Clifton Collins Jr.
A character actor of immense range who disappears into roles, from death row inmates to drug lords, with unsettling authenticity.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American actor·Birthday: June 16·Generation X
Biography
Clifton Collins Jr. is the kind of actor who makes you lean closer to the screen, a master of transformation who invests every role, no matter the size, with gritty specificity. The grandson of actor Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez, he initially used his full familial name (Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez) before simplifying it. His early career was a slow burn of small, potent parts in films like 'The Replacement Killers' and 'The Last Castle.' Collins doesn't play stereotypes; he builds characters from the inside out, often finding the humanity in deeply flawed or dangerous men. He earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his raw portrayal of a death row inmate in 'Capote,' and later chilled audiences as the silent, lethal hitman in 'Traffic.' Whether he's the scheming gangster in 'Star Trek' (2009), the loyal right-hand man in 'Pacific Rim,' or the tragic figure of Peruvian rapper Pontius in 'The Last Shift,' Collins commits utterly. His filmography is a testament to the power of supporting actors, proving that the most memorable moments often come from the periphery, delivered with quiet, formidable skill.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Clifton was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Clifton Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Clifton's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his role as Perry Smith in 'Capote' (2005).
- Won a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the ensemble cast for the film 'Traffic' (2000).
- Portrayed the infamous Boston gangster Whitey Bulger in the film 'Black Mass' (2015).
- Starred as the lead in the critically acclaimed drama 'Jockey' (2021), winning a Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
- Played a recurring role as First Lieutenant Nathaniel 'Nate' Getz in the HBO series 'The Pacific.'
Did You Know?
He is the grandson of actor and comedian Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez, known for his appearances on 'The Ed Sullivan Show.'
He trained extensively in boxing for his role in the film 'The Boxer.'
He is a skilled painter and has had his artwork displayed in galleries.
He changed his professional name from Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez in 1999.
He played a memorable small role as a vampire in an episode of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.'
“I love the underdog. I love the guy who's flawed, who's broken, who's trying to figure it out.”
