Wesley Snipes stole Prince's part in Michael Jackson's 'Bad' video

Stephen Proctor

Wesley Snipes dropped by Conan where he talked about stealing a part from the late great Prince all the way back in 1987. The part was for the role of lead gangster in the video for Michael Jackson’s 1987 hit “Bad.”

Wesley Snipes in Michael Jackson’s video for “Bad.” (Photo: Epic Records/Quincy Jones Productions)
Wesley Snipes in Michael Jackson’s video for “Bad.” (Photo: Epic Records/Quincy Jones Productions)

Jackson needed actors for the video because it wasn’t all about singing and dancing. A short film was made around the video so Jackson needed people who could also act. Prince had already proved his acting talent in Purple Rain just a few years earlier and, according to Snipes, Jackson had already promised him the role. But then Prince had the misfortune of auditioning with the at-the-time-unknown Snipes.

“Me and Prince were auditioning together,” Snipes said, “and I blew him out of the water.”

One of the main reasons Snipes got the job was Jackson’s incorrect perception of him.

“He really thought I was in a gang. He didn’t know that I was a trained thespian,” Snipes said.

Check out this kid’s spot-on Michael Jackson performance on Little Big Shots:

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