Clifton Powell

From Washington to the Streets of Los Angeles

Clifton Powell was born in Washington, D.C., in 1956 and grew up in an environment where art was not an option but a way out. He trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, an institution that gave him the technical tools he needed to survive in an industry that rarely offered opportunities to Black actors of his generation. His first professional steps came in New York during the 80s, appearing in stage productions and small television roles.

Powell was never the handsome leading man of the show.

In 1993, he played Chauncy in Menace II Society, and that role changed how Hollywood executives saw him. The Hughes Brothers knew how to make the most of his ability to convey a contained menace through a look. But he didn't get stuck in crime dramas, and he worked with them again on Dead Presidents (1995), playing Cutty.

The Comedy Fans Never Saw Coming

The year 2000 marked a turning point in his career with the release of Next Friday. His performance as Pinky, the record store owner with flashy wardrobe and an outsized ego, connected with audiences in an unexpected way. He turned a supporting character into a cult favorite that still inspires references in American pop culture.

And comedy opened an unexpected door for him.

Despite Pinky's fame, Powell kept his feet firmly planted in strict drama. In 2004, he took part in Ray, the biopic about Ray Charles directed by Taylor Hackford. He played Jeff Brown, the musician's right-hand man, and shared most of his scenes with a Jamie Foxx at the height of his powers. That ensemble effort earned a nomination at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, and the film took home two Oscars.

The Numbers of a Tireless Worker

Many viewers don't realize his voice is as recognizable as his face. In 2004, he voiced Big Smoke in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, one of the best-selling titles in history. The game sold more than 27 million copies, and his vocal performance became a benchmark for big-budget video game voice acting.

Voice acting was his other major specialty.

Between 2018 and 2021, he regained visibility on broadcast television with the series Black Lightning, where he played Reverend Jeremiah Holt. It was a role that let him explore a calmer, more spiritual side, far from the criminals who defined his early career. Also in 2018, he joined the cast of The Family Business, a production that kept him consistently present on streaming platforms over several seasons.

As of 2024, his profile in industry databases listed more than 250 acting credits. His per-episode pay on cable television productions had settled into five-figure amounts during the last decade of the twentieth century. His name appears in the credits of The Last O.G., a series filmed between 2018 and 2021, where he played Big Mike.