1. Wesley Trent Snipes was born on July 31,1962 and is an American actor and martial artist.
42 Facts About Wesley Snipes
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Wesley Snipes was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his work in The Waterdance and won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his performance in the film One Night Stand.
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Wesley Snipes had notable parts in the comedy film Major League, the drama Mo' Better Blues and the crime drama King of New York before gaining prominence by playing a drug lord in the crime drama New Jack City.
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Wesley Snipes subsequently received more attention for the drama film Jungle Fever, the sports comedy White Men Can't Jump, and the action film Passenger 57.
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Wesley Snipes formed a production company, Amen-Ra Films, in 1991, and a subsidiary, Black Dot Media, to develop projects for film and television.
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Wesley Snipes has been training in martial arts since the age of 12, earning a 5th dan black belt in Shotokan karate and 2nd dan black belt in Hapkido.
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Wesley Snipes is credited with helping popularize martial arts in Hollywood and bringing martial arts to mainstream audiences, as well as contributing to the representation of Black actors in action roles, breaking stereotypes.
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In 2017, Wesley Snipes made his debut as a novelist with the urban fantasy supernatural adventure Talon of God.
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At the age of 23, Wesley Snipes was discovered by an agent while performing in a competition.
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Wesley Snipes made his film debut in the 1986 Goldie Hawn vehicle Wildcats.
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That same year, Wesley Snipes was considered for the role of Geordi La Forge in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation, but the role eventually went to LeVar Burton.
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Wesley Snipes auditioned and lobbied hard for the role of Leroy Green in the 1985 cult classic movie The Last Dragon, but the role was given to Taimak instead.
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Wesley Snipes then played Thomas Flanagan in King of New York opposite Christopher Walken.
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Wesley Snipes played the drug lord Nino Brown in New Jack City, which was written specifically for him by Barry Michael Cooper.
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Wesley Snipes played a drug dealer in the 1994 film Sugar Hill.
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Wesley Snipes has appeared in additional dramas, such as The Waterdance and Disappearing Acts.
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In 1997, Wesley Snipes won the Best Actor Volpi Cup at the 54th Venice Film Festival for his performance in New Line Cinema's One Night Stand.
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In 1998, Wesley Snipes had his largest commercial success with Blade, appearing in the title role, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name.
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In 2004, Wesley Snipes reprised his role in the third film, Blade: Trinity, which he produced.
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In 2005, Snipes sued New Line Cinema and David S Goyer, the film's studio and director, respectively.
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Wesley Snipes 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-stars Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel.
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Wesley Snipes later appeared in The Contractor, filmed in Bulgaria and the UK, Gallowwalkers, released in 2012, and Game of Death.
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Wesley 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 tax problems; his role eventually went to Derek Luke.
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Wesley Snipes made a comeback performance in Brooklyn's Finest as Casanova "Caz" Phillips, a supporting character, it was his first theatrical release film since 2004.
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Wesley Snipes had to turn down the part of Hale Caesar in The Expendables because he was not allowed to leave the United States without the court's approval.
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Reynolds texted Wesley 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.
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In 2005, Wesley Snipes entered into negotiations to fight Fear Factor host Joe Rogan on Ultimate Fighting Match, but the deal fell through.
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In 2010, Wesley Snipes co-created the sci-fi comics After Dark with Antoine Fuqua.
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In 2003, Wesley Snipes married painter Nakyung "Nikki" Park Wesley Snipes, with whom he has four children.
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Wesley Snipes has a son who resides in British Columbia, Canada.
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Wesley Snipes, who was raised a Christian, converted to Islam in 1978, but left Islam in 1988.
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Wesley Snipes began training in martial arts when he was 12 years old in 1974.
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Wesley Snipes has a 5th degree black belt in Shotokan karate and a 2nd degree black belt in Hapkido.
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Wesley Snipes has trained in Capoeira under Mestre Jelon Vieira and in a number of other disciplines including Kung Fu at the USA Shaolin Temple, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and kickboxing.
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In 2005, Snipes was investigated by the South African Police Service after he was found to be in possession of a counterfeit South African passport while attempting to leave O R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
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In 2008, Wesley Snipes was convicted on misdemeanor charges of willful failure to file federal income tax returns, and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment.
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Wesley Snipes was charged with willfully failing to file timely federal income tax returns.
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The indictment charged that Wesley Snipes failed to file tax returns for any of the years 1999 through 2004.
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Wesley 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, Wesley Snipes is a UScitizen by birth.
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Wesley Snipes was found guilty on three misdemeanor counts of failing to file federal income tax returns, and acquitted on three other failure-to-file charges.
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Wesley Snipes reported to federal prison on December 9,2010, to begin his three-year sentence, and he was held at McKean Federal Correctional Institution, a federal prison in Pennsylvania.
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Wesley Snipes was released from federal prison on April 2,2013, after serving 28 months, finishing his period of house arrest on July 19,2013.