2011 Black History Month: #28 Black Actor Performance

By: Luke Florence

The weatherman is predicting a nasty storm of freezing rain with the possibility of turning into snow. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the beginning of February!!

Couldn't say it any better. So, while you are enjoying your day off of school or just staying inside to warm up, I give you the #28 Black Actor Performance as we kick off our tribute to the 2011 Black History Month.

2011 Black History Month: #28 Black Actor Performance

Wesley Snipes as "Sidney Deane" in "White Men Can't Jump."

This list is made by a white guy for a black guy, so it should come as no surprise that I'm a big fan of the black-white dynamic. When I made my TV list two years ago I had Turk from Scrubs at #2 because of his best-friend relationship with JD. This list is no different, and we start with Wesley Snipes as Sidney Deane.

Yes, I could crack some jokes about how it's tax time, but let's not. Basketball movies are hard to make because it will be judged on how real the game appears on-screen. Well, after watching White Men Can't Jump, I was convinced that Wesley could ball.

Wesley plays the part of basketball hustler extremely well. He has a sharp mouth, a witty sense of humor, and he's pretty damn good at basketball. As with most of the performances on this list, as you watch, you forget that it's Wesley Snipes, and you lose yourself in the actual character, or in this case, Sidney Deane.

Sidney meets up with Billy Hoyle (the white guy) and their chemistry together is unmistakable. One of my favorite movie-clips of all-time is when Billy and Sidney face-off in a shoot-out early on in their relationship.

It's been a while since I've seen this movie, and to be honest, I've only watched it on TV. That's a shame because I have a feeling it would be a much funnier movie if the cable restrictions were lifted ... kind of like Major League.

Wesley has gone on to star in movies like Blade and Major League, but it's his portrayal of Sidney Deane that gets the nod here and has us off and running into February.

Memorable Quotes

"A black man would rather miss than look bad." - Billy Hoyle

"Look man, you can listen to Jimi but you can't hear him. There's a difference man. Just because you're listening to him doesn't mean you're hearing him." - Sidney Deane

"I'll tell you what. Why don't we take all these bricks and build a shelter for the homeless, so maybe your mother will have a place to stay." - Billy Hoyle

"Billy, listen to me. White men can't jump." - Sidney Deane

"You see Billy it's like this, you either smoke or you get smoked. And you got smoked." - Sidney Deane

Hint for #27: Dramatic movie, early 1990s, director was nominated for best director at the age of 24, youngest ever ... this actor is probably best known for his use of sunglasses.

Until next time, "read it, roll it, hole it."