Biography
The grandson of famed Mexican character actor and comedian Pedro Gonzales Gonzales, Clifton Collins, Jr. launched his own career as a film and television performer in the late 1980s. At first, Collins' Latino heritage assured him steady work in stereotypical roles - thugs, police officers, troubled youth - in features like "Menace II Society" (1993) and "187" (1997). But his versatility and dedication to craft allowed him to spread his wings …
Clifton Collins SlideShow
1 - 4 of 23
Career Milestones
1993 | Made film debut in Stuart Gordon's "Fortress" |
1997 | First significant film role, as gang thug César Sánchez in "One Eight Seven" |
1998 | Played lead role in Ray Bradbury's cult Latino film "The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit" |
2000 | Appeared opposite Colin Farrell in "Tigerland" |
2000 | Portrayed a hitman for Mexican drug cartels in Steven Soderbergh's ensemble drama "Traffic" |
2002 | Cast as prison inmate in "Confessions of an American Girl" |
2004 | Played wheelchair-bound ex-cop in Renny Harlin's "Mindhunters" |
2005 | Received rave reviews for portrayal of killer Perry Smith in fact-based film "Capote" |
2006 | Appeared as an undercover ICE agent on two-episode arc of FX's "The Shield" |
2006 | Landed minor role as a Mexican border police in "Babel" |
2006 | Starred on FX network's short-lived series "Thief" |
2007 | Co-produced "National Lampoon's TV: The Movie," in which he played Officer Sanchez alongside Jacob Vargas |
2009 | Appeared in Jim Sheridan's remake of "Brothers" |
2009 | Cast as General Ayel, Nero's henchman in J. J. Abrams directed reboot of "Star Trek" |
2009 | Played a factory worker in Mike Judge workplace comedy "Extract" |
2010 | Starred in "The Perfect Game" as the coach of first non-U.S. team to win Little League World Series |
2013 | Cast opposite Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez in crime thriller "Parker" |
Awards
2001 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in Traffic |
2006 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie in Thief |
2006 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in Capote |