Wesley Snipes first burst onto the scene in with a pair of sports flicks that, while poorly received, showcased his natural athleticism and charisma -- strengths that Snipes would depend on throughout his career. He also benefitted from working closely with up and coming talent, a future studio head, and an Oscar-winning director right from the start. His first role, as an unruly football player opposite comedic mainstay Goldie Hawn in 1986's Wildcats, was also the first of three on-screen pairings with up-and-coming Cheers star Woody Harrelson. Later that year Snipes did push-ups opposite Heroes' Adrian Pasdar as an aspiring boxer in Streets of Gold, which was also the directorial debut of future studio exec Joe Roth.

One year and one line of dialogue in a Michael Jackson music video later, Snipes was attracting even more attention from Hollywood. (He appeared in the extended version of "Bad," directed by Martin Scorsese, playing a rival gang leader who MJ inexplicably dances into submission.) Opting out of a role in Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing, Snipes went for his first big mainstream role -- again as a star athlete -- as the speedy, base-stealing Willie Mays Hayes in 1989's Major League. The baseball comedy gave Snipes a much-needed boost, and at 86 percent on the Tomatometer, became his best-reviewed film to date.