Clifton Collins Jr. is a talented actor known for his versatility and ability to transcend traditional racial stereotypes. Born on June 16, 1970, in Los Angeles, he grew up surrounded by the entertainment industry, with his great-grandparents, a Mexican trumpet player and Spanish dancer, forming a traveling family act.
His grandfather, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, was a well-known character actor who appeared in many John Wayne westerns and sitcoms, often playing humorous sidekick roles. Collins Jr.'s uncle and aunt also dabbled in the business.
Collins Jr. began his career in 1988, using his real name, but later changed it to "Clifton Gonzales-Gonzales" as a tribute to his grandfather and his early accomplishments. He started out in typical "barrio" roles, but eventually began to search for more complex and nuanced characters.
His breakout role came in 1997, when he played Cesar, a vicious student and gangbanger, in the film One Eight Seven opposite Samuel L. Jackson. This led to a series of critically acclaimed performances, including roles in The Replacement Killers, The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, and Tigerland.
Collins Jr.'s versatility was showcased in a range of films, including Traffic, Mindhunters, and Capote, in which he played the role of Perry Smith, the object of writer Truman Capote's obsession. This performance earned him critical acclaim and allowed him to move into the co-producer's chair for films such as Rampage: The Hillside Strangler Murders.
In recent years, Collins Jr. has appeared in a number of films, including Road Dogz, Tom Cool, Dirty, For Your Own Good, Star Trek, Freeloaders, The Vault, and Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, for which he received an Oscar nomination.
