You read that headline right. According to an article I read, Wesley Snipes was on the short list in 1987 to play the role of Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation, the role that eventually went to LaVar Burton. Was Snipes really being considered? Not sure. Even the article questions the authenticity of the report. But it does make for an interesting 'what if.'
According to Snipes' IMDB page, he would have been very available in 1987, playing bit characters on shows like Miami Vice. He didn't get his big break playing Willie Mays Hayes in Major League until 1989.
His career took off after that, with titles like New Jack City (1991), White Men Can't Jump (1992) and Passenger 57 (1992) quickly making him a household name. If I had to pick a favorite Snipes movie, it would probably be Blade (1998), though I think I've liked every Snipes movie I've ever seen (though I haven't watched most of his films). He has really dropped off the planet since 2004's Blade: Trinity, but at one point during the 1990s, this guy was one of the biggest stars.
But imagine if he had been cast as Geordi La Forge and made his career on the starship Enterprise. He may have become rich and famous, but now he would be doing Star Trek conventions and voicing cartoons. Very interesting.
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