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Wesley Snipes

Actor / Film Producer | * 07/31/1962 (61) | Orlando, Florida (United States of America (USA))
3,703
Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American actor. Snipes has starred in numerous action-adventures, thrillers, and dramatic feature films such as New Jack City (1991), Jungle Fever (1991), Passenger 57 (1992), Rising Sun (1993), Demolition Man (1993), Drop Zone (1994), U.S. Marshals (1998), The Expendables 3 (2014), and the Blade film trilogy (1998–2004), in the title role. He also starred in such successful comedies as Major League (1989), ()
Photo of Wesley Snipes

Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist. He has starred in numerous action-adventures, thrillers, and dramatic feature films and is well-known for his role as Blade in the Blade trilogy. Snipes formed a production company titled Amen-Ra Films in 1991 and a subsidiary, Black Dot Media, to develop projects for film and television. Snipes has been training in martial arts since age twelve, earning a high ranking 5th dan black belt in Shotokan Karate and 2nd dan black belt in Hapkido. 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. At age 23, Snipes was discovered by an agent while performing in a competition. He made his film debut in the 1986 Goldie Hawn vehicle Wildcats. Later that year, he appeared on the trendy 1980's TV show Miami Vice as a drug-dealing pimp in the episode 'Streetwise' (first aired December 5, 1986). 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. That same year, Snipes was also considered for the role of Geordi La Forge in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Snipes' 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 Hayes 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 romantic 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 known 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 for his roles in dramas like The Waterdance and Disappearing Acts. Snipes has been married twice; first, to April Snipes from 1985-1990 with whom he has a son, Jelani Asar Snipes, born in 1988. Jelani had a cameo role in Snipes' 1990 film Mo' Better Blues. In 2003, Snipes wed painter Nakyung 'Nikki' Park, who is the mother of his four youngest children: son Akhenaten Kihwa-T Snipes; daughter Iset Jua-T Snipes (born July 31, 2001); son Alaafia Jehu-T Snipes (born May 26, 2004); and son Alimayu Moa-T Snipes (born March 26, 2007). Snipes spends a lot of time in Park's home country of South Korea, which he calls his "second home." .

Most frequent genres for this person: Action | Drama | Thriller

Known for these Movies & Shows

Awards & Nominations for Wesley Snipes

Star On Hollywood Walk of Fame Volpi Cup for Best Actor
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Movies with Wesley Snipes as Actor(66)

as Luther 'Mr. Big'2023 Back on the Strip
2023 Payline
as General Izzi2021 Coming 2 America
as Lawrence2020 Cut Throat City
as D’Urville Martin2019 Dolemite Is My Name
as Isaac2017 Armed Response
as The Hunter2017 The Recall
as Sean 'Cyclops' Andrews2015 Chi-Raq
as Aman2012 Gallowwalkers
as Agent Marcus2011 Game of Death
as Casanova 'Caz' Phillips2010 Brooklyn's Finest
as James Dial2007 The Contractor
as Sonni Griffith2006 The Detonator
as Lucky2006 Hard Luck
as Painter2005 The Marksman
as Jack Tuliver2005 7 Seconds
as Lorenz / Jason York2005 Chaos
as Dean Cage2004 Unstoppable
as Eric Brooks / Blade2004 Blade: Trinity
as Blade Trio (Blade) (archive footage)2002 Ultimate Fights from the Movies
as Dave Fletcher2002 Zig Zag
as Monroe Hutchen2002 Undisputed
as Eric Brooks / Blade2002 Blade II
as Franklin Swift2000 Disappearing Acts
as Neil Shaw2000 The Art of War
as Obike Fixx1999 Futuresport
as Himself (Ringside Fan)1999 Play It to the Bone
as Eric Brooks / Blade1998 Blade
as Mark Sheridan1998 U.S. Marshals
as Will Sinclair1998 Down in the Delta
as himself1998 Jackie Chan: My Story
as Detective Harlan Regis1997 Murder at 1600
as Max Carlyle1997 One Night Stand
as George Du Vaul (segment "The Boy Who Painted Christ Black")1996 America's Dream
as Bobby Rayburn1996 The Fan
as James Wheeler (uncredited)1995 Waiting to Exhale
as John1995 Money Train
as Romello Skuggs1994 Sugar Hill
as Pete Nessip1994 Drop Zone
as Lt. Webster Smith1993 Rising Sun
as Jimmy Mercer1993 Boiling Point
as Simon Phoenix1993 Demolition Man
as Narrator1993 Hardwood Dreams
as Raymond Hill1992 The Waterdance
as Sidney Deane1992 White Men Can't Jump
as John Cutter1992 Passenger 57
as Nino Brown1991 New Jack City
as Flipper Purify1991 Jungle Fever
as Shadow Henderson (Sax)1990 Mo' Better Blues
as Thomas Flanigan1990 King of New York
as Willie Mays Hayes1989 Major League
as Mini Max1987 Bad
as Ambulance Driver1987 Critical Condition
as Trumaine1986 Wildcats
as Roland Jenkins1986 Streets of Gold

TV Shows/Series with Wesley Snipes as Actor(10)

as Carlton2021 True Story
as Mr. Johnson2015 The Player
as himself1998 Vivement dimanche
as Self - Guest1997 The View
as Off. Lou Barton1990 H.E.L.P.

Movies with Wesley Snipes as Crew(15)

Production/Producer2023 Back on the Strip
Production/Executive Producer2023 Payline
Production/Executive Producer2023 Outbreak Z
Production/Producer2017 Armed Response
Production/Producer2017 The Recall
Production/Producer2004 Blade: Trinity
Production/Executive Producer2002 Undisputed
Production/Producer2002 Blade II
Production/Executive Producer2000 Disappearing Acts
Production/Executive Producer2000 The Art of War
Production/Producer1999 Futuresport
Crew/Martial Arts Choreographer1998 Blade
Production/Producer1998 Blade
Production/Producer1998 Down in the Delta
Production/Producer1998 The Big Hit

Additional Information

Official websites:
Full Name: Wesley Snipes
Born: Tuesday, 07/31 1962 (July) in Orlando, Florida (United States of America (USA)) (current age: 61 years + 242 days)
Zodiac sign: Leo (Chinese zodiac sign: Tiger)
Languages: English (EN, native language)
Educated at: State University of New York at Purchase, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, State University of New York, Jones High School
Spouses (current/former): Nakyung Park
Student of: Shi Yan Ming
Other names for Wesley Snipes (nicknames, foreign languages etc.):
"Уэсли Снайпс"
"Wesley Trent Snipes"
"Γουέσλεϊ Σνάιπς"
Wesley Snipes frequently works together with these people:
Spike Lee (11x, Crew)
David S. Goyer (9x, Crew)
Laini Thompson (8x, Crew)
Sylvester Stallone (7x, Actor)
Jackie Chan (6x, Actor)
Dick Wolf (6x, Crew)
Donald Kushner (6x, Crew)
Lennox Brown (6x, Actor)
Ruth E. Carter (6x, Crew)
Jeff Ward (6x, Crew)
Eddie Perez (6x, Crew)
WatchPlayStream ID: PEOPLE:466, Added: 03/23/2018, Last updated: 03/26/2024