Wesley Snipes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wesley Snipes
Snipes in 2018
Born	Wesley Trent Snipes (1962-07-31) July 31, 1962 (age 63) Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Education	State University of New York at Purchase (BFA)
Occupation	Actor producer martial artist
Years active	1984–2010 2013–present
Works	Full list
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Spouse(s)	April Dubois ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 1990)​ Nakyung Park ​ (m. 2003)​
Children	6

Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American actor and martial artist. He has been in many movies for over thirty years. These movies include thrillers, dramas, and comedies. He is most famous for his exciting action films.

Snipes was nominated for an award called the Independent Spirit Award for his role in The Waterdance (1992). He also won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his performance in One Night Stand (1997). The movies he has been in have earned over $1.6 billion around the world.

Snipes had important roles in the comedy movie Major League (1989) and the drama Mo' Better Blues (1990). He also played a powerful character in the crime drama New Jack City (1991). He gained more attention for the drama film Jungle Fever (1991) and the sports comedy White Men Can't Jump (1992). He also starred in the action film Passenger 57 (1992).

Since then, he has appeared in many different types of movies. These include the comedy To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995) and the thriller The Fan (1996). He also starred in the drama Down in the Delta (1998). Snipes became well-known as an action star. He played both heroes and villains in movies like Demolition Man (1993), Rising Sun (1993), Money Train (1995), and U.S. Marshals (1998).

In 1998, he played Eric Brooks / Blade in the superhero movie Blade. This movie was based on the Marvel Comics superhero. He played Blade again in Blade II (2002), Blade: Trinity (2004), and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024).

From the mid-2000s, Snipes appeared in movies released directly to video. He returned to theaters with films like Brooklyn's Finest (2009) and The Expendables 3 (2014). He has also worked on TV shows. These include the drama series H.E.L.P. (1990) and the action series The Player (2015). He was also in the limited series True Story (2021) and the romantic drama film Disappearing Acts (2000).

In 1991, Snipes started his own production company called Amen-Ra Films. He also created Black Dot Media to make movies and TV shows. Snipes has been training in martial arts since he was 12 years old. He has a 5th degree black belt in Shotokan karate. He also has a 2nd degree black belt in Hapkido. He is known for helping to make martial arts popular in Hollywood. He also helped bring martial arts to a wider audience. He also helped more Black actors get action roles, breaking old stereotypes. In 2017, Snipes wrote his first novel, an urban fantasy called Talon of God.

Early Life and Education

Snipes was born in Orlando, Florida. His mother, Marian, was a teacher's assistant, and his father, Wesley, was an aircraft engineer. He grew up in the Bronx, New York. He went to the High School of Performing Arts but moved back to Florida before finishing.

After graduating from Jones High School in Orlando, Snipes went back to New York. He attended the State University of New York at Purchase. There, he earned a bachelor's degree in fine arts. Snipes also studied at Southwestern College in California.

Acting Career

Early Roles and Breakthrough

Snipes signing autographs at San Diego Comic-Con in 2010

When he was 23, an agent discovered Snipes during a competition. His first movie role was in 1986 in Wildcats, starring Goldie Hawn. Later that year, he appeared on the TV show Miami Vice. In 1987, he was in Michael Jackson's music video for "Bad", directed by Martin Scorsese. He also appeared in the movie Streets of Gold.

That same year, Snipes was considered for the role of Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation. However, the role went to LeVar Burton. Snipes also tried hard to get the role of Leroy Green in the 1985 movie The Last Dragon, but Taimak got the part.

Snipes's performance in the "Bad" music video caught the attention of director Spike Lee. Snipes turned down a small role in Lee's Do the Right Thing. Instead, he took a bigger part as Willie Mays Hayes in Major League. This started a series of successful movies for Snipes. Spike Lee later cast Snipes as Shadow Henderson in Mo' Better Blues. He also played the main character in the romance drama Jungle Fever. After Jungle Fever was a hit, The Washington Post called Snipes "the most celebrated new actor of the season." He then played Thomas Flanagan in King of New York with Christopher Walken. He also played a main character in New Jack City, a role written just for him.

Action Star and Blade

Snipes has played many roles in action movies. These include Passenger 57, Rising Sun, and Demolition Man with Sylvester Stallone. Other action films are Drop Zone, Money Train, The Fan, U.S. Marshals, and The Art of War. He also starred in comedies like White Men Can't Jump and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, where he played a drag queen. Snipes has also been in dramas like The Waterdance and Disappearing Acts.

In 1997, Snipes won the Best Actor Volpi Cup at the 54th Venice Film Festival. This was for his role in One Night Stand. In 1998, Snipes had his biggest success with Blade. He played the main character, based on the Marvel Comics character. Blade earned over $150 million worldwide and led to a movie series. He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2004, Snipes played Blade again in the third movie, Blade: Trinity, which he also helped produce.

Snipes with Ethan Hawke during the 66th Venice International Film Festival

Snipes later appeared in The Contractor, filmed in Bulgaria and the UK. He was also in Gallowwalkers, released in 2012, and Game of Death. Snipes was supposed to be in Spike Lee's 2008 war film Miracle at St. Anna. However, he had to leave the film, and his role went to Derek Luke.

Snipes in 2014, at the French premiere of The Expendables 3

Snipes made a return performance in Brooklyn's Finest as Casanova "Caz" Phillips. This was his first movie released in theaters since 2004. He also had to turn down a part in The Expendables. In 2014, he appeared in the sequel The Expendables 3. His funny role playing D'Urville Martin in Dolemite Is My Name received good reviews and many award nominations.

In 2024, Snipes played Blade again after twenty years in the Marvel Studios film Deadpool & Wolverine. This movie brought the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It also reunited him with his former Blade: Trinity co-star Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds texted Snipes about joining the film. Snipes had to keep his appearance a secret from his family. His surprise return in the movie made audiences very happy. After the movie came out, Snipes received two Guinness World Records. He got one for the longest career as a live-action Marvel character. He beat Deadpool & Wolverine co-star Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. He also got one for the longest time between character appearances in Marvel films.

Other Ventures

In the late 1990s, Snipes and his brother started a security company. It was called the Royal Guard of Amen-Ra. This company provided VIPs with bodyguards 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 was A Great Aand Mighty Walk – Dr. John Henrik Clarke.

In 2000, the business was looked into because of possible connections to a group called the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors. It was found that Snipes had looked at 200 acres of land near their compound in Putnam County, Georgia. He wanted to buy it for his business academy. Both Snipes's business and the group used Egyptian symbols. In the end, Snipes and his brother did not buy the land. Instead, they set up their company in Florida, Antigua, and Africa.

In 2005, Snipes talked about fighting Fear Factor host Joe Rogan in an Ultimate Fighting Match. However, the plan did not happen.

In 2010, Snipes helped create the sci-fi comic series After Dark with Antoine Fuqua. In 2017, he wrote his first novel, an urban fantasy supernatural adventure called Talon of God. In 2022, he returned to comics with The Exiled.

Personal Life

Snipes with wife Nikki Park in 2009

Snipes has been married twice. His first wife was April Snipes (née Dubois), and they have a son together. In 2003, Snipes married painter Nakyung "Nikki" Park Snipes. They have four children. Snipes also has another son who lives in British Columbia, Canada.

Snipes was raised as a Christian. He became a Muslim in 1978 but left Islam in 1988. In a 1991 interview, Snipes said that Islam made him more aware of what African people had achieved. It also gave him a stronger sense of his own worth and dignity.

Snipes started training in martial arts when he was 12 years old in 1974. He has a 5th degree black belt in Shotokan karate. He also has a 2nd degree black belt in Hapkido. He has also trained in Capoeira under Mestre Jelon Vieira. He has learned other styles too, including Kung Fu at the USA Shaolin Temple, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and kickboxing. When he was in New York, Snipes was trained in fighting by his friend and mentor Brooke Ellis. Snipes is also trained in Arnis.

In 2001, Snipes' apartment in New York City was destroyed. This happened because of the collapse of the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks. He was on the West Coast at the time.

In 2005, the South African Police Service investigated Snipes. This was because he had a fake South African passport when he tried to leave O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. He had a real U.S passport, so authorities let him leave. However, he was marked as an "undesirable person" for immigration by the South African Department of Home Affairs.

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Wesley Snipes para niños