Let’s be honest, Wesley Snipes could use some help — and we don’t just mean paying his taxes either. It’s been years since his hey days of the 1990’s when he mixed compelling dramas like Down in the Delta (airing on TV One Sunday at 10pm [ET]) and big-budget action flicks like Passenger 57 into a big career. And let’s not forget his humanitarian efforts that made it cool to be dark skinned in Hollywood (you’re welcome Djimon Honsou!).

But that was a while ago. Even if you’re a fan of his Blade series, the last one was four years ago so we think its high time Mr. Snipes got some career advice. We say, skip the trip to Oprah’s couch – it didn’t help Tom Cruise. Instead, Dr. Cool Factor is here to offer three career-boosting paths to put Mr. Snipes back on top.

1. The Tyler Perry Treatment
Ask Idris Elba, Angela Bassett, Sanaa Lathan or any other top-rate Black actor who Hollywood just can’t find a slot for – a leading role in a Tyler Perry film could find you in a number one movie and back in the hearts of Black folks everywhere. It might also find you playing opposite Perry in a dress but considering that you’ve already done the cross-dressing thing (we remember To Wong Foo), it shouldn’t be too big of a problem, right?
Watch Idris Elba in Daddy’s Little Girls below.

2. Biography Treatment
Don Cheadle’s done it, Forest Whitaker won an Oscar for it, hell, even Cuba Gooding Jr.’s done it twice, so why haven’t you signed-up for at least one of those Oscar-bait biography films? One of the best ways to get a leading role in a big film is to choose a role only you can play – a Black guy. When it comes to picking your role, may we suggest someone topical and with a great story like Ray Nagin or Kofi Anan? If someone says offers you The Flavor Flav Story, promise us you’ll say “no.”
Watch Forest earn his Oscar below.

3. The Who’s That Treatment
Do you know who Chewitol Ejiofor is? Most people don’t. But this British import has gone from making small foreign films like Dirty Pretty Things to co-starring with Denzel (twice), he’s made two Spike Lee joints and, perhaps most remarkably, he was the first Black lead in a Woody Allen movie. Point is, you may have to forget about all your hard won fame, movies and start small. Be prepared to have your ego a bit wounded and also be prepared to get second billing behind that Chris Brown kid, he’s everywhere these days.
Watch Chewitol in Kinky Boots below (he’s the one in the dress)

QUESTION: What should Wesley do to get his groove back?

The last time we saw Denzel he was in last fall’s hit The Great Debaters, doing what he does best — playing a stand-up guy that we’d all like to have over for dinner.

But for many of us, the first time we saw Denzel he wasn’t playing such a nice guy. In fact, in 1981’s A Soldier’s Story, Denzel was playing, well, a real jerk.

WARNING: If you haven’t seen A Soldier’s Story, a fact I would NOT admit in public, you should stop reading now — or at least until you watch Soldier when it airs on TV One Sunday at 8 pm [ET] – because I’m totally about to ruin the whole movie. So if you don’t want that to happen, I suggest you scram.

Gone?

Good.

So as any real fan knows, Denzel’s role as Pfc. Petersen in Soldier was not a nice guy. A murderer, actually. But we all know Denzel didn’t get where he is playing bad guys. Malcolm X, Crimson Tide, The Hurricane (even Virtuosity) – his list of playing upstanding guys is legendary. But let’s be honest, “Good Denzel” is nice, but “bad Denzel” is better. Let’s take a look at Denzel’s bad side.

Training Day
Role: Police Officer Alonzo Harris
Key Line: “King Kong Ain’t Got Nothin’ on Me!”
Random Act of Violence: Alonzo’s acts of brutality are too many to count but using his own kid (from an adulterous affair, no less) as a human shield is the lowest.
Why We Love Him Anyway: Maybe it was the goatee, his hot ride or the scores of quotable lines he dropped, but Denzel displayed such high-octane swagger that he won his second Oscar for it.

American Gangster
Role: Real-life drug dealer, Frank Lucas
Key Line: “That’s $25,000 alpaca! You blot that ****!”
Random Act of Violence: We suggest you don’t get too drunk around pull out a gun around Frank Lucas. Chances are you might find your head dancing with the business-end of a piano lid.
Why We Love Him Anyway: Denzel’s trademark intensity is all here, but the reason why we love his thug is because (spoiler alert!) he does redeem himself at the end by helping sinking his own death-dealing business.

Man on Fire
Role: Ex-CIA agent Creasy
Key Line: “Forgiveness is between them and God. It’s my job to arrange the meeting.”
Random Act of Violence: After doing a delicate bit of minor surgery on a suspect (you men over 40 know EXACTLY what I’m talking about), Creasy switches from proctologist to bomb expert as he interrogates and then blows the guy to smithereens while walking away in classic his classic Denzel stroll.
Why We Love Him Anyway: Fighting for the love of a woman is nice. Fighting for the love of a little girl is just damned noble. A bit excessive, but noble.