Though Wesley Snipes earned much acclamation from audiences worldwide with his role as Nino Brown in New Jack City in 1991, the one who initially opened the door for him to walk through to stardom was the late musician, Michael Jackson. Had it not been for his guest appearance in the late singer’s superhit video of Bad, Snipes might not have earned his fame this early in his career.
Yet, what’s even more surprising than this is how Wesley Snipes ended up bagging the spot in the legend’s music video. By copying Robert de Niro, the Blade actor not only got a major role in the Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese-directed clip but also earned the chance to be Jackson’s bodyguard while he was in Harlem!
Robert de Niro Helped Wesley Snipes Nab A Guest Spot On Bad Music Video
Michael Jackson was already an established and one of the most renowned musicians in the world by the time Wesley Snipes had only just entered the entertainment industry. Thus, he needed the role while auditioning for the late singer’s Bad music video, and Robert de Niro helped him with that.
Explaining in an interview with ABC News, Snipes shared how the Goodfellas star helped him.
“I knew that [Martin] Scorsese and [Robert] De Niro had a relationship,” Snipes said. “De Niro had a number of films with Scorsese. I could sense that Scorsese liked a particular tone and style of acting, so I chose to do my audition in that style and tone, and that’s how I think I got the role.”
Just like that, the Passenger 57 star got on Martin Scorsese‘s good side and ended up winning a role in the superhit music video. Continuing, he shared his experience of working with the legendary musician.
“To be around a master of the art form like that, to have the opportunity to sit and learn and watch his process was amazing, life-changing, artistically life-changing,” Snipes confided.
But learning wasn’t the only thing that Wesley Snipes got to do throughout the time he got to hang around Jackson.
Wesley Snipes Went From A Guest Actor To Michael Jackson’s Bodyguard in Harlem
As shared by Wesley Snipes in another interview with GQ, the Demolition Man star also got the chance to be the late beloved singer’s bodyguard throughout the time they were in Harlem to shoot the music video.
“I think Michael was a little scared being in Harlem,” Snipes recalled. “I think he hadn’t been there since he was at the Apollo.”
The reason behind the residents resenting Michael Jackson was because they felt that the singer had abandoned the black community. This resulted in some of them shouting profanities every time they saw the musician from across the street, just to intimidate him.
“They felt detached from Michael,” Snipes said. “They felt as though Michael had moved from the black community. And he turned to me, and he says, ‘Are you scared?’ I was like, ‘What? Scared of what?’ ‘You know, the people and everything. Aren’t you scared of them?’ I was like, ‘Nah, Mike. I grew up here. This is all good. Are you scared?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, a little.’”
Continuing, Wesley Snipes revealed how he tried to calm Jackson down.
“Well, we held hands,” Snipes remarked. “We were holding hands walking down the street. I was like, ‘Hang in there, Michael. Don’t worry about it, brother – I got you.’ I went from being the actor in the scene with him to bodyguarding him.”
Just like that, the Blade star went from an actor looking for a breakout role to one of the most famous singers of all time aka Michael Jackson’s own bodyguard during his stay in Harlem.
