The Star Trek Character Wesley Snipes Almost Played Before His Rise To Fame

There might be a mirror universe where "Star Trek: The Next Generation's" Geordi La Forge looks like Wesley Snipes. As revealed in a 2011 interview with Collider, the "Blade" and "New Jack City" star recalled that he was considered for the show before LeVar Burton donned the VISOR as the iconic Enterprise-D engineer.

While promoting "Coming 2 America," Snipes recalled nearly enlisting in Starfleet and was quite disappointed when he didn't get the part. "Yes, that is true. I think that was in the '80s. Yeah. And was disappointed that I didn't get it. Not as disappointed as I was not getting the role in the first 'Coming To America,' but that actually turned out pretty good," explained Snipes. "Because I think if I had gotten the role that I would have been in television more than film, and maybe would have never got a chance to do everything else I've done."

Snipes admitted that it was a close call for the role before Burton got it. "It was close. But yeah, a greater actor than I went on to make it famous," Snipes said, heaping praise on his competition. "I applaud him, my friend, great and wonderful." In the years that followed, Burton, now the host of The CW's "Trivial Pursuit," established his role in the "Star Trek" universe as a core character, appearing in three "Trek" television series (including "Picard") and four feature films alongside the rest of the "Next Generation" cast. 

In a 2021 interview with Rolling Stone, LeVar Burton looked back on the impact "Star Trek" had on his life even before he walked the corridors of the Enterprise. "You have to understand that [in my] family, we watched 'Star Trek' religiously. If I wasn't appearing at ['Star Trek'] conventions as part of the storytelling, I'd be on the other side as a fan in those rooms."

Thankfully, the fates had other plans for Wesley Snipes, and Burton wound up contributing to one of the most influential television shows ever made. Following in the footsteps of Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura in the original series, Burton was a featured Black cast member on a show that depicted an inclusive and progressive tomorrow. "What ['Star Trek' creator] Gene Roddenberry was saying to me was, 'When the future comes, there's a place for you.' That's huge. Representation f***ing matters. It does. Me being able to see myself in Nichelle Nichols was not simply inspiration, it was validation," Burton explained. "That's how powerful the medium can be."

LeVar Burton's invaluable addition to the legacy of "Star Trek" and his already established passion for the show, proves that even if Wesley Snipes didn't get the part, the star the producers chose was, undoubtedly, the right man for the job. Carry on, Mr. La Forge.