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Who Is Wesley Snipes?
Wesley Snipes is a famous American actor, film producer, director, author, and martial artist. He is best known for his roles in the movies Blade Trilogy, Demolition Man, Passenger 57, White Men Can’t Jump, and New Jack City.
Furthermore, he founded Amen-Ra Films, a production company in 1991. Since he was 12, he was trained in martial arts, achieving a 2nd dan black belt in Hapkido and 5th dan black belt in Shotokan Karate.
Personal Details
- Celebrity Name: Wesley Snipes
- Full Name: Wesley Trent Snipes
- Gender: Male
- Birth Date: July 31, 1962
- Birth Place: Orlando, Florida, US
- Age: 57
- Height: 1.75m
- Weight: 82 kilos
- Nationality: American
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Status: Married
- Wife: April Dubois, married 1985-1990; Nakyung Park, married since 2003
- Children: Alimayu Moa-T Snipes, Iset Jua-T Snipes, Alaafia Jehu-T Snipes, Akhenaten Kihwa-T Snipes, Jelani Asar Snipes
- Profession: American author, martial artist, director, actor, and film producer
- Net Worth: $12 million
Early Life
On July 31, 1962, Wesley Trent Snipes was born in Orlando, Florida, to parents Wesley Rudolph Snipes and Marian Snipes. His father was an aircraft engineer while his mother was a teacher’s assistant. He spent most of his early years in the Bronx, New York.
He went to the High School of Performing Arts of Fiorello H. LaGuardia, but before he could graduate, he went back to Orlando. There, he attended the Jones High School, where he completed his education. In college, he moved back to New York and went to the State University of New York. To add, he also went to Southwest College located in Los Angeles, California.
Personal Life
At the young age of 12, Wesley already began training in martial arts. He is trained in Shotokan Karate, Hapkido, Capoeira, kickboxing, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Wesley was married twice in his life. His first marriage was to April Dubois and they have a son together named Jelani. They got divorced in 1990 after being together for five years.
His second marriage was to Nakyung Park in 2003 and have been together ever since. They have four children together named Akhenaten, Alaafia, Iset, and Alimayu.
Although raised as a Christian, Wesley converted to Islam in 1978. However, he left it after ten years.
Career
He was 23 years old when he was discovered while participating in a competition. His first featured film was Wildcats, which was released in 1986. In that same year, he also starred in the TV show, Miami Vice. In 1987, he was included in Michael Jackson’s music video, Bad, which caught the attention of Spike Lee. As a result, he landed many projects including Major League, Mo’ Better Blues, Jungle Fever, King of New York, New Jack City, and Sugar Hill.
Action movies that Snipes played prominent roles include Demolition Man, Passenger 57, The Fan, Money Train, Rising Sun, and U.S. Marshalls.
He also starred in comedy films, such as Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, To Wong Foo, and White Men Can’t Jump. Furthermore, he also played roles in drama movies, such as Disappearing Acts and Waterdance.
His later movies include the Blade Trilogy, The Contractor, Gallowwalkers, Game of Death, Brooklyn’s Finest, The Expendables 3, and Dolemite Is My Name.
Awards and Achievements
In 1997, Wesley Snipes won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his role in One Night Stand. He also earned an honorary doctorate and a spot in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Other awards he won include CableAce Awards, Image Awards, and MTV Movie Awards.
Total Net Worth 2020
How much is Wesley Snipes’ net worth? It believed that he has earned about $12 million in his total career. The majority of his fortune came from his various movies. As a martial artist, he has also earned by choreographing action scenes in films. Apart from that, he receives a lot of money from his production company, Amen-Ra. Aside from that, he has a company of the same name that trains bodyguards who work for VIPs, law enforcement, and other prominent people.
