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The Rise of Clifton Collins Jr
FILMINK speaks to the Star Trek and Capote star about the rise of his career.
One of Filmink's favourite character actors, Clifton Collins Jr., is currently on screens in Star Trek and Sunshine Cleaning. Appearing in movies since the early ‘90s, Collins Jr.'s impressive acting chops can be found in everything from Traffic to The Rules of Attraction and The Last Castle, plus TV shows such as The Shield and Alias.
Grandson to Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, who starred alongside John Wayne in the classic Western Rio Bravo, Clifton Collins Jr. had an experienced mentor to help nurture his way into Hollywood. "He was my only sounding board, and who else better to go to?" Collins Jr. asks. "Mel Blanc loved my grandfather's accent so much that he wrote him in to help Daffy with his ‘cat eating disorder'. It is in the film The Wings Of The Hawk, my Grandfather's very first film, that I believe inspired Mr. Blanc to create Speedy Gonzalez."
"I mean if you think about it, here is a Mexican-American actor in the early 50s where racism and the stereotypes were far greater and stronger than they are today. He had a 2nd grade academic education. Somehow, he managed to become a contract player for Bat-jac Productions (John Wayne's company) after one upping one of the greatest comedians at the time in his second language! That comedian was Groucho Marx. Of course, times have changed in many different ways but there are still many principles that stay constant, things that one can only learn through experiences."
His late grandfather had to work against the stereotyped casting that saw Latino actors only playing Latino characters, however Collins Jr. has had a far more diverse career. His biggest roles to date include playing the condemned killer Perry Smith in Capote and, most recently, in heavy makeup as right hand man Ayel to Eric Bana's Nero in Star Trek.
"We laughed quite a bit," remembers Collins Jr. "Especially when I choked out Capt. Kirk, aha HA HAAA! Oh wait, I keep forgetting that I'm not AYEL anymore!" he laughs.
Being a flexible actor is something that Collins Jr. strives for in his career. "I really thrive off diversity and I really enjoy hiding within many different characters. I have a great fear of being thought of for the same thing."
"I find it incredibly frustrating that Robert De Niro and Al Pacino can play what would be considered a stereotype from their own Italian cultures and garner Oscar nods and be embraced by their community. While I would be acknowledged by the Hollywood community for my role in 187, for those that knew I was actually acting and that I wasn't just some gangster found off the street, but then be snubbed by my own Latino-Hollywood community... This double standard is sad, for we (Latinos) turn our backs on our very own. I do not have a problem playing these types of roles at all. I still have very close friends in the "game" so to speak, both Latino and Black. I come from very many different places being influenced by them all. That said I am always longing to be different people, not just Latino. That is my love of acting. Portraying people from ALL walks of life, and if I don't know the world that these characters come from I will seek it and immerse myself in it, becoming it."
While the recent writer's strike slowed down incoming work for lots of actors, for Collins Jr. this just presented the perfect opportunity to have a go at directing, taking on the role for the Zac Brown Band's music video. Now with the directing bug taking hold in his system, Collins Jr. has begun to think about what kind of features he'd also like to direct. "I'd like to direct any film that inspires, moves and/or teaches," he says. With director, producer and almost 100 acting credits to his name, Clifton Collins Jr. is someone we can look forward to seeing on both big screen and small for years to come.