Inside Wesley Snipes And Woody Harrelson's Friendship Over The Last 30 Years
It's been a while since Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson made a movie together, but it's safe to say this is one friendship that has stood the test of time.
Moviegoers got their first taste of Snipes' and Harrelson's dynamic back in 1986, when they co-starred in "Wildcats." Speaking to Entertainment Weekly of their time together on set, Harrelson revealed that he'd been blown away by Snipes' agility. "He would stand there in his football gear and do Shakespeare ... It would just blow me away," he gushed. In light of that, Harrelson put in a good word for his former colleague during casting for the second movie they'd do together, "White Men Can't Jump." Snipes was happy to reciprocate — though unfortunately, that meant another Hollywood fave ended up in the crossfire.
When the "Blade" actor realized director Ron Shelton was gunning for Keanu Reeves (AKA the man rumored to be one of the nicest people in Hollywood), he decided drastic action needed to be taken. And just like that, he opted to sabotage his would-be co-star."[Reeves] would improvise and say something where there would be a natural response from me, and I just left him out there like dirty laundry," Snipes admitted. Sabotaging Hollywood's sweetheart is no mean feat, so if anything, that gives us a taste of just how determined Snipes was to work with Harrelson a second time — but what more do we know about their friendship over the years?
Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes' banter is the real deal
One of the most memorable aspects of "White Men Can't Jump" was the seemingly never-ending barrage of banter between Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. However, while they told Entertainment Weekly they put a lot of hard work into the constant chirps, it's not too far off from their IRL dynamic.
As reported by the outlet back in 1992, the two began their Entertainment Weekly interview with a slew of verbal jabs at each other, with Harrelson asking to borrow Snipes' hat to try hide his "disheveled," hangover-induced appearance. Snipes' response? Said "disheveledness" was par for the course for him. While it might be said that the two actors, doing press at the time for "White Men Can't Jump," were merely tapping into their on-screen personas, it's worth noting that over the years, the wisecracks haven't stopped — and Snipes is still not a fan of Harrelson's signature look.
On The Drew Barrymore Show, fellow "White Men Can't Jump" alum Rosie Perez revealed that when she asked Snipes what he thought Harrelson would wear to present the 2022 Academy Award for Best Cinematography, he was less than complimentary. "He goes, 'He's gonna look like a hot mess,'" she shared. Not one afraid to say to Harrelson's face, upon seeing his all-black ensemble, Perez shared that he quipped, "You just look like an undertaker at the Oscars, but you're good!"
They've also stuck together through the tough times
Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson might be known for their constant ragging on each other, but don't be fooled. As much as these two goad each other on, there's real love there.
Nowhere was that clearer than in 2008, when Harrelson addressed Snipes' then-impending jail time for tax evasion. Speaking to MTV, he said, "He'll always be a brother. I don't want to have to go talk to him through glass on the phone." Harrelson was also one of several actors who wrote a character reference for his co-star. In his letter to the judge, Harrelson mentioned that Snipes, "Continues to encourage and challenge me to be the best man I can be by being a constant friend," (via The Smoking Gun). He also lauded his friends' commitment to his family, social justice, and "Healthy debate." Unfortunately, Snipes ultimately spent two and a half years behind bars (via The Guardian).
As for Snipes' love for Harrelson, post-jail, last year, the actor told Uproxx that he would jump at the chance to work together again. "We are both open for that and hungry for that reunion," he shared. Snipes also pointed out that 30 years on, they'd both had ample opportunities to fine-tune their abilities. "I think we're better actors now ... So it would be quite fun what we could do, quite interesting. Quite interesting," he mused.