Steven Seagal became an adult very quickly, leaving his home country before his 18th birthday. Since then, the  6ft 4 actor, musician, and cop(!) has done it all, becoming a film star as well as a martial arts master.

But though it might seem like Seagal’s life has only been one of happiness and prosperity, he has endured several rough periods as well. Today, he might look pretty unfamiliar to you.

Here’s all you need to know about Steven Seagal – and why he’s gone from the spotlight.

Steven Seagal was born on April 10, 1952, in Lansing, Michigan. His mother, Patricia, worked as a medical technician and his father, Samuel, was a high school mathematics teacher.

Steven Seagal – early life

At a young age, Seagal was very interested in music. He oftentimes listened to the blues, which would influence him all his life.

“I got my first guitar when I was 12,” he explained. “The blues got into my blood, you know. I started to imitate them and tried to learn from them.”

Not only was Seagal interested in the art of music, but he was also very interested in martial arts, and it was actually a lie that first took him down the path of karate.

At the age of 5, his family moved to Fullerton, California. Now, Steven Seagal had asthma and was very frail as a child.

“He was a puny kid back then. But he really thrived after the move,” his mom told People of her son’s childhood.

Seagal reportedly lied about his age to get a job as a dishwasher at a restaurant. The chef, who knew karate, thought Seagal was very swift on his feet and decided to teach him.

Following studies at the local high school, Seagal decided to leave the US at the age of 17. He moved to Japan in 1968 to teach English and further practice martial arts.

Seagal became a devout student of martial arts, educating himself each day. He stayed in Japan for 15 years, and by the end of his stint had become a very well-respected figure in the field.

Steven Seagal – martial arts

Seagal steadily transformed into something of a celebrity, appearing in many martial arts magazines. Furthermore, he became the only Westerner at the time to operate his own dojo – a “school for training in various arts of self-defense” – in Japan.

Seagal perfected his martial arts and earned black belts in karate, judo, kendo, and aikido.

In the beginning, however, Seagal had a tough time being a Westerner who had moved to Japan to learn martial arts. Seagal explained that many Westerners thought you just could pay someone to learn a few moves and then go back to America to teach what you’d learned.

But it wasn’t that easy.

“You have to understand that the way to enlightenment is through deprivation. They create an environment where you’re not getting any approval for all the work you’re putting in,” Seagal told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. “You’re not getting any sleep or love or attention, you’re getting your butt kicked and you’re up before anyone fixing meals and cleaning.”