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March 15, 2002
By
Veronica Mixon
Wesley Snipes returns to the big screen as the
half-vampire warrior in Blade II. The 39-year-old
actor who first rose to fame as the charismatic
New York drug lord in King of New York
has delighted male fans in a steady stream of
action films like Art of War and US
Marshals and tantalized female fans in romantic
movies like Waiting to Exhale, One Night
Stand and Mo' Better Blues. He has
even surprised audiences playing a transvestite
in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie
Newmar.
Snipes was born in Orlando, Florida and grew
up in the South Bronx, New York. After attending
the prestigious High School of Performing Arts,
he dove into movies. Dressed in all black including
a sleek leather jacket, Snipes talked to me about
his work and his philosophy while relaxing at
luxurious New York hotel.
THE INTERVIEW
What took so long to get Blade II on screen?
Well, I work a lot. I was staying in shape, training.
And I was focusing on my film company, Amen Ra
Films. I was also doing a couple of dramatic features
in between (the Blade films). It just took time.
I'm glad we're here, though. With three years
to make it better, it had better be better. Did
you have a hand in script? David (Goyer) and I
worked pretty closely on the script. I tried to
bring all of that classic theater, drama dynamic
to it, like the idea of having a team. It was
David's idea to take the vampires and the Blood
pack and make them enemies. Then we tried to flesh
it all out, keep all the Blade-isms, keep the
world that's been established consistent and keep
the integrity of that world uncompromised. And
then we tried to add a little new flavor in there,
things that were visually interesting or funny
or maybe things that people might want to see,
like the whole interest.
What do you think is so intriguing about vampires?
They're enhanced human beings. They play by their
own rules. They have their own laws. They're sexy
and rich and powerful and hypnotic, all of the
things that none of us are and really wish we
could be. And they live forever - until Blade
comes and cuts that short.
Did you do your own stunts?
About 85 percent of it is all me. We interchanged
the double when it was economical. Sometimes my
falling on the floor for five takes was not very
economical. I could be doing something else. And
then you'd start running the risk of injuries
for something so minor. But when it was time to
get into all of the major stuff it was yours truly.
Did you have conversations with Guillermo
about protecting Blade's image?
Quite often. For instance, the original script
had Blade doing these long soliloquies. It was
like, `Well, Wesley is the movie and that's our
money. He has to act and we need him on camera,
in close-up!' So they had pages and pages of dialogue
that Blade comes up with the revelation. I was
like, `my man, Blade's a hand man. He's not into
the blah-blah-blah.' Those were direct conversations
with Guillermo. Guillermo's not really an action
guy. He's thinking, `OK, it's going to be a scary
movie and we're going to have all these monsters,
but we've still got to keep our Blade hero in
a Hollywood action movie. OK, we'll have all the
suspense, the horror and the puppets, but let's
give Blade all the dialogue.' So, Guillermo and
I made a deal. It was almost like a blood pack.
My world is the action world and I know this character
very well. I know what we've established and I
know what people on the street are expecting to
see as far as this movie. And his world is the
science fiction, the animation and the puppets
and the CGI, all of that other kind of stuff.
'I'll defer to you in what you do best and vice
verser.' Guillermo was, `All right.' Blade
II is scarier. After I saw Mimic, which
I was already a fan of, I thought, `Wow, this
guy knows how to create suspense and he can bring
the horror element.' That was something we wanted
to elevate in Blade II from what we did in Blade
that wasn't as scary. It wasn't so much in the
tradition of a vampire movie. It was much more
pop. Interestingly enough, there were a lot of
fans of the comic book that felt the movie didn't
live up to the vampire side of it because it didn't
have all the scary moments and the tension. I
kept that email.
Were you thinking about sequel after "Blade"?
I'll be honest. We were very hopeful. You can
imagine that I was hopeful. I've seen the sequel
and the franchise thing work for a number of my
friends and I said that's what I need to be doing.
But the idea of getting an opportunity like this,
you couldn't pass it up. And, then when you look
at comic books, they're episodic anyway. So we
had a lot of faith in the material. And David
Goyer, he was really hoping for that second shot
at it.
Blade III?
We're already talking about it. We're trying
to put together a story and ink the paper right
now.
What's different about Blade this time around?
He was more relaxed. He's more comfortable with
himself now. He appreciates his biracial nature.
`It's all-good. I've got vampire blood.' So we
opened him up from the first one. In the first
one he was a little tight, a little stiff. We
were trying something new.
What did you like about filming in Prague?
The look. Prague is beautiful. It's modern and
it's very old at the same time. It's electronic
but it's also gothic. There are a lot of people
who walk around there and they look like they're
real vampires. It's also cost effective.
Did you develop a personal style of martial
arts to include sword?
Luke Goss said he had to be focused in scenes
with you. [Laughs] We took good care of Luke.
We did a lot of different variations. In the first
one, I did very little sword work except towards
the end. And, then you didn't see the artistry
of it. So now we do weapons and then do a style
that reflects Blade's emotional state. So at the
beginning of the film, he's much more realized,
playful and he doesn't mind seeing what the little
guy's going to bring to the fight. Then, as he
gets more emotional involved, as the movies progress,
he throws all the fancy stuff out of the window
and let's get down to the real nitty gritty. And,
that's the way we choreographed the fight scenes.
How many movies have you made in Harlem?
I'm always in Harlem. I'm at home in Harlem -
more so than Bill Clinton. [Laughs] I know my
man says he's at home too but I'm going to the
hip-hop days. We filmed New Jack City,
Sugar Hill and the Bad video there
in Harlem. That was a wild experience. Mike doesn't
hang out very often in Harlem! [Laughs] I remember
Mike and Mike, man you know I love you but we
were walking down the street and he said [imitates
Michael Jackson's voice] 'Are you scared?' I looked
at him. He said, 'But everybody is calling our
names.' But you're Michael Jackson!
You've made a lot of sports movies - football,
baseball, basketball and now boxing. What's left?
I guess its hockey. The golf thing is real rough.
You can't fake that. If you don't have that swing
and it shows. Matter fact, I tried to do a little
bit of golfing in "The Fan" in the beginning
and all the golfers were like 'Don't do that!
Don't do that!' It's like bad actors that don't
smoke and they look terrible smoking. So I'm going
to leave all of the golf stuff alone.
What's next?
Undispute-the boxing film - is coming
out in October with Ving Rhames and Walter Hill
directs that. Liberty Stand Still - a political
thriller and it's coming out sometime this year.
Then in Zig Zag, I play a crack head; an
abusive daddy and I look terrible too. The sisters
- the women won't be feeling my love. [Laughs]
Controversy has always followed you.
When you do martial arts, are you taking out
your aggressions?
You know sometimes you're right. It's amazing.
I guess when you're that bright and your energy
is that strong and your spiritually guided like
that, there always has to be some dig. There's
always some ying and some yang. It goes with the
territory. So, I vent all of my frustrations and
anger in my work. I keep it safe like that and
I keep working.
Do you prefer action or dramatic roles?
I always flip it back and forth. Dramatic roles
give me more of an emotional massage and tax the
emotions, and the action roles tax the physical
body. So, what I try to do if I've done a film
that I've done a more physical energy then the
next film, I'd rather be in a more emotional base
because I have that in reserve. I get all of that
emotional stuff out and then go back and a physical
film.
Have you found film producing fulfilling?
Immeasurably. There's nothing like being in a
film and you're walking down the street and people
go, 'Yo Wes that film you did was whack! Aw that
was terrible! How'd you do that?' And, they don't
know the process and how little influence that
actors have on the final result of the film. Many
times we see it that first night and 'Wow! I didn't
know that was the movie we were making. Is that
what it was about?' So, having the producing hat
gives you that control over having some say over
every aspect of it and at the end of the day,
if it works, great! You can reap the rewards justifiably.
And if it doesn't you can take all the pain, justifiably.
I'll accept that. I don't like that middle ground.
What scares you about women?
[Laughs] That they are smarter! That they are
stronger, they're powerful. There are a whole
lot of them - more of them than us! And, I just
can't seem to get the jones off of me! I love
them so much! Good lord! I'm addicted to them!
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