Table of Biography
Early Life
Wesley Snipes’s date of birth is July 31, 1962, and his birthplace is Orlando, Florida, United States. He holds an American nationality. Similarly, his age is 60 years and his sun sign is Leo. His full name is Wesley Trent Snipes. He was born to Wesley R. Snipes, who is an aircraft engineer, and Marian Snipes, a teaching assistant. After some time, the whole family moved to New York City. He also has a brother whose name is Brid Snipes. He showed an interest in acting since his childhood. The family started living in The Bronx and young he joined an elementary school P.S. 132 and later transferred to I.S. 131 for his intermediate studies.
For his higher education qualifications, he joined the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in 1975. He completed his further studies at the Jones High School in Orlando in 1980. He actively took part in the school dramas. After his graduation, he joined the State University of New York and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1985. When he was twelve years old, he began learning martial arts. From his martial arts training, he has received a 5-foot-degree black belt in Shotokan Karate and a 2nd-degree black belt in Hapkido.
Caption: Wesley Snipes when he was young (Source: Instagram)
Wesley Snipes – Career and Professional Life
A 5th dan black belt in Shotokan karate, Wesley Snipes is one of the popular and successful personalities. Although he is mostly recognized for his action films, he is a flexible actor and has also made an impression in comic roles. The action films might have brought him tons of achievements, but it is not his only strength. Sadly, some latest serious legal matters concerning tax evasion, have temporarily affected his career.
A brilliant actor, he has been the first choice of many filmmakers not only for his acting skills but also for his excellent acting and screen appearance. Ever since he has been involved in the entertainment industry, he has been giving the best performances, which led him to collaborate with multiple of the biggest names in Hollywood. Soon after that, Snipes successfully turned himself into one of the best actors in the entertainment industry.
Snipes was present in some television series before coming across a casting agent who promoted his talent and that eventually profited him from his first appearance in the movie ‘Wildcats’ in 1986. In the year 1987, he had a role opposite Michael Jackson in his music video ‘Bad’ as a gang leader. His presentation in the video got him more essential projects in Hollywood, starting with the comedy film ‘Major League’, in 1989. Director Spike Lee, who liked his work in ‘Bad’, gave him a role alongside Denzel Washington in the 1990 movie ‘Mo’ Better Blues’.
More about his career
Snipes collaborated with Lee once again in the drama film ‘Jungle Fever’, which out in 1991. The film won tons of analytical appreciation and was also nominated for various reputable awards. In the year 1994, he acted the cast of a drug dealer in the TV movie ‘Sugar Hill’, which didn’t get positive comments. After a long string of action movies, came the 1998 blockbuster ‘Blade’ – a vampire-related action film.
The victory of ‘Blade’ helped to raise the filmmakers to come up with its follow-up ‘Blade II’ in 2002, which was also successful. ‘Blade: Trinity’, also recognized as ‘Blade III’, was out in 2004. Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel also were present in the movie alongside Snipes. His other dramatic film after ‘Blade: Trinity’ was the 2010 crime drama movie ‘Brooklyn’s Finest’. His latest movie ‘Gallowwalker’, a horror film, was about to become public in 2013.
Snipes’ ‘New Jack City’ was out to the public in 1991. It is a crime movie and was well-recognized by the viewers, collecting a total of $47,624,353 at the box office. The movie(s) for which he is renowned the most is the ‘Blade’ series, the first part of which (Blade) was a massive hit – grossing $131.2 million worldwide. This famous Hollywood actor was also featured in Michael Jackson’s video ‘Bad’, but is only present in the 16-minute full-length video and not in the famous version of the same.
Caption: Wesley Snipes shooting for a film (Source: Instagram)
Awards and Nomination
The actor was the winner of the Best Actor Volpi Cup in 1997 at the Venice Film Festival for his work as a faithless husband in the film ‘One Night Stand’. The film wasn’t very recognized by the observers but went on to become a commercialized success. He was given a star award on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 21, 1998, after the success of ‘Blade’. Moreover, the film ‘Jungle Fever’ also won a lot of critical appreciation and was nominated for several prestigious awards. He was listed as one of the twelve Promising New Actors in John Willi’s Screen World.
Wesley Snipes – Brand Endorsements
Wesley Snipes has been in numerous brand endorsement projects, including the 1987 Western Union commercial, the 1986 Levi’s ad, and the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge TV commercial ‘Canoe,’ which also starred Lil Wayne.
Wesley Snipes – Net Worth 2023
Wesley Snipes has a good earnings from his profession as an actor. He has a net worth of $10 million. His estimated net worth covers all the assets he owns and his present income. As of now, the actor is living a luxurious life with his present earnings. In addition, he had his largest commercial success with the movie, Blade, grossing over $150 million.
Relationship Status
The American actor was married to Nakyung Park. They tied the knot on 17th March 2003. They started dating each other in 2001. Nakyung Park is a South Korean painter. From their marriage, they have four children, and they are Akhenaton Kihwa, Iset Jua, Alaafia Jehu, and Alimayu Moa. Currently, Wesley is residing in Los Angeles with his lovely family. Previously, he was also married to an actress April Snipes. They tied the knot in 1985. They got divorced in 1990. The couple had a son, Jelani Asar Snipe.
Caption: Wesley Snipes with his wife (Source: Instagram)
Scandals
Wesley Snipes along with his brother began a security firm named the Royal Guard of Amen-Ra, dedicated to providing VIPs with bodyguards trained in law enforcement and martial arts in 1990. He was given the decision to 3 years in jail on April 24, 2008, for tax evasion. It was found that he was expected to make payment for taxes amounting to $2.7 million but did not file any returns between 1999 and 2001. When he was in jail, he pleaded to the Supreme Court but the court refused to hear and see him plead. The actor was finally out on April 2, 2013, after completing his punishment.
Body Measurement
Regarding his body measurement, Wesley Snipes stands at a height of 5 feet 10 inches. He has a body weight of 81 kg. Moreover, he has a dark complexion with black hair and hazel eyes. Being an actor and a martial artist, he has a well-maintained body. Furthermore, information regarding his body measurements, dress size, and shoe size are also missing.
Social Media
Coming to social media, the talented actor is quite active there. Wesley Snipes has an Instagram account, a Twitter account, and also a Facebook page. There are more than 3 million followers on his Facebook account, 255.4 K followers on his Twitter account, and 1 million followers on his Instagram account. He keeps on updating his social media and his accounts are filled with pictures related to his profession.