“My personality is very eclectic, very international, very very open,” Wesley Snipes intones in his quick, deep drawl as he contemplates his role as a black role-model in Hollywood. “I’ve studied not only different martial arts styles from all over the world, but acting styles from all over the world …. I think my work kind of reflects that, and I think I gravitate towards that. I want [black actors] to be respected on the world stage for being quality craftsman.”
The actor, along with his “Blade II” co-star Luke Goss, spoke with The Daily while foregoing the usual press junket for a more informal “club tour” stop in Detroit. Snipes returns as the title half-human/half-vampire in the surprise 1998 comic-book inspired CGI blood-fest. “This movie is scarier,” Snipes promises. “This film is more loose, and we brought back some of the same pop culture references: The look, the style, some of the same actors and characters. Blade is a little bit more relaxed in this one.”
“In keeping with the comic book tradition, which is episodic, we though, wow, we should do some things in the movie that would lend themselves to a second,” said Snipes, though he assures that the film is more than just chance to cash in on the success of the first film. “I think this film is fantastic and I hope that not only it does better this time than the first one but also keeps the audience anticipating a third.” At the mention of anchoring a franchise, Snipes smiles. “I’ve seen it work for Mel (Gibson) and Danny (Glover). It did very good, so I don’t mind learning from some guys that are wiser than me.”
Goss, a British stage vet and former member of the pop duo Bros, adjusted his intense style to incorporate the thick latex make-up that turned him into virulent bloodsucker Nomak. “The one thing I asked the director was to make sure that [there weren’t] any frowns or anything sculpted into it,” Goss said. “I wanted it in complete repose so that anything that the character needed I could bring to it.” After assimilating with the costume, Goss used the hideous fa