How much is Wesley Snipes worth?
| Net Worth: | $9 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Actor |
| Date of Birth: | July 31, 1962 (age 60) |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.75 m) |
About Wesley Snipes
He first began acting in 1985 and rose to prominence with roles in some of the classic movies from the 1990s. His first major role was in the 1991 movie New Jack City, which was soon followed by leading roles in White Men Can’t Jump, Passenger 57, Demolition Man, and US Marshals.
To this day, Snipes is mostly known for reprising the role of Blade in the Marvel Comics-inspired Blade film trilogy (from 1998 to 2004). At the peak of his career, he formed his own production company titled Amen-Ra Films. Since his rise in Hollywood, Snipes became prosperous in both acting, producing, and directing. In addition to that, he is also a noteworthy mixed martial artist.
He was born in Orlando, Florida on July 31, 1962. His father was an aircraft engineer and his mother was a teacher’s assistance. Growing up in Bronx, New York, he attended the High School of Performing Arts for some time. Eventually, his family moved back to Florida and he graduated from the Jones High School. Shortly after, he returned to New York where he attended the State University of New York at Purchase. When he was 23 and while he was performing in a competition, Wesley was discovered by an agent who offered him a role in the 1986 sports comedy Wildcats.
Besides making his film debut, he also appeared on his first television series – Miami Vice (on an episode that aired on December 5). The following year, he received an opportunity to work with the pop superstar Michael Jackson and portray his nemesis in the music video Bad, which was directed by Martin Scorsese.
The actor became rich in the late 1980s, some 8 years after he started acting professionally. Thanks to his performance in Michael Jackson’s video, he was contacted by director Spike Lee who offered him a role in his movie Do The Right Thing. Snipes turned down the offer and instead, starred in Major League which marked his beginning of a succession of box-office hits. A few months later, in early 1990, Snipes did work with the director for the film Mo Better Blues.
The success of Wesley Snipes came in 1998 after he landed the role of Eric Brooks in the film, Blade. He also served as director and fight choreographer. The film earned $131.2 million in the box-office, which in 2022 is equal to $226.3 million adjusted for inflation.
Blade was such a success in fact led that it led to the creation of two sequels. Wesley reprised the role in both sequels, Blade II released in 2002 and Blade: Trinity released 2004. The films earned $155 million and $132 million respectively. Inflation adjusted as, Blade II $242.3 million in 2022 dollars, and Blade: Trinity $206.3 million in 2022 dollars. They also received more positive reviews from the critics and media and helped elevate Wesley Snipes’ career to new heights.
Ever since the trilogy, Snipes has gained not only popularity but wealth as well. Throughout the early years of the 21st century, he continued to act and direct in various movies such as Undisputed, Unstoppable, The Marksman, and Brooklyn’s Finest.
What helped the actor become rich were his roles in some of the classic 1990s films, starting with New Jack City. The film amassed $47.6 million in the box office and elevated the actor’s career. The other movies that helped him make millions are Passenger 57, Demolition Man, Money Train, US Marshals, and Rising Sun among many others. Thanks to his performance in the 1997 drama One Night Stand, Snipes received one of his first major achievements – “Volpi Cup for Best Actor” during the 54th edition of the “Venice Film Festival”.
On April 24, 2008, Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison for willful failure to file federal income tax returns. He has said, “nobody wants to get locked up, although ‘locked up’ is a matter of perspective. There can be people who are out who are in prison mentally and emotionally and worse off than those who are behind bars.”
He served a little over 2 years in prison and in the last few years has appeared in movies like Dolemite Is My Name in 2019 and Cut Throat City in 2020, and in True Story in 2021.
Most of the films that he starred in since the 1990s have eventually become box-office hits. Apart from the films, he also had several appearances in television films and series, most notably in H.E.L.P, America’s Dream, Happily Ever After, and Futuresport. Even now, the actor continues to shine and perform mostly in actions and comedies such as “The Expendables 3”, “The Player”, and “Coming 2 America”.
Summing-Up
Wesley Snipes is mostly known for his symbolic role as the half-vampire “daywalker” that hunts vampires in Blade but he starred in many other productions. He’s won multiple awards for working as a villain and has immensely found success in different projects, especially the action-packed and horror films.
