Wesley Trent Snipes was born on July 31,1962 and is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist.
31 Facts About Wesley Snipes
2.
Wesley Snipes formed a production company, Amen-Ra Films, in 1991, and a subsidiary, Black Dot Media, to develop projects for film and television.
3.
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.
4.
At the age of 23, Wesley Snipes was discovered by an agent while performing in a competition.
5.
Wesley Snipes made his film debut in the 1986 Goldie Hawn vehicle Wildcats.
6.
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.
7.
Wesley Snipes then played Thomas Flanagan in King of New York opposite Christopher Walken.
8.
Wesley Snipes played the drug lord Nino Brown in New Jack City, which was written specifically for him by Barry Michael Cooper.
9.
Wesley Snipes played a drug dealer in the 1994 film Sugar Hill.
10.
Wesley Snipes has appeared in dramas like The Waterdance and Disappearing Acts.
11.
In 2004, Wesley Snipes reprised his role in the third film, Blade: Trinity, which he produced.
12.
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.
13.
Wesley Snipes later discussed reprising the role of Blade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but was replaced by Mahershala Ali.
14.
Wesley Snipes later appeared in The Contractor, filmed in Bulgaria and the UK, Gallowwalkers, released in 2012, and Game of Death.
15.
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.
16.
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.
17.
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.
18.
In 2005, Wesley Snipes entered into negotiations to fight Fear Factor host Joe Rogan on Ultimate Fighting Match, but the deal fell through.
19.
Wesley Snipes began training in martial arts when he was 12 years old.
20.
Wesley Snipes has a 5th degree black belt in Shotokan karate and a 2nd degree black belt in Hapkido.
21.
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 and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Kickboxing.
22.
In 2003, Wesley Snipes married painter Nakyung "Nikki" Park, with whom he has four children.
23.
Wesley Snipes, who was raised a Christian, converted to Islam in 1978, but left Islam in 1988.
24.
Wesley Snipes was charged with six counts of willfully failing to file federal income tax returns by their filing dates.
25.
The government alleged that Wesley Snipes attempted to obtain fraudulent tax refunds using a tax protester theory called the "861 argument".
26.
The government charged that Wesley Snipes failed to file tax returns for the years 1999 through 2004.
27.
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 birthright US citizen.
28.
On February 1,2008, Wesley Snipes was acquitted on the felony count of conspiracy to defraud the government and on the felony count of filing a false claim with the government.
29.
Wesley Snipes was found guilty on three misdemeanor counts of failing to file federal income tax returns.
30.
Wesley Snipes reported to federal prison on December 9,2010 to begin his three-year sentence, and was held at McKean Federal Correctional Institution, a federal prison in Pennsylvania.
31.
Wesley Snipes was released from federal prison on April 2,2013, finishing his period of house arrest on July 19,2013.