ANTOINE FUQUA - FUQUA FOUGHT TO KEEP SNIPES EMPLOYED

FUQUA FOUGHT TO KEEP SNIPES EMPLOYED

Director ANTOINE FUQUA was determined to cast troubled actor WESLEY SNIPES in his forthcoming movie BROOKLYN'S FINEST - because he insists the NEW JACK CITY star deserves as many chances as former drug addict ROBERT DOWNEY JR. had. The black Training Day filmmaker cast Snipes alongside Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke and Richard Gere in the gritty new cop film.
Fuqua was adamant he kept Snipes on board the project, even when he went on trial for tax evasion last year (08) - maintaining that all stars, regardless of their race, should get the same treatment as Iron Man star Downey Jr., who resurrected his Hollywood career after battling numerous legal and drug issues between 1996 and 2001.
The director tells Vibe magazine, "Robert Downey Jr. got how many chances? (Snipes) is a really talented cat that has gotten s**tted (sic) on. I just feel like when it comes to us, there's a different standard."
Snipes was subsequently found guilty of failing to file taxes for five years and was sentenced to three years behind bars - a ruling he is currently appealing.