Share

Wesley Snipes biography

1 photo

Quick Facts

  • NAME: Wesley Trent Snipes
  • OCCUPATION: Film Actor
  • BIRTH DATE: July 31, 1962 (Age: 49)
  • EDUCATION: State University of New York at Purchase
  • PLACE OF BIRTH: Orlando, Florida
  • ZODIAC SIGN: Leo
more about Wesley

Best Known For

Wesley Snipes is an actor known for his action roles in such films as Blade and Passenger 57 and for his trouble with the law over unpaid taxes.

Synopsis

Wesley Snipes made his film debut in Wildcats in 1986 and was cast in Mo' Better Blues in 1990. In 1991, Snipes took the leading role in Lee's Jungle Fever and also played one of his most memorable characters—stylish crime lord Nino Brown in New Jack City. In 2008, Snipes was sentenced to a maximum of 3 years in prison on tax evasion charges, an event that has colored his career since.

Contents

Profile

actor. Wesley Trent Snipes was born July 31, 1962, in Orlando, Florida. Raised with his three sisters in the South Bronx by his grandmother and mother, Snipes attended the High School for the Performing Arts in New York City.

After attending the State University of New York at Purchase, he pursued his acting career in earnest.

Snipes made his film debut in Wildcats starring Goldie Hawn in 1986. After Spike Lee spotted him in the Michael Jackson video Bad, the director cast him in Mo' Better Blues opposite Denzel Washington in 1990.

The following year, Snipes not only took the leading role in Lee's Jungle Fever, but also portrayed one of his most memorable characters to date, that of stylish crime lord Nino Brown in Mario Van Peebles' New Jack City.

Throughout the 1990s, Snipes remained one of the biggest actors in Hollywood thanks to subsequent turns in such successful films as the emotionally wrought The Waterdance, the big-budget action flick Passenger 57 and the comedy White Men Can't Jump.

Though audiences might best remember him in such action adventures as 1993's Rising Sun and 1988's Blade, Snipes has made a concerted effort to explore other directions with such films as Waiting to Exhale in 1995, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (where he played an over-the-top drag queen) and One Night Stand in 1997, for which he won a Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival.

On April 24, 2008, Snipes was sentenced to a maximum of three years in prison on tax evasion charges. The government said Snipes should've paid $2.7 million in taxes on $13.8 million income, and that he didn't file returns from 1999 to 2001.

Snipes married April Snipes in 1985. They had a son. The couple divorced in 1990. In 2003, Snipes married painter Nakyung "Nikki" Park. They have four children.

 

© 2012 A&E Television Networks. All rights reserved.

ADVERTISEMENT

GetGlue

9542590 9542590
profile id: 9542590
profile name: Wesley Snipes
profile occupation:
related profile id: 9542590
related profile name: Wesley Snipes
related profile occupation:
related profile img: /imported/images/Biography/Images/Profiles/S/Wesley-Snipes-9542590-1-402.jpg
related profile URL: /people/wesley-snipes-9542590
profile
pop
Your Connections

Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.

specific profile connection
See More Bio Connections
Your Friends' Connections
specific friend connection
Profile Connections
    Show More Connections
    Included In These Groups
      21 others

      Vampires

      Vampires prey off living creatures, stalking unsuspecting humans, sucking their blood and often turning them into vampires. Not alive but not quite dead, vampires are fictional creatures who have haunted and fascinated human populations for centuries. The notion of the fanged, transylvanian Count Dracula was first popularized in Bram Stroker's 1897 novel Dracula, but the character has seen many iterations over the years. Today's TV shows and movies portray vampires as sexy, mysterious, and even sympathetic characters with meaningful relationships to humans. Here is a group of the most famous blood-suckers.

      View group

      Vampires 24 people in this group

      46 others

      Gap-Toothed Grinners

      They've been referred to as a sign of happiness, luck, good fortune, sexuality and wanderlust. Cultures all around the world have their take on gap teeth, and now—thanks to prominent figures who proudly flash the space in their smile—they're considered a mark of beauty and individuality. Here are a few of the stars who helped to make gap teeth fashionable, proving to men and women everywhere that they no longer need to be ashamed of their grins.

      View group

      Gap-Toothed Grinners 49 people in this group

      33 others

      Onscreen Superheroes

      The world craves the idea of unattainable perfection, and the superhero—an aspirational figure who is stronger, faster and smarter than the average human—is the epitome of human perfection. For more than two centuries, philosophers, comic book artists, writers and academics have debated the role of the superhero, from how they should interact with society to what they should wear when they're saving the world. And now, with the rash of superhero films in Hollywood, the debate becomes who should portray these larger-than-life characters on the big screen. Here are the actors and actresses who have been chosen to represent the mighty superhero. Whether it's running faster than the speed of light or stopping a speeding train with one hand, these performers are renowned for bringing the vision of the superhero to reality.

      View group

      Onscreen Superheroes 36 people in this group

    See all related groups

    Celebrity Connections

    Show More Connections
    Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!