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 | Wesley Snipes biography |
Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American actor, film producer and martial artist. He has starred in action-adventures, thrillers, and dramatic feature films but is best known for his role as Blade in the Blade trilogy. In 1991, the actor formed a production company called Amen Ra Films and a subsidiary, Black Dot Media, to develop projects for film and television. Snipes has been training in martial arts since age twelve, earning the rank of fifth dan black belt in Shotokan Karate. He has also trained as a student of Capoeira under Mestre Jelon Vieira and in a number of other disciplines including various styles of Kung Fu.
In 2008, Snipes was convicted on three misdemeanor counts of willful failure to file federal income tax returns, and on April 24 sentenced to three years in prison. On May 22, the trial court ruled that Snipes may remain free while his appeal is being considered.
A 26-year-old Snipes was discovered by an agent while performing in a competition. He made his film debut in the Goldie Hawn vehicle Wildcats. In 1987, he appeared as Michael Jackson's nemesis in the Martin Scorsese directed music video "Bad" (he is seen in only the long version of the video) and the feature film Streets of Gold.
Snipe's performance in the music video "Bad" caught the eye of director Spike Lee. Snipes turned down a small role in Lee's Do the Right Thing for the larger part of Willie Mays Hays in Major League, beginning a succession of box-office hits for Snipes. Lee would later cast Snipes as the jazz saxophonist Shadow Henderson in Mo' Better Blues and as the lead in the interracial romance drama Jungle Fever. Another important role for Snipes was the powerful drug lord Nino Brown in New Jack City, which was written specifically for him by Barry Michael Cooper. Another film in which his character was involved in drugs was the somber movie Sugar Hill.
Although Snipes is more remembered for his roles in action films like Passenger 57, Demolition Man (with Sylvester Stallone), Money Train, U.S. Marshals (a sequel of The Fugitive) and Rising Sun (with Sean Connery), he has also had success in comedies like White Men Can't Jump, and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar where he played a drag queen together with Patrick Swayze and John Leguizamo. Snipes has also been critically acclaimed[citation needed] for his roles in dramas like The Waterdance and Disappearing Acts.
In 1997, he won the Best Actor Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival for his performance in New Line Cinema's One Night Stand. 1998 marked Snipes's largest commercial success with the opening of Blade, for New Line Cinema, which has grossed over $150 million worldwide. The film turned into a successful series. He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, SUNY/Purchase, for his outstanding achievements in film.
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Most of his latest films have been released straight-to-DVD. His latest films are The Shooter (also known as The Contractor), filmed in Bulgaria and the UK, with Charles Dance, Lena Heady, Eliza Bennett, and the upcoming Gallowwalker, set to be released in 2009.
Snipes was originally slated to play one of the four leads in Spike Lee's 2008 war film, Miracle at St. Anna but had to leave the film due to his widely-publicized tax problems, and his role eventually went to Derek Luke.
Snipes made a comeback performance in Brooklyn's Finest as Caz, a supporting character.He also had to turn down the part of 'Hale Caesar' in The Expendables due to not being allowed to leave the United States without the court's approval.
One of Wesley's best dramatic performances was in WATERDANCE, playing a paraplegic. Snipes' other notable films include: MO' BETTER BLUES, RISING SUN, MURDER AT 1600, NEW JACK CITY, DOWN IN THE DELTA, THE ART OF WAR, BLADE, BLADE 2, and UNDISPUTED.
Wesley's newest credits include: CHAOS, BLADE: TRINITY, and UNSTOPPABLE.
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