Kill,” “Marked for Death,” “Out for Justice,” and “Under Siege.” However, critics argue that his fame dwindled down the road, as demonstrated in his altercations with fellow stars like Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.
While the debate goes on whether Seagal’s career was on point, or his ego was taken him down, the story of his accidental breakage of Sean Connery’s wrist during a martial arts training session remains an urban legend.
Was it an accident born out of a complex martial arts session, or a deliberate assault fueled by anger as the urban legends suggest? We leave that to our readers to decide and invite you to share your thoughts with us in the comments.
