Wesley Snipes has had a prolific career, starting in the 1986 film Wildcats and the rest is history. He's starred in action films, dramas, and comedies. His star began to rise in the '80s with some classics before really blowing up in the following years with some of Hollywood's biggest hits. Whether it's been in a supporting role or as a full-fledged action star, Snipes has a varied career filled with some iconic roles.

Despite some personal setbacks dealing with the law, Snipes continued to star in some solid movies. Whether he's playing an athlete, a criminal, or a superhero, Snipes brought his best to these roles. There are plenty of movies to choose from his extensive filmography, but these are the ten best.

Updated on May 23, 2023: If you enjoy Wesley Snipes movies, you're in luck. This article has been updated with additional content by Katie Downey.

10 Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

Eddie Murphy in 2019's Dolemite is my Name
Netflix

Snipes largely committed himself to more dramatic leading roles, but his supporting role in Dolemite Is My Name is by far one of his best and funniest. The film told the story of the controversial Rudy Ray Moore, played by Eddie Murphy, and his attempt to finish his film, Dolomite (1975), the Kung-Fu-themed Blaxploitation film.

Related: The Best Wesley Snipes Action Movies, Ranked

Snipes plays the unwilling director, D'urville Martin, a man who wants nothing to do with the very low-budget Dolemite, especially since he is disgusted with Moore's lack of martial arts knowledge and believes the film to be a complete waste of time that will inevitably result in no one wanting to go see the final draft. Snipes and Murphy are no strangers to playing roles alongside each other and are two of the greatest actors out there, having really captured the '80s film market. Snipes added something special to an already impressive cast and displayed his underrated comedic chops.

9 To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)

To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar
Universal Pictures

Easily his most surprising role, To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar featured Snipes in a memorable turn as a drag queen, Noxeema Jackson. The movie followed Snipes on a cross-country road trip with fellow drag performers played by Patrick Swayze and John Leguizamo.

At this point in his career, Snipes had mostly starred in action films, so it was a welcome surprise to see him portray a drag queen in this comedy, especially given his hilarious co-workers. Even RuPaul took part in this goofy film.

8 King of New York (1990)

Laurence Fishburne in King of New York
New Line Cinema

King of New York sported an all-star cast that included Snipes facing off against the criminal empire of Frank White, played by the marvelous Christopher Walken.

Snipes took on a supporting role as detective Thomas Flanagan in this gritty crime drama. In it, he joins a group of detectives who plot to take down the seemingly altruistic yet sadistic drug kingpin, White, and his vast criminal syndicate upon White's release from prison. If you are a big Snipes fan, you are familiar with his dramatic gritty cop roles.

7 New Jack City (1991)

Wesley Snipes New Jack City (1)
Warner Bros.

Few films depicted the crack epidemic in such a violent fashion as New Jack City, which is based on the Detroit gang, The Chambers Brothers. The film stars Wesley Snipes as drug kingpin Nino Brown, a character that proved to be one of his most iconic. Snipes was in many cop/crime movies and this is one where he was the bad guy. While the movie has its fair share of over-the-top action, the drama between Snipes and Ice-T as the vengeful detective Scotty Appleton established it as a classic.

6 Demolition Man (1993)

Demolition Man
Warner Bros.

This was one of the greatest crime dramas of the '90s and had a talented lineup of actors, both male and female. Sylvester Stallone has fought some memorable villains throughout his film career, but none were as crazy as Simon Phoenix in Demolition Man.

Alongside Sandra Bullock and Denis Leary, Snipes did a spectacular job of getting into character in another of his villain roles. Snipes clearly had a blast portraying the zany, blonde-haired terrorist. The one-liners were plenty and Snipes ate them all up. While fans will never know how exactly those two seashells worked, they do know that Simon Phoenix is one captivating villain.

5 U.S. Marshals (1998)

U.S. Marshals
Warner Bros.

Another fantastic crime drama with an even better lineup of actors in lead roles was U.S. Marshals. This sequel to the 1993 film, The Fugitive didn't stray too far from the original film's plot and made for an action-packed second installment of an already fantastic movie. This time around, Tommy Lee Jones faced off against yet another wrongly accused fugitive on the run, played by Snipes.

Robert Downey, Jr., Joe Pantoliano, Daniel Roebuck, Tom Wood, and LaTanya Richardson also star in this crime film, which several played Deputy Marshals in The Fugitive, as well. While the movie wasn't as critically acclaimed as The Fugitive it was still a massive hit for Snipes who continued to shine as an action star.

4 Major League (1989)

Major League
Paramount Pictures

In the pantheon of sports movies, Major League is one of the very best. It was so successful that it birthed two sequels, Major League II and Major League: Back to the Minors. One of the reasons for its success was the charismatic presence of Snipes as Willie Mays Hayes.

This comedic-themed sports classic told the story of the lowly Cleveland Indians, who attempt to get through the grueling baseball season with a ragtag group of has-beens and a team owner who inherited the team from her deceased husband and wants nothing more than for them to lose, resulting in a low attendance of the games, inevitably so she could move the team to Miami under a clause on the contract. Snipes impresses as the cocky Willie Mays Hayes along with his aging teammates.

3 Passenger 57 (1992)

Wesley Snipes in Passenger 57
Warner Bros.

The '90s saw plenty of Die Hard wannabes. Every other action movie seemed to have included a one-man army facing insurmountable odds in a specific location. One of the most memorable however was Passenger 57. Essentially Die Hard on a plane, Passenger 57 featured Snipes who is left with no other choice than to be on a one-man mission to defeat the terrorists who have taken over the plane he just happened to be on. The flight holds a captured terrorist that the others will stop at nothing to help free. This was one of Snipes' best heroic roles. The film also featured one of Snipes' most memorable lines, "Always bet on black."

Related: The Blade Trilogy: Tradition vs Modernism

2 White Men Can't Jump (1992)

White Men Can't Jump
20th Century Fox

Snipes had great chemistry with most of his costars but none as great as what he had with Woody Harrelson. The duo first acted together in Wildcats before starring in this classic, White Men Can't Jump. The movie features Snipes and Harrelson as basketball-playing hustlers out for a big score, all while dodging gangsters looking for money that's owed to them. This movie received rave reviews and has gone down as one of those movies not easily forgotten or rebooted. There is no comparison to Harrelson's and Snipes' acting and charisma.

1 Blade (1998)

Blade Wesley Snipes
New Line Cinema

Before the MCU was even an idea, there was New Line Cinema's Blade, a superhero horror film. In a time when comic book films were a rarity, Blade actually succeeded in bringing about the first major Marvel character to have a successful film adaptation.

Snipes plays Blade, a vampire hunter with vampiric abilities of his own. After his pregnant mother is attacked by a vampire, forcing her to go into premature labor before she dies, Blade is born. He is a dhampir, which means having vampire strengths but none of their weaknesses, rendering him the perfect savior for those trying to escape the vampire crime and murder. Blade became a massive hit that led to two more films, Blade II and Blade Trinity.