Born:
July 31, 1962
in
Florida
Best Known For:
Killing demons in the Blade trilogy and spending time in jail for failing to file tax returns.
Early-life:
Wesley Trent Snipes was born in Orlando, Florida, on July 31, 1962, but grew up in the South Bronx in New York, where early on he decided he wanted to be an actor. He attended the High School for the Performing Arts (popularised in 1980s classic film and TV series Fame), but then his mother moved to Florida. After graduating from high school he appeared in local dinner theatres and regional productions. An agent saw him in a competition and got him his first movie role alongside Goldie Hawn in Wildcats (1986).
Career:
Athletic roles in Wildcats gave way to tough guy parts in New Jack City (1991), and to the action hero in Passenger 57 (1992). He went on to star alongside some of Hollywood's most famous leading men, all of whom hand-picked him for the roles. He further came to audiences' attentions in White Men Can't Jump (1992), Demolition Man (1993), Rising Sun (1993) and One Night Stand (1997), before landing the lead role in Blade (1998). Two more Blade films were made. He made a number of straight-to-DVD movies before returning to form in Brooklyn's Finest (2010). In 2008, Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to file federal income tax returns. After his conviction was upheld after an appeal, Snipes reported to federal prison in December 2010. He was released in April 2013. He returned to the big screen in 2014 in The Expendables 3.
Quote:
"I never really planned on making action films. It just kind of happened. I've focused primarily on acting and developing characters, but that has blossomed into a whole new venue."
Trivia:
Snipes' New York apartment was destroyed by the collapse of the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in the September 11 attacks. He was not in New York at the time.