Clifton Collins

Clifton Craig Collins Jr. was born on June 16, 1970, in the US. An American actor, he initially worked under the credit name Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez before 1999. His early career included various small parts until he gained major attention playing a gangster in the crime drama One Eight Seven (1997). He then landed featured roles in Traffic (2000) and The Last Castle (2001), solidifying his presence in major productions. Collins earned further recognition for his co-starring role as Perry Edward Smith in the biographical film Capote (2005). His subsequent films span multiple genres: Babel (2006), Star Trek and Crank: High Voltage (both 2009), Pacific Rim (2013), Knight of Cups (2015), The Mule (2018), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), and Nightmare Alley (2021). On television, he starred as Jack Hill on Thief (2006), earning an Emmy Award nomination, and appeared as Thomas on The Event (2010–11), Maximo Gomez on Ballers (2015–17), and Lawrence Gonzales / "El Lazo" on Westworld (2016–2020). He also voiced Cesar Vialpando in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004). Collins has received multiple nominations including Primetime Emmy, Independent Spirit, Satellite, and four ALMA Awards, plus a Screen Actors Guild Award win. Born a Gemini, he embodies life-path number 3—the communicator and entertainer—channeling versatility across indie films and mainstream tentpoles.