Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American actor and martial artist. In afilm career spanning more than thirty years, Snipes has appeared in a variety of genres, such as numerous thrillers, dramatic feature films, and comedies, though he is best known for hisaction films.[2] He was nominated for theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his work inThe Waterdance (1992) and won theVolpi Cup for Best Actor for his performance in the filmOne Night Stand (1997). Films in which he has appeared have grossed over $3.6 billion worldwide.[3]
He formed a production company, Amen-Ra Films, in 1991, and a subsidiary, Black Dot Media, to develop projects for film and television.[4][5] Snipes has been training inmartial arts since the age of 12, earning a 5thdanblack belt inShotokan karate and 2nd dan black belt inHapkido.[6] He is credited with helping popularize martial arts inHollywood and bringing martial arts to mainstream audiences, as well as contributing to the representation of Black actors in action roles, breaking stereotypes.[7][2] In 2017, Snipes made his debut as anovelist with the urban fantasyTalon of God.[8][9]
At the age of 23, Snipes was discovered by an agent while performing in a competition. He made his film debut in the 1986Goldie Hawn vehicleWildcats. Later that year, he appeared on the TV showMiami Vice as a drug-dealingpimp in the episode "Streetwise" (first aired December 5, 1986). In 1987, he appeared asMichael Jackson's nemesis in theMartin Scorsese–directed music video "Bad" and the feature filmStreets of Gold. That same year, Snipes was also considered for the role ofGeordi La Forge in the TV seriesStar Trek: The Next Generation, but the role eventually went toLeVar Burton.[12] Snipes auditioned and lobbied hard for the role of Leroy Green in the 1985 cult classic movieThe Last Dragon, but the role was given toTaimak instead.
Snipes's performance in themusic video "Bad" caught the eye of directorSpike Lee. Snipes turned down a small role in Lee'sDo the Right Thing for the larger part of Willie Mays Hayes inMajor League (1989), beginning a succession of box-office hits for Snipes. Lee would later cast Snipes as the jazz saxophonist Shadow Henderson inMo' Better Blues (1990) and as the lead in the interracial romance dramaJungle Fever (1991). After the success ofJungle Fever,The Washington Post described Snipes as "the most celebrated new actor of the season".[13] He then played Thomas Flanagan inKing of New York (1990) oppositeChristopher Walken. He played the drug lord Nino Brown inNew Jack City (1991), which was written specifically for him by Barry Michael Cooper. He also played a drug dealer in the 1994 filmSugar Hill.
In 1997, Snipes won the Best ActorVolpi Cup at the54thVenice Film Festival for his performance inNew Line Cinema'sOne Night Stand. In 1998, Snipes had his largest commercial success withBlade, appearing in thetitle role, based on theMarvel Comicscharacter of the same name.Blade has grossed over $150 million worldwide and the film spawned afranchise. He also received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame and anhonorary doctorate in humanities and fine arts from his alma mater, SUNY/Purchase.[15] In 2002, Snipes reprised his role inBlade II, and in 2004, starred in a third film,Blade: Trinity, both of which he also produced. In 2005, Snipes suedNew Line Cinema andDavid S. Goyer, the film's studio and director, respectively. He claimed that the studio did not pay his full salary, that he was intentionally cut out of casting decisions, and that his character's screen time was reduced in favor of co-starsRyan Reynolds andJessica Biel. The suit was later settled, but no details were released.[16]
Snipes made a comeback performance inBrooklyn's Finest (2009) as Casanova "Caz" Phillips, a supporting character; it was his first theatrical release film since 2004. He also had to turn down the part of Hale Caesar inThe Expendables because he was not allowed to leave the United States without the court's approval.[19] In 2014, he appeared in the sequelThe Expendables 3. His comedic role playingD'Urville Martin inDolemite Is My Name earned him positive reviews and a number of award nominations.
In 2024, Snipes reprised his role as Blade after twenty years in theMarvel Studios filmDeadpool & Wolverine, which integrated the character in theMarvel Cinematic Universe and reunited him with formerBlade: Trinity co-starRyan Reynolds. Reynolds texted Snipes about joining the film and he had to keep his appearance a secret from his family; his surprise reappearance in the film led to positive reactions from audiences.[20] Following the film's release, Snipes received twoGuinness World Records for the longest career as a live-action Marvel character, beating outDeadpool & Wolverine co-starHugh Jackman asWolverine, as well as for the longest gap between character appearances in Marvel films.[21]
In the late 1990s, Snipes and his brother started a security firm called the Royal Guard of Amen-Ra, dedicated to providingVIPs withbodyguards trained in law enforcement and martial arts. Amen-Ra is also the name of his film company. In 1996, the first film produced by Amen-Ra wasA Great Aand Mighty Walk – Dr. John Henrik Clarke.[22]
In 2000, the business was investigated for alleged ties to theUnited Nuwaubian Nation of Moors. It emerged that Snipes had spotted 200 acres (81 ha) of land near theirTama-Re compound inPutnam County, Georgia, intending to buy and use it for his business academy. Both Snipes's business and the groups used Egyptian motifs as their symbols.[22] Ultimately, Snipes and his brother did not buy the land, instead establishing their company in Florida,Antigua, and Africa.[22]
In 2005, Snipes entered into negotiations to fightFear Factor hostJoe Rogan onUltimate Fighting Match, but the deal fell through.[23]
Snipes has been married twice, first to April Snipes (née Dubois), with whom he has a son, Jelani Asar Snipes (b. 1988). He currently works as Chief Marketing Officer for a meta marketing company and currently resides inBritish Columbia, Canada. In 2003, Snipes married painter Nakyung "Nikki" Park Snipes, with whom he has four children.[28]
Snipes, who was raised a Christian, converted toIslam in 1978, but left Islam in 1988. During a 1991 interview, Snipes said "Islam made me more conscious of what African people have accomplished, of my self-worth, and gave me some self-dignity".[29]
In 2008, Snipes was convicted on misdemeanor charges of willful failure to file federal income tax returns, and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment. After an unsuccessful appeal, he served 28 months in federal prison. He was released in April 2013.[36]
On October 12, 2006, Snipes,Eddie Ray Kahn, and Douglas P. Rosile were charged withconspiring to defraud the United States and knowingly making or aiding and abetting the making of a false and fraudulent claim for payment against the United States. Snipes was also charged with willfully failing to file timely federal income tax returns.[37] The conspiracy charge against Snipes alleged that he agreed with Kahn and Rosile to file false amended returns for 1996 and 1997, including falsetax refund claims totaling over $11.3 million for the two years. The government alleged that Snipes, on Kahn's advice and with Rosile's assistance, attempted to obtain fraudulent tax refunds using atax protester theory called the"861 argument" (an argument that the domestic income of US citizens and residents is not taxable). The government alleged that Snipes sent three fictitious "bills of exchange" for $14 million to theInternal Revenue Service (IRS).[38]
The indictment also charged that Snipes failed to file tax returns for any of the years 1999 through 2004. Snipes responded to his indictment in a letter on December 4, 2006, declaring himself to be "a non-resident alien" of the United States; in reality, Snipes is aU.S citizen by birth.[39]
Following a jury trial, Snipes was acquitted on February 1, 2008, of the felony count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and on the felony count of filing a false claim with the government. He was found guilty on three misdemeanor counts of failing to file federal income tax returns, and acquitted on three other failure-to-file charges. His co-defendants, Douglas P. Rosile and Eddie Ray Kahn, were convicted on the conspiracy and false claim charges.[40][41]
On April 24, 2008, Snipes was sentenced by JudgeWilliam Terrell Hodges to the maximum allowable term of three years in prison for the three misdemeanors counts.[42][43] Kahn was sentenced to ten years in prison, while Rosile was sentenced to four and a half years in prison.[44] TheUS Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed Snipes's convictions in a 35-page decision issued on July 16, 2010.[45][46]
Snipes reported tofederal prison on December 9, 2010, to begin his three-year sentence,[47] and he was held atMcKean Federal Correctional Institution, a federal prison in Pennsylvania.[48][49] On June 6, 2011, theUS Supreme Court declined to hear Snipes's appeal, which had challenged thevenue for the counts of failure to file returns.[50][51][52] Snipes was released from federal prison on April 2, 2013, after serving 28 months,[36] finishing his period of house arrest on July 19, 2013.[36]
This sectionis missing information about when the awards were given. Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on thetalk page.(June 2025)
^LaVelle, Alisa; Buzgon, Michelle (August 9, 2000)."1ST PERSON: Meet Wesley Snipes".Knight Ridder/Tribune.Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. RetrievedJune 3, 2008.
^Fleming, Michael (October 2, 2007)."Luke replaces Snipes in 'Anna'".Variety.Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. RetrievedJanuary 13, 2021.Snipes withdrew because it became too difficult for him to leave the U.S. and shoot in Italy while he fights federal tax-fraud charges.
^Collis, Clark. "Fall Movie Summer Preview, September: Miracle at St. Anna."Entertainment Weekly, Iss. #1007/1008, August 22/29, 2008, pp. 42–45.
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