Most Known Unknown: Clifton Powell

Clifton Powell is one of my favorite actors. I'm sure you can identify him from seeing him in some movie at some point in time or at the very least his face looks familiar to you. He's been a LOT of movies and his list of work is pretty extensive. He's played the leading man in a couple small-budget films and had numerous supporting roles like the role he played in "Ray" alongside Jamie Foxx. He's also played some of the most randomly angry/funny/weird/sadistic/empathetic characters I've ever seen.

My personal favorite recurring role that he had was playing a character named "Pinky" in the Friday series of movies. Pinky is one of those old school guys who is living in the past in terms of fashion and mentality. An old-school player like Jerome from Martin. But he owns a record store that one of the main characters in the movie works at. And any scene with him in it is an instantly hilarious classic. That is, if you don't mind ni99orant comedy.

WARNING: All these videos are explicit!!!

"I almost spilled my YAK on this $200 suit!!!"

"Imma show you how we do it up here in Pinky's!"



"You done hit Santa Claus FOOL!"



And yes, I know I picked probably the worst role to brag about a Black actor, but it's hella funny to me. I can't help it.

He's also played a ton of other movie roles and appeared in a littany of movies. Most notably:

• House Party (1990)
• Menace II Society (1993)
• Dead Presidents (1995)
• Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998)
• Rush Hour (1998)
• The Brothers (2001)
• Bones (2001)
• Ray (2004)
• Woman Thou Art Loosed (2004)
• Norbit (2007)

For a full list of the movies and television shows he's been in, shows/movies he's currently working on, and other information about him, check out his IMDB entry.

He's quite a versatile actor in his own right. He may never receive the acclaim of more popular (and quite frankly, better) Black actors like Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, or Samuel L. Jackson, but he can definitely hold his own.