Action film star and martial arts expert Steven Seagal could add another title to his already-extensive resume: governor of Arizona.
During an interview with KNXV-TV, Seagal said he is considering a gubernatorial bid, with the backing of outspoken advocate of harsh immigration law enforcement, Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
“Joe Arpaio and I were talking were talking about me running for governor in Arizona,” Seagal said. “I suppose I would remotely consider it, but probably would have a lot of other responsibilities that may be more important to the task."
Seagal currently stars in Steven Seagal: Lawman, a reality show where he's been patrolling the suburbs of New Orleans alongside local police units. The newest season, which premiered last week, moved Seagal to Arizona, where he has been serving as deputy sheriff to Arpaio.
During the interview, Seagal shared his opinion of the number one problem facing America: open borders.
“I think that across these borders, any kind of terrorism can come and does come, and I think this is a tremendous oversight by the current administration,” Seagal said. “I think that it's a crime, I think that we should really be paying attention to our borders, and I think that Reagan once said, 'If you don't have security on your borders, then you don't have a country.'"
Seagal also defended Arpaio’s reputation marred with controversy. “If somebody murders somebody, we go out and arrest them. If somebody robs a bank, we go out and arrest them. If somebody commits a crime, we go and arrest them. We don't care if they're Mexican, Irish, French, German, Chinese--we don't care.”
He added, “Is Joe Arpaio racist? No, he's not…He doesn’t care what nationality you are. He cares if you’re a criminal.”
If Seagal decided to run for governor, he would join the list of other actors-turned-governors, such as Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzennegger.