Though notable action star and general smooth operator Wesley Snipes may be best known as the infamous "Daywalker" of the "Blade" trilogy, since his recent charge of tax evasion, the Daily will hazard to guess that he'll be avoiding daylight for a long time - on U.S. soil, that is - at least until he cleans out his Swiss bank account. Snipes, currently of whereabouts unknown, may face something close to 40 years in the slammer for slighting Uncle Sam. As a tribute to his (now presumably) truncated career, we present his ten great oeuvres, and their accompanying financial woes.
10.) "Major League" (1989) - In the movie, we see the team star in a credit card commercial where Snipes as Hayes says, "American Express, don't steal home without it." What we don't see is Snipes running up a huge debt at the overpriced convenience stands. By the end of filming he was stealing home - and selling it to sports memorabilia collectors.
9.) "Rising Sun" (1993) - This controversial international murder mystery touched on Japanese takeovers of American businesses. After seeing the effects of ruthless buyouts by Japanese companies in the film, Snipes thought it was his duty as an American icon to invest in American businesses. Unfortunately, the business he chose was Enron.
8.) "Wildcats" (1986) - In his first major role as Truimane alongside Goldie Hawn as a replacement football coach, Snipes felt understandable pressure to be a part of the group and give a little back. What he didn't know is that contributing to Hawn's plastic surgery fund is a lifetime financial commitment.
7.) "Demolition Man" (1993) - For his role opposite Stallone in this futuristic manhunt between a present-day cop and old-time robber unfrozen in the future, Snipes insisted that to fully understand his character he, too, would have to be cryogenically frozen. He booked himself an appointment on the studio's behalf, but upon showing up, was refused on the grounds that he was still alive. The studio was still charged, and they took it out of his paycheck.
6.) Michael Jackson's "Bad" Video (1987) - After his involvement in the video, Snipes figured he was way too bad for the IRS. Unfortunately, scandals at the Neverland Ranch called all sorts of things into question, from Michael Jackson's interest in Macaulay Culkin to Snipe's peculiar tax reports.
5.) "Passenger 57" (1992) - In this blockbuster, Snipes is an ex-cop on a hijacked plane who comes through in the clutch to save the day. On screen, he and actor Bruce Payne were mortal enemies, but off screen, they became close friends - so close that Snipes agreed to loan Payne a substantial amount of cash, with the understanding that Payne's blossoming career would more than enable the actor to hit Wes back. Slight miscalculation.
4.) "To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar" (1995) - Wesley and best gal pals Patrick Swayze and John Leguizamo cross-dress for a cross-country trek in this classic you-go-girl/boy tale. Inspired by that trip, the three decided to drive from Hollywood to Moscow all on Snipes' dime. And, uh, you know, the boys would pay him back right now, but they left their wallets in their other spandex mini-dresseses.
3.) "Blade: Trinity" (2004) - There is only one thing scarier than the IRS screaming about tax evasion, and that's the FBI. By the third 'Blade' film, even the fictional fuzz was chasing Snipes down, and he was starting to lose his grip on reality. After fleeing the scene of filming, he spent thousands on elaborate hiding places to preserve himself and the other Nightstalkers. This, not to mention the psychiatrist's bills, put Wesley further into financial ruin.
2.) "Blade II" (2002) - Playing a vampire hunter really got Snipes into Halloween costumes. After spending loads on dressing up his two children in ornate, matching vampire hunter costumes to make it a family affair, Snipes had to resort to trick-or-treating himself and requesting cash only.
1.) "Blade" (1998) - Let's be honest here. Looking that good isn't free - and you've got to look good if you're battling vampires. In reality, Wesley deserves a break. If it wasn't for him and good ole Whistler, La Magra (the Blood God, of course) would be upon us "human cattle," and the last thing the IRS would be crying about would be tax evasion.
-Daily Arts Staff
