| He's an action superstar surrounded by controversy and crime. He skyrocketed to fame in 1988 with an action-packed debut in ?Above the Law?, but long before then, he was known to martial arts insiders as the first Caucasian to open his own aikido dojo in Japan. Is he really, as he claims, a reincarnated lama in the Tibetan Buddhist faith?
Steven travelled to Japan at the age of 17, where he taught English and perfected his martial arts skills. Besides choreographing fight scenes in Action films, he remains secretive about his past. Rumours have named him as a bounty hunter and part-time CIA agent. His large donations to various religious charities have also been questioned over the years.
Following his 15 years in Asia, Steven returned to the US where he got work as a celebrity bodyguard, later marrying one of his clients - Kelly LeBrock. However, he was cast into the limelight himself in ?Above the Law?. Proving an instant hit, his next film ?Hard to Kill? secured his status as a hard-hitting action hero. ?Under Siege? was to become his most popular movie in 1992.
In 1999, Steven turned his hand to producing with ?Prince of Central Park? ? a film about a young boy living in the park. In 1997, he announced that he had been proclaimed a tulku, the reincarnation of a Buddhist lama, by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche. Besides acting, he remains a student of Buddhism who spends many hours meditating, studying, and practicing to become a healer.
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