ACTION MOVIE STAR SEAGAL NAMED SPECIAL ENVOY TO U.S.

In November 2016, Michigan-born martial artist and action film star Steven Seagal visited Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin to receive an unusual gift: his very own Russian passport. Seagal’s grandmother was born in Vladivostok, and the actor and Putin share a passion for martial arts. On Saturday, Russia honoured Seagal again, this time with a position as a special envoy to the United States. In a Facebook post on Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Seagal has been appointed to a new role, which will apparently be unpaid. His responsibility will be to “facilitate relations between Russia and the United States in the humanitarian field, including cooperation in culture, arts, public and youth exchanges.”