By Andrew RothIn an ending fit for Hollywood, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday presented American action star Steven Seagal with a freshly minted Russian passport, consummating an odd-couple bromance that has blossomed despite years of dark relations between the two men's respective countries. Celebrated here for '90s action flicks and YouTube compilations of him swearing in accented Russian, Seagal has become something of a cross-cultural confidant to Putin. In a 2013 interview with RT, Seagal called him "one of the greatest world leaders if not the greatest world leader alive today." On Friday, Seagal accepted his new passport with an Aikido-inspired bow, a photograph distributed by the Russian tabloid LifeNews showed. The Moscow mobile operator Megafon has begun releasing advertisements with Seagal, including a version of the "mannequin challenge" at a recent press event.

Source: New Zealand Herald November 26, 2016 03:10 UTC