Clifton Powell (born March 16, 1956) is an American actor who primarily plays supporting roles in films, such as in '' Ray'' (2004), for which he received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture nomination.

Career

Powell has appeared in more than one hundred films, beginning in the 1980s. His credits include ''

Menace II Society ''Menace II Society'' (pronounced ''Menace to Society'') is a 1993 American teen crime drama film directed by the Hughes Brothers in their directorial debut. Set in the Watts and Crenshaw neighborhoods of Los Angeles, the film follows the l ...

'' (1993), ''

Dead Presidents ''Dead Presidents'' is a 1995 American crime film co-written, produced and directed by the Hughes brothers, Hughes Brothers. The film chronicles the life of Anthony Curtis (Larenz Tate), focusing on his teenage years as a high school graduate a ...

'' (1995), '' Why Do Fools Fall in Love'' (1998), ''

Rush Hour A rush hour (American English, British English) or peak hour (Australian English, Indian English) is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice e ...

'' (1998), '' Next Friday'' (2000), and its 2002 sequel, '' Friday After Next'', ''

Woman Thou Art Loosed ''Woman Thou Art Loosed'' is a 2004 American drama film directed by Michael Schultz and written by Stan Foster. It was produced by Stan Foster and Reuben Cannon. It is the 44th film or series directed by Schultz and is adapted from the self- ...

'' (2004), and '' Ray'' (2004). He played

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

in the 1999 television film '' Selma, Lord, Selma''. Powell also has had many supporting roles in smaller direct-to-video films in 2000s and 2010s. On television, Powell had the recurring roles on '' Roc'', '' South Central'', and ''

Army Wives ''Army Wives'' is an American drama television series that followed the lives of four army wives, one army husband, and their families. The series premiered on Lifetime on June 3, 2007, and ran for seven seasons, ending on June 9, 2013. The sh ...

'', and well as guest-starred on '' In the Heat of the Night'', ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'', ''

NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble ca ...

'', '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', and ''

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

''. In 2016, Powell was cast as main antagonist in the

Bounce TV Bounce TV is an American digital terrestrial television, digital broadcast television network owned by Scripps Networks, a subsidiary of E. W. Scripps Company. It launched on September 26, 2011, and was promoted as "the first 24/7 digital multic ...

first prime time soap opera, '' Saints & Sinners'' opposite Vanessa Bell Calloway and Gloria Reuben. Powell is also known for his voice acting role as Big Smoke in the 2004 video game '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas''. In 2017, Powell appeared in the second season of ''My Step Kidz''.

Personal life

Powell was born in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, and grew up in Mayfair Mansions in Northeast D.C. He attended HD Woodson Senior High School, before he transferred and graduated from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Powell is married to Kimberly, with whom he has two children.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Clifton 1956 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors 20th-century African-American male actors 21st-century African-American male actors American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American male video game actors Male actors from Washington, D.C.