John Leguizamo Reveals Why He Dislikes Steven Seagal After Their Film Experience

With a career dating back to the mid 1980s, Emmy-winning actor John Leguizamo has worked alongside some of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood, from Matt Damon and Patrick Swayze to Leonardo DiCaprio and Keanu Reeves.

As many notable faces as Leguizamo worked with, one notable actor that Leguizamo confessed he absolutely “hated” was ’90s action star, Steven Seagal.

In a 2023 interview with ComicBook.com, Leguizamo discussed his run-ins with Seagal during their time working on the 1996 action movie, Executive Decision.

At the time, Leguizamo said that his experiences working with Seagal were so bad, he wound up basing his portrayal of a washed-up B-movie actor on Seagal for his role in the 2022 comedy horror movie, The Menu.

“I wouldn’t have done it as myself,” Leguizamo said of the inspiration behind his character. “What, am I going to spoof myself like I’m a failed actor? Hell, no. I wouldn’t have done that. I used Steven Seagal because I hate him.”

Describing Seagal as a “bully,” the Odyssey star explained, “I was playing a washed-up action star, so I thought [Seagal] was perfect for it.”

“I kind of based mine on Steven Seagal. I had a bad run-in with him,” the actor continued. “We did a movie together. It was Executive Decision. He’s kind of a horrible human.”

In a separate interview with The AV Club back in 2012, Leguizamo even alleged that Seagal physically assaulted him upon their first meeting on the set of the film.

“We start rehearsing and he came in and was like, ‘I’m in command. What I say is law.’ So I started, like, [laughed]. I mean, who the f**k talks like that? Who comes into rehearsal and says that sh*t? So I started laughing and he slammed me with an aikido elbow against a brick wall and knocked all the air out of me,” Leguizamo said.

This story was originally published by Parade on Aug 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the Celebs section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.