Wesley Snipes Ordered to Pay 1.7 Million Dollars in Agent Fees

Hollywood action star Wesley Snipes has been ordered to pay 1.7 million dollars in fees to a talent agency who helped him land roles in four films, court documents showed Tuesday.

Snipes, the star of the "Blade" vampire film trilogy, must hand over the unpaid amount to the United Talent Agency (UTA), which filed a lawsuit against the actor in Los Angeles Superior Court last year.

It is the latest financial wrangle involving Snipes, 45, who faces a court case in Florida later this year on charges of fraudulently claiming tax refunds.

According to court documents in Los Angeles, UTA helped Simpson secure roles in "Blade III," "Chaos," "Middle Man" and "The Shooter."

Under an agreement with the actor UTA was to be paid 10 percent of any money he received for the roles but failed to do so, the lawsuit alleged.

Snipes rose to fame in the 1980s when he was cast in the video for Michael Jackson's single "Bad."

That proved to be the springboard for a successful acting career characterized by his portrayal of tough-guy characters in movies such as "Demolition Man" and "New Jack City."