Clifton Powell
A character actor with an imposing presence who has defined gritty authority and vulnerability in over a hundred films, from crime dramas to biopics.
Born 1956 (age 70)·American actor·Birthday: March 16·Baby Boomers
Biography
For decades, Clifton Powell's face has been a bedrock of American cinema, a guarantee of a performance grounded in authentic intensity. With a career spanning stage, screen, and voice work, Powell specializes in roles that carry weight and history. He can be terrifying as a drug lord in 'Next Friday,' then pivot to embody the dignified, troubled musician and arranger Jeff Brown in the Ray Charles biopic 'Ray,' a role that earned him an NAACP Image Award nomination. His deep, resonant voice became iconic to millions as the betraying friend Big Smoke in the video game 'Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.' Powell never plays a mere stereotype; he invests each character, whether a police captain, a prison inmate, or a devoted father, with a specific gravity that makes even small parts feel fully lived-in and memorable.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Clifton was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Clifton Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Clifton's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
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
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his role as Jeff Brown in the film 'Ray'.
- Voiced the legendary video game character Big Smoke in 'Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'.
- Built a prolific filmography with over 150 acting credits, often playing key supporting roles in major studio and independent films.
- Had a recurring role as Pinky on the HBO series 'Deadwood'.
Did You Know?
He is a graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C.
He served in the United States Army before pursuing acting full-time.
He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
“You bring your truth to the role, no matter who the character is.”
