MovieChat Forums > Executive Decision (1996) Discussion > Seagal --- why did he even sign up for t...

Seagal --- why did he even sign up for this ??

posted 8 years ago by tommi-53134
14 replies | jump to latest

I know this movie is 20 yrs. old but one glaring question always bothered me --- why did a very popular action star like Steven Seagal commit to a movie where he is unceremoniously killed halfway through? This dude was making $20 million per film in the mid-90's, for crying out loud.

Even though it was a discount role, I imagine he still made a nice paycheck, but you would think his agent would've told him it's utterly stupid and possibly career suicide to be in a movie where you don't even make it past the halfway point? Doesn't that seem like a sleazy bait-n-switch to use his name and face on the movie poster and trailer, tricking his fans into thinking it's another starring role for him where he kills a lot of bad guys and saves the day?

It actually almost seems like criminal fraud by the movie studio to fool audiences into thinking they are paying a movie ticket to see a Steven Seagal action flick --- but are shocked to find out he dies 45 minutes into the film while being a military stewardess for the real heroes. What a lame way to die.

I was a huge Seagal fan in the 90's and I was so upset with this movie because I was expecting Casey Ryback to kick a lot of Arab butt on this hijacked plane, just like he did on the train and the Navy battleship.

[–] kingl8619 8 years ago

There was a story where Seagal wanted off the movie because originally him and Kurt Russell were supposed to work together to take out the terrorists and land the plane. When he realized he would have to share screen time, he told his agent he wanted out of the movie. One idea was for him to die. Steve didn't go for it. Another was for him to sacrifice himself for the other characters. He ok'd this. Now he goes around telling people that him dying in the middle of the movie, saving everyone else, was his idea.

[–] TMC-4 (19411) 5 years ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/dbokl0/about_seagals_early_death_in_executive_decision/

So what happened and why did they demote the Sensei to being blown into orbit?

Take a wild guess. Steven Seagal has an ego, but it was even bigger in the mid 1990s, probably as big as it ever was. The man is notoriously difficult to work with on set. So my theory is that Seagal showed up, was doing what Seagal does and invoked his own demise. Possibly he did not agree with sharing so much screentime with Russell and wanted to be front and centre more often. I speclate that director Stuart Baird and Warners decided to teach Seagal, under contract, a lesson.

By 1996 they probably had more than their fill of Seagull-ism and basically showed him who was boss and gave the show to the up and coming John Leguizamo. Initially, the idea was even to kill Seagal in that airhatch by having his head explode via depressurization – a nod to his ego perhaps? When Seagal learned of this, he locked himself in his trailer and refused to leave, even under threat of lawsuit, until the death was changed to being blown out into the sky.

That wasn’t the only incident on set, Seagal felt the need to re-assert himself when he returned to the set, possibly through feeling the slap of being humbled. That included an altercation where he started telling folks that, quite literally, he was still boss. When the newly promoted John Leguizamo laughed out loud, Seagal ‘tai-chi’ed his ass’, according to Leguizamo. Did Seagal snap after the relative unknown who won the lottery and was given his place, laughed in his face? Was it the final insult?

This theory might not be truly accurate. But either way, it was entirely unprofessional conduct on the part of Seagal. Executive Decision was his second last big gig. Exit Wounds was his last. And in that movie, he once again locked himself in his trailer. Coincidence?

[–] taran-rod 8 years ago

"This dude was making $20 million per film in the mid-90's, for crying out loud."

Hmmm... we are talking about Willis, Stallone or Schwarzenegger here... I really doupt he had such huge paychecks.

[–] spookyrat1 7 years ago

When the film came out, he was at the high point of his career after the successes of him headlining the Under Siege movies and was certainly as big a drawcard as Kurt Russell. If Halle Berry made $1 million for this as she is supposed to have, Seagal would have made plenty too. Not sure why mid-way through production he would have objected to his character dying, as he surely would have known that was likely to happen, when signing up.🐭

[–] wallacesawyer 7 years ago

I don't care. This was a pretty good movie, and even back then Steven wasn't the best in my opinion. Frankly in lot of the films I've seen his character's too invincible. From what I remember in UNDER SIEGE he got one small cut on his face. I thought that was funny contrast to Bruce Willis in DIE HARD, whom got all kinds of messed up.

Killing off Steven's character was a ballsy move, and makes the situation all the more desperate.

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[–] legnadibrom (5704) 5 years ago

if you count this as a "Seagal" movie than it's his best one

[–] HelpMeRhonda (1155) 4 years ago

I thought it was pretty cool. Yeah I was bummed he wasn’t in the rest of the movie, but it was sort of a plot twist that he died. And he goes out like a G:

Kurt Russel: “We’re not gonna make it!”

Seagal: “You are!”

[–] [email protected] (1629) 4 years ago

The decision to cast him and surprise the audience was probably akin to Janet Leigh in Psycho.

[–] Cognoscente (2463) 3 years ago

I agree. I was stunned when I first saw it.

[–] Mustang (5222) 2 years ago

Maybe he thought the film would be a huge mainstream hit? All the basic ingredients were there. Or maybe he just got paid really well to do half a film?

[–] PaladinNJ (20310) 2 years ago

I thought it a big hit when it came out. Lord knows the pay stations (HBO,Cinemax,Starz/Showtime) play it enough now.

[–] Mustang (5222) 2 years ago

Unless I'm mistaken it went straight to video here in Australia but I can see on Wikipedia that with a budget of $55 million it made $122 million at the box office. So it's possible it was more popular in the States and elsewhere.

[–] BOandBarbecue (2264) a year ago

he sign up for this film so he can have opportunitys to bitch slap that little weiner john leguizamos!

his death was big shock, and good set up for rest of film.