Saturday, February 15, 2014

Wesley Snipes

Wesley Snipes is a Hollywood actor best known for his various starring roles in action flicks in the 1990s. Snipes was one of the most bankable black actors up until several years ago. Unfortunately, Snipes's ego eventually got the better of him as he apparently came to believe that "his shit didn't stink" and thought he shouldn't have to pay federal income taxes on the millions of dollars of income he received from his various acting roles over the years. When the IRS brought criminal charges against Snipes, he was convicted of various charges and sentenced to 3 years in prison for his crimes in a practically unbelievable fall from grace.


Wesley Snipes was born on July 31, 1962 in Orlando, Florida, although he grew up in the Bronx in New York City.  Snipes decided to pursue acting at any early age and attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing, a school popularized in the movie Fame.  However, Snipes moved back to Orlando during his teenage years.  After graduating from high school, Snipes local dinner theaters and regional productions.

Snipes' first movie role was in the 1986 movie Wildcats, where he played a high school football player.  Snipes followed up with a major role in the famous 1987 Michael Jackson video for Bad.  Snipes also had a starring role as a boxer in the 1987 movie, Streets of Gold.



Snipes turned down a minor role in the 1989 Spike Lee movie, Do the Right Thing, for a larger role in the hit baseball comedy movie Major League, where he played Willie Mays Hayes, a speedy slap hitter.  Snipes' role in Major League was well-received and really put him on the map with mainstream audiences.  After the success of Major League, Snipes became one of the most sought-after black actor actors in Hollywood.






Snipes followed up on the success of Major League by appearing in starring roles in both Jungle Feaver and New Jack City in 1991.  Snipes' performances were acclaimed and his star was clearly on the rise as of the early 1990s.  Snipes later appeared in starring role in the 1992 sports comedy, White Men Can't Jump. Snipes followed up with roles in the 1992 action hit, Passenger 57, and the 1993 action hit, Demolition Man, where he showed off his martial arts skills.


Snipes later appeared in the cult-classic 1998 vampire action flick, Blade, and subsequently appeared in two Blade sequels, Blade II, and Blade: Trinity.


However, after the 1990s had passed, Snipes' star started to fade as audiences tired of him and the roles he was offered became few and far between.  Snipes' personal life started crashing down upon him at the same time.  Snipes apparently thought he was immune to the federal tax laws, as he unbelievably filed a false tax refund claim of over $4 million for the 1996 tax year, a false tax refund claim of over $7.3 million for the 1997 tax year, and also failed to file any federal tax returns for the tax years between 1999 and 2004.

Not surprisingly, the IRS was none to too pleased with Snipes' apparent tax fraud.  Snipes was charged with defrauding the IRS and with one count of knowingly making or aiding and abetting the making of a false and fraudulent claim for payment against the United States. Snipes additionally charged with six counts of willfully failing to file federal income tax returns by their filing date.


Snipes must have squandered his acting fortune, as he apparently lacked the means to pay his tax bills.  In 2005, desperate for money, Snipes initially agreed to fight Joe Rogan in a mixed martial arts match, although later backed down out of fear of receiving a vicious pummeling.   Snipes defended himself in his legal case by raising an absurd defense that he was not a U.S. citizen and therefore was not obligated to pay federal taxes, despite the fact that Snipes was born in the U.S. and is therefore a U.S. citizen by birthright.  Snipes was also so desperate to avoid jail time that he claimed that he was the victim of a racist conspiracy notwithstanding his obvious fraudlent actions.

The government's action against Snipes went to court in 2008, where he was found guilty of willful failure to file federal income tax returns and was sentenced to three years in prison.  Snipes began serving his sentence in 2010 was was released in 2013.  Snipes has apparently tried to return to the limelight and is reportedly set to appear in a minor role in the 2014 action flick, Expendables 3.


Wesley Snipes was once one of the most bankable black actors in Hollywood.  He must have felt like he was invincible and that the world was his oyster by the late 1990s.  However, Snipes' arrogance apparently got the better of him as his squandered his fortune and willfully failed to pay his federal taxes.  Snipes' stunning fall from grace led to a three-year prison sentence.  Accordingly, there is no doubt that Wesley Snipes is on washed-up celebrity!

35 comments:

James M. Tate said...

ha, i love this site, and how SNIPES becomes his only name in this article. so great. i think White Men Can't Jump was his peak, for most people, although I thought it was awful.

Anonymous said...

Surprised you didn't mention his antics on the set of Blade: Trinity. http://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=1451

Lily said...

what about justine bateman? van damme? Suzanne Somers?

steve prefontaine said...

The ONLY thing i`ve ever really liked about Wesley Snipes is his rampaging heterosexuality, in literally EVERY other regard hes a bloody load of old rubbish (and i`m not the least bit racist).

jervaise brooke hamster said...

Just with regards to the "Blade" movies: I want to bugger Jessica Biel (as the bird was in 2000 when the bird was 18, not as the bird is now obviously).

Charlie M said...

Darkness!

Movie Fan said...

Lily, those are great suggestions.

RayRay said...

I agree, Justine Bateman is a great choice, for sure. Agt one point, she started designing hats to make money.

destroying anal said...

this guy is so black he's purple. he used to look like a prison rapist during his blade days, but now with his corny haircut and smooth face looks more like the prison bitch. perfect entry for this site. i can't help, but whip out my dick in a rage of passion to the times we used dress ms snipes in purty pink dresses and had him play parts from his classic film 'to wong fu...' while me and the boys took our turns pulverizing his rings to oblivion during his prison stay.

Anonymous said...

Snipes was the best and first of the Hollywood Jew push to get back at Whitey beating them up in high school gym bath rooms by promoting black men as the new sexy stars.
Snipes did have charisma and I liked his cutting edge interest in Asian stuff.

Nate Higgers said...

EXCELLENT! You need to crank these out more often! The wait almost hurt lol... DO PAUL REUBENS (Pee Wee Herman)!!!

Anonymous said...

I luv your blog funniest shit ever! I luved the one you did on richard greico I can't believe he is producing a show about male whores and the irony is had he been a better one he would've had more juice in the industry. You have to do one on Shelley Long she is a definite has-been she left Cheers in its height because she thought she was gonna be Olivia Newton John then got reduced to C-list tv movies had a kid got depressed and tried to kill herself. Even Kirstie Alley made a substantial comeback after replacing her on the show...hahaa
-Myra

Anonymous said...

I really enjoy it when you post names, but you must have a lot of other things going on because theis is your first in a while. I look forward to more, as do all your fans. I'd really like to see one on Edward Furlong, who deserves any criticism he gets.

Anonymous said...

This brother was so scary back in the day he gave me nightmares.

Anonymous said...

It's been three months since this posting. I hope a new one is coming soon (I'm pushing for Edward Furlong, who's loathsome as well as washed up).

Anonymous said...

movie man, you are totally pathetic and represent the worst of what freedom of expression allows us to do.

go ahead. approve my comment, moderator.

destroying anal said...

only snipes would refer to himself as an ' american legend'. how is your bottom? is it still sore from the train we pulled on you?

i remember an interview you once did that alluded to your relation with woody harrolson on the set of White Men Can't Jump. you said something along the lines of "well white men can't jump, but they sure can give reach arounds"

Anonymous said...

You need to do an entry on Lara Flynn Boyle. She has had so much bad surgery that she looks like something form Night of the Living Dead!
http://www.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2013917/rs_1024x759-131017115932-1024-lara-flynn-boyle.ls.101713_copy_2.jpg

Anonymous said...

So the guy fucked up and got himself in trouble with the government. Whether you like his movies or not he is still a working actor. How is that exactly washed up? Actors get old and can't be on top forever but can still have a respectable career. Better than being just some mean spirited asshole who kick people while they are down.

Anonymous said...

David Caruso smashed nearly his head in, on the Set of King of New York.Because Snipes predicted he would be a better Actor, than Chris Walken soon.He was talking to get Oscars and other Awards rolling in. The Brother was always a Dreamer but he woke up quite fast, after his Taxes were haunting him.And Snipes is a Fag if a woman challenges him, the only counter he knows is to beat her.In the Bighouse they made him sing at night.Someone said his flashy Karate moves kinda backfired, instead to scare them off he animated them for some action.

Anonymous said...

No postings since February. I hope the author of this blog is OK.

Movie Fan said...

^^^ I've been busy. However, I am working on an entry for Val Kilmer.

Anonymous said...

What about Olivia Hussey,Cuba Gooding jr and former child actor Brandon Hammond?

Anonymous said...

What about Michael Richards,Melissa Joan Hart,Cuba Gooding jr,Olivia Hussey,Steven Bauer and former child actor Brandon Hammond?

Anonymous said...

Burt Reynolds,Christian Slater and Mario Lopez are other great candidates for this list!..

Anonymous said...

There are a lot of other celebrities like Mario Van Peebles,Billy Zane,Emilio Estevez,Lou Diamond Philips,Freddy Prinze jr,Pam Grier,Jennifer Beals,James Russo,Robert Iler,Rebecca De Mornay and Rachel Ticotin that should be on that list.

Anonymous said...

Be careful with the finger pointing because what if they came after you!?

Anonymous said...

Wesley paid his debt to the government and society. People are too quick to condemn. Everyone deserves a right to earn a living. These bloggers are so full of hate. Everyone is entitled to redemption. We must learn to encourage each other, learn from our mistakes and misdeeds, and move forward.

Peter Piper said...

Fall from grace? You call what he did a fall from grace? What are you talking about? Millions of people (myself included) laud him as a hero in what he did. I'm eagerly awaiting his next performance on screen!

Anonymous said...

I have two grandsons that absolutely idolize Blade, one is 2 and the other is six. I wish that I could get Snipes/Blade to appear at on of their bday parties.

Unknown said...

Snap

Anonymous said...

I heard that he likes creepy butt stuff.

Terry Mcgee said...

This dork tried to use his Kung Fu skills on an O.G. Crip by the name of Cyco Loc in the Spring of 1996. "The Fan" was filming in L.A. for a few weeks, and of course a crowd of onlookers gathered outside of the set. Wesley decided to talk with the onlookers and signed a few autographs with the exception of one. Cyco Loc was refused an autograph because of the tear drop tattoo on his face. Wesley knew what the tattoo represented. (A tear drop tat means that you killed someone!) Anyway, so Cyco Loc grabs Wesley by his arm. Wesley makes an attempt to kick Cyco Loc in his face, but Cyco is too quick! He grabs Wesley's leg and punches Wesley in his nuts. To make a long story short, Wesley fell to the ground and Cyco Loc took an autographed photo from one of the other onlookers without a fight. Wesley you should have signed Cyco-Loc's blue bandana like he asked you to!

Anonymous said...

Val Kilmer is retired, brah. He hangs out with hot booty and drinks good drinks, brah. Be like Val, brah.

Anonymous said...

I know you're not supposed to believe everything you read online, including here, or anywhere else for that matter. Yet, these stories seem to agree with each other - the man has/had a pretty inflated view of himself.

I'm not entirely surprised, when you look at some older interviews.

I could care less what his reasons are, arrogance is laughably annoying.
I'm glad he was caught for tax evasion and hope he never lands a lucrative role for the rest of his arrogant life.